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La Grange trustees approve corner‑yard variance for detached garage at 449 South Stone Avenue
Summary
The Village of La Grange Board of Trustees approved a zoning variation allowing a detached garage to encroach 11 feet into the 17‑foot corner side yard at 449 South Stone Avenue after debate about safety, neighborhood character and alternatives; the zoning board of appeals was split but trustees voted 6–0 to grant the variance.
Trustees approved a zoning variation Tuesday allowing a detached garage to be built 6 feet from the corner side lot line at 449 South Stone Avenue, encroaching 11 feet into the required 17‑foot corner side yard.
The vote followed public comment from neighbors and a long discussion among trustees about traffic safety on nearby 47th Street, sight lines, and alternative designs. The Village Board approved the motion 6–0.
The variance matter went to the Board after the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held a public hearing in November 2024 and split 3–2 on recommending approval. At the ZBA hearing, several commissioners said the garage could be located in the rear of the lot; others said that alternative locations would unduly restrict the owner’s use of the yard.
Steven Specht, the property owner and applicant, told trustees he and his wife found backing out of the existing driveway onto 47th Street unsafe and that his proposal would reduce impermeable surface area by removing the existing garage and driveway and replacing them with a shorter driveway onto Stone Avenue. “I put together several sketches ... the proposal that I put together ... reduces the amount of impermeable surface on my property,” Specht said, adding that any final building permit would still require engineering review.
Neighbors opposed to the variation said the application did not meet the legal standards for a variance. Tia Manilakis, who lives on South Stone Avenue, urged trustees to consider long‑term community impact and argued the homeowner had not demonstrated a unique hardship. “I don't really think they have a unique physical condition,” she told the board. Jane Hamblin, who lives next door, cited the nearby park, pedestrian activity and a narrow parkway and said a driveway closer to 47th Street would worsen sight‑line problems for people walking to the park.
Village staff said the village engineer reviewed the proposal and concluded the proposed garage location would comply with the village’s clear‑vision requirements. Staff also noted the existing six‑foot fence on the property is a separate code violation that must be remedied; the engineer found roughly 23 linear feet of fence encroached into the vision triangle at a maximum depth of about 1.5 feet.
Trustees who spoke during the debate emphasized public safety on 47th Street and whether the proposed relocation would reduce the risk of collisions that have occurred on that corridor. Trustee Thompson, who introduced the item, cited multiple accidents on 47th Street and said placing the driveway on Stone Avenue would, in his view, make the property safer. Trustee Peterson and Trustee Gale also said they believed the change would improve safety and, in Trustee Gale’s words, “could improve the value of the home and the neighborhood.”
The board approved the variation after a roll call: Trustees Thompson, Augustine, O’Brien, McGee, Gale and Peterson voted yes; no no votes or abstentions were recorded. Trustee comments and the record show the owner still must obtain building permits and address the fence encroachment; staff noted that building‑permit review could raise additional issues and that the variance does not bypass those requirements.
The board thanked neighbors for attending and urged the applicant to work on design and landscaping during the permit stage to reduce visual impacts on 47th Street.
