Committee grants zoning relief for permanent basketball hoop in District 4

The DuPage County Development Committee voted on Nov. 18 to approve zoning relief permitting a permanent concrete basketball hoop installed in front of the front wall of a house in District 4.

David Sabenock, the homeowner who prompted the appeal process, told the committee he had received a violation for the hoop and that the unit was in place when he purchased the property. “I got a violation a few months back, for a basketball hoop in my driveway,” Sabenock said during public comment. County staff explained the hoop is a permanent, concrete installation rather than a portable unit and that the county ordinarily requires recreational equipment to be stored behind the front wall of a house.

Staff told the committee that while a neighbor had complained about noise, county decibel testing at the property did not trigger a noise violation. Staff also noted mitigating facts: the hoop sits on the instep of the lot rather than centrally in the front yard, there is no lighting observed on the fixture, and the owner had applied for zoning relief to avoid repeated adjudication. A commenter with construction experience said removing the concrete foundation could be done but often leads residents to buy portable hoops that generate similar noise concerns.

After discussion, the committee moved and seconded a motion to grant the zoning relief; the chair declared the motion carried following the vote. County staff said the variance stays with the land as a standard variation tied to the property.

Next steps: the county will update its adjudication record to reflect the granted relief and the matter was closed for this committee meeting.