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Board approves special use and variances to legalize two units at Joliet property, denies larger ADU request
Summary
Will County staff recommended approval of a special use permit to allow an accessory dwelling unit and several variances to bring a Joliet property into compliance; the board approved most variances and the special use but denied the requested increase in ADU maximum size per staff recommendation.
The Will County Planning and Zoning Board approved a special use permit and several variances for a Joliet property where fire damage and subsequent review revealed multiple dwelling units, but denied the applicant’s request to increase the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) maximum beyond established limits.
Staff reported that the property owner submitted a fire‑damage repair permit in 2021 and staff discovered the residence contained four dwelling units. The owner elected to pursue a plan to retain two units — the principal dwelling on the first floor and an ADU on the second floor — and applied for a special use permit and variances to bring the parcel into compliance.
Staff recommended approval of the special use with two conditions and approval of variances for lot area, side‑yard and street‑yard setbacks, but recommended denial of the requested increase in ADU size on the grounds that the request represented a personal preference rather than a demonstrated hardship.
Commissioners questioned practical implications of the denial (for example, potential need for additional stairs or internal reconfiguration) but ultimately accepted staff’s analysis. The special use and most variances were approved with conditions; the variance to enlarge the ADU beyond the permitted size was denied.
