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McHenry County hearing: staff finds no objection to Harvard setback variance; county board to decide Feb. 17
Summary
Robert J. Dacey asked the county for a variance to allow a 13-foot side-yard setback for a replacement barn at 22207 Airport Road in Harvard; hearing officer Michael McNearney described the request as straightforward and noted staff raised no concerns. The McHenry County Board will consider the case on Feb. 17.
Michael McNearney opened a McHenry County zoning hearing on application Z25Dash0098 and identified the applicant as Robert J. Dacey, trustee of the Robert J. Dacey Refigurable Trust. The application seeks a variance in an A-1C agricultural district to allow a 13-foot setback for a detached accessory structure in the effective side yard where the ordinance requires 50 feet.
McNearney said the property is about 16 acres at 22207 Airport Road in Harvard (PIN 060340007) and noted the parcel is zoned A-1C with a conditional use permit for an airport. He told the record the lot appears on the county’s 2030 plan as government/institutional utilities, an apparent discrepancy he said would be explained later.
The applicant, Robert J. Dacey, told the hearing the new barn occupies the same slab as a prior building that collapsed; he said the prior structure dated to the mid-1940s and the new building is smaller. "It's same slab," Dacey said when asked whether the replacement sits where the old building stood.
During a standards review, McNearney read the legal criteria for granting a variation and asked the applicant to confirm facts underpinning a hardship claim: that the condition is unique to the property, that the original structure predated the zoning ordinance, and that the request is not driven by a desire for increased financial gain. The applicant agreed the prior building predated the ordinance and that using the existing location was advantageous.
Staff present told the hearing they had no concerns about the request. McNearney summarized his view: "Based on everything, this is a very straightforward and simple request," and said he would be in favor of forwarding it to the McHenry County Board. He cautioned that his recommendation does not decide the case; the county board will make the final determination. McNearney said the board meeting is scheduled for February 17 at 7 p.m. and that the item is likely to appear on the consent agenda.
No formal motion or vote occurred during the hearing; the record shows staff review and the hearing officer’s recommendation to forward the matter to the county board for final action.
