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Commission approves garage‑to‑living‑space conversion at 8049 Kilborn with stone infill required under front window
Summary
The Appearance Commission unanimously approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for a garage conversion at 8049 Kilborn, authorizing front elevation infill and requiring stone under the front windows; applicant said matching brick was not available.
The Skokie Appearance Commission on Jan. 14 approved a first‑floor facade alteration at 8049 Kilborn that converts a front‑facing attached garage into habitable space and moves the garage to the rear lot, imposing a condition that stone be installed under the front windows.
Architect Nathan (Nate) Kriska told the commission he and the bricklayer searched multiple suppliers and were unable to locate matching brick for the infill. "When we searched 4 different places...they couldn't find a matching brick," Kriska said, and proposed using the stone found at the front door to infill under the new window opening so it complements the house.
Commissioners confirmed the new window will span the width of the former door, that stone sills will match existing sills and that any necessary framing will be wrapped in white aluminum to coordinate with existing vinyl windows. The homeowners said they plan native landscaping in front of the replaced driveway area.
Commissioner Julie moved that a Certificate of Appropriateness be granted for case 2026‑002A at 8049 Kilborn with the addition of stone under the front windows and removal of a proposed south‑elevation window; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously (Tom, Charles, Joe, Julie, Jay, Carlos and Jacob voting aye).
The commission noted staff had no objections to the proposed facade changes and that the detached rear garage is exempt from Appearance Commission review.
