Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Lake Bluff board approves yacht‑club boathouse design, keeps 6‑foot ornamental fence and asks for final colors
Loading...
Summary
The Lake Bluff Architectural Board approved a revised boathouse design for the Lake Bluff Yacht Club at 503 Sunrise Avenue, accepting a reduced one‑story building and ornamental six‑foot front fence while requiring the applicant to return with final trim and door colors for approval.
The Lake Bluff Architectural Board on a vote approved the design review for a proposed Lake Bluff Yacht Club boathouse at 503 Sunrise Avenue, accepting the applicant’s smaller, one‑story design and an ornamental six‑foot fence while conditioning final approval on a separate submission of the building’s trim and door colors.
The applicant’s presenter (speaker 8) and designer Ted Stanaszak presented a substantially scaled‑back building from the prior two‑story plan: Stanaszak said the structure has been lowered to “essentially 1 story” with a front dormer and that total height was reduced to 15 feet 9 inches from about 24 feet. The design calls for heat‑treated wood siding, a galvalume (galvanized) standing‑seam roof and painted barn doors; the board expressed concerns about finishes and asked the applicant to return with color samples for final sign‑off.
The most contested issue at the hearing was the perimeter fence. The applicant explained that village staff initially suggested an eight‑foot height but zoning recommended a six‑foot picket fence; the applicant favored a six‑foot aluminum ornamental fence at the front, with black chain link placed around the sides and rear and tall grasses or landscaping used to provide screening. Fence consultant Dave Holdsworth, a resident and employee of Superior Fence and Rail, told the board there is “always this trade‑off between perceived security and visual security” and warned that fully opaque fences are vulnerable to lake winds; he recommended softening any fence with landscaping.
Several speakers raised public‑safety concerns. Tim Planty, a resident and former compound manager, urged stronger security measures and recommended “an 8‑foot fence, preferably with closely spaced pickets to eliminate hand and footholds,” saying that during his experience a 6‑foot cyclone fence had proved ineffective and that unsecured equipment can create drowning risks. John Beeler, speaking for the Park District, said he appreciated the reduced building height but also expressed concern about the 6‑foot fence for off‑hours safety and asked that the applicant submit a photometric lighting plan and confirm construction timing so beach operations are not disrupted during the summer season.
The applicant said the club intends to provide temporary fences and storage racks to restore limited operations this season and hopes to build the permanent structure in late summer or early fall. The board agreed the reduced building scale and the proposed 6‑foot ornamental fence were acceptable in principle but asked for the final trim and door colors to be returned for the board’s approval. A motion to approve the design review with that condition passed on a roll‑call vote; Member Wirks, Member Dauman, Member Cottrell and Chair Hunter were recorded voting “Aye.”
Next steps: the applicant will provide the requested color samples and finalize any follow‑up items (lighting and shared power arrangements were discussed) before proceeding to the village board for the next permit stage. The board’s approval includes the condition that final trim and door colors be reviewed and approved by the Architectural Board before issuance of final permits.
