Planning commission forwards variance request for expanded garage at 5038 Men’s Drive

The Village of Machesney Park Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously on May 26 to approve a recommendation that a variance (Ordinance 17-26) for 5038 Men’s Drive be advanced to the Planning & Economic Development meeting on June 1.

Staff reported that the property currently has an approximately 600-square-foot detached garage and a small shed. The property owner proposes removing the shed and adding a 480-square-foot addition to the garage, producing a 1,080-square-foot accessory building. Staff recommended approval, saying the enlarged garage would not negatively affect neighboring properties and would sit farther from the rear property boundary than the existing shed.

A motion to approve the variance was made and seconded. The applicant, Jordan Swanson, was sworn and confirmed on the record that he plans to remove the shed and to proceed with the addition “as soon as I get approval to do it.” Commissioners asked about the timing of demolition and whether the proposed work would encroach on any rear easement; a commissioner cautioned that village approval would not authorize encroachment on an easement. Swanson responded that he had built a fence when he moved in and that the proposed addition would be farther from that fence than the current shed.

The commission recorded affirmative votes from Commissioners Henkins, Fluger, Dane Levich, Clinger, Schultz and Holmes; the motion carried and will be heard by the Planning & Economic Development body on June 1. The applicant was asked to plan to attend that meeting.

Note on transcript wording: the transcript contained several typographical errors in names and units; this article normalizes the village name to "Machesney Park" and reports square-foot measures consistent with the staff presentation.