Village of Arlington Heights Zoning Board of Appeals met Feb. 10.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: So, I'd like to call to order the Zoning Board of Appeals Arlington Heights meeting for February 10th, 2020. Derek, would you do the roll call please?
MR. MACH: Chairman Divito.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Here.
MR. MACH: Mr. Drake. (No response.)
MR. MACH: Mr. Geisel.
COMMISSIONER GEISEL: Here.
MR. MACH: Mr. Jaffe.
COMMISSIONER JAFFE: Here.
MR. MACH: Mr. Lanaghan. (No response.)
MR. MACH: Mr. Selbka.
COMMISSIONER SELBKA: Here.
MR. MACH: Mr. Siavelis.
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: Yes, here, present.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All right, we do have a quorum tonight. So, please stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. (Pledge of allegiance recited.)
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Let's see. The next order of business is the approval of minutes from last month. Has everyone had an opportunity to review? Are there any errors or omissions to be cited? Okay, is there a motion?
COMMISSIONER GEISEL: Motion.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Second?
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: Second.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Okay, all in favor? (Chorus of ayes.)
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All opposed? (No response.)
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All right. Moving up to new business, we only have one Petitioner here tonight, 611 East Fairview Street. So, if you'd like, you can come on up, whoever is going to present. Go ahead and start off with the presentation.
MR. HOUSE: Okay, well, I have this written down and I think you have it in your record, so if it's okay, I can just read it.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Sure.
MR. HOUSE: My wife and I, we're petitioning as the owner of the property on 611 East Fairview Street to the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Arlington Heights for a variation from --
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Oh, I'm sorry. You know what, I totally forgot to swear you in; I apologize. Name and address for the record?
MR. HOUSE: Jeffrey House, 611 East Fairview Street.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All right.
MR. HOUSE: My wife.
MRS. HOUSE: I'm Mrs. House.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Name and address for the record?
MRS. HOUSE: 611 East Fairview Street in Arlington Heights.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Name?
MRS. HOUSE: Ilona House.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: I'll swear you each at the same time. (Witnesses sworn.)
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Okay, and then are you going to --
MR. HAMMAN: I'm the architect representing them.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Okay, so name and address for the record please?
MR. HAMMAN: Michael Hamman, 1507 East Wing Street, Arlington Heights. (Witness sworn.)
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Okay, sorry, go ahead.
MR. HOUSE: So, the variation was granted and constructed per the plan that was approved in 2002, except for 105 square feet located on the first floor south side. We now wish to complete that work that was approved in 2002.
We state that the proposed use will not alter the essential character of the locality and will be compatible with the existing uses and zoning of nearby properties if the variations were granted as the architectural details, massing and trim are traditional in character and align with the plan stated in the July 8th, 2002 petition.
Here I state that the plight of the owner is due to unique circumstances which include the fact that the lot is a corner lot where the size is smaller than the other surrounding lots.
Here I state that the proposed variation is in harmony with the spirit and intent of this chapter as the hardship that's testified in 2002 has not substantially changed. We have elderly parents. Our mothers are 92 and 93, at some point they may need to move in with us. Our daughter is now married and sooner or later there's going to be children, and we would like to expand that room that we didn't before that we wish we had. But it's on the south side of the house, it's 98, you know, a small 105 square feet right next to the kitchen.
Basically, what happened was we went, when we applied, we are applying for the same thing that we got in 2002, but because we did not construct it within a year, we had to redo it. We had to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals again to apply for really the same square footage that's no different than it was, but the code changed. So, now we are applying for a little bit more than what the code says because in 2002 it was 0.5, the ratio was 0.5. Now, it's 0.45, so we have to apply for a slight, for more than we did before. But it's exactly, the bottom line is it's the same variation that we requested and were granted in 2002. But because of the time that went by and the change in the code, we have to reapply. So, that's why we're here.
MRS. HOUSE: So, when we constructed back in 2002, as in most cases your budget gets a little bit, you know, over, and so we had a point where we had to cut it off. So, that was what we chose not to do. In hindsight, it kind of was a mistake on our part because what's happened, it's become more of a hallway going from the kitchen out to the other part of the house, and it's right off the kitchen. As we expand, we'd like to have more of a family room and I think it's in better keeping with the house to have a room off the kitchen that's a real room and not just a pass way to another area. So, that's why we'd like to do it at this time.
COMMISSIONER JAFFE: You spoke with any of your neighbors about the project?
MRS. HOUSE: Yes, I spoke to all seven around the neighborhood that are around the house including the Papadias, the ones who are right next to us where our lot lines meet up. We've gotten their blessing. All of them have been- in favor of the fact that we would not doing anything to destroy the, you know, character of the neighborhood. It's a one-story addition, so everyone seemed to be fine with what we want to do.
MR. HOUSE: Most of them won't even see it because it would be behind the fence. It's one-story, so it's probably not going to be, you know, except to the ones to the immediate south. They've been fine with it since we started the process.
COMMISSIONER JAFFE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Any other questions from the Board to the Petitioner? All right, you can take a seat and let us see if there's anyone in the audience that wishes to speak. So, is there anyone in the audience? Come on up. So, have you signed in?
MR. BETHKE: Not yet.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All right, please do.
MR. BETHKE: All right.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Name and address for the record?
MR. BETHKE: Neal Bethke, 705 East Fairview, Arlington Heights.
(Witness sworn.)
MR. BETHKE: So, you had asked the question about the neighbors. We're the neighbor directly east of the houses. So, I just thought I'd come here and let you know that they have socialized the plan. They have kept us in the loop, you know, pretty much as they were going through this as the neighborhood does. We have absolutely no problem with kind of what they're doing and how they're doing it.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Great, thank you.
MR. BETHKE: You bet.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Anyone else want to speak to this? All right, close it down for Board discussion. Pretty straight-forward.
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: Yes, pretty straight-forward.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All right, is there any motion?
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: Well supported by the neighbors, right?
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: And it was approved back in 2002.
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: No reason to deviate from that given the evidence that's put in front of us.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Right.
COMMISSIONER SELBKA: I would move to approve as presented.
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: Second.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Go ahead, Derek.
MR. MACH: Mr. Geisel.
COMMISSIONER GEISEL: Yes.
MR. MACH: Mr. Jaffe.
COMMISSIONER JAFFE: Yes.
MR. MACH: Mr. Selbka.
COMMISSIONER SELBKA: Yes.
MR. MACH: Mr. Siavelis.
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: Yes.
MR. MACH: Chairman Divito.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Yes. Congratulations, the motion passed.
MR. HOUSE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: That brings us to the end of tonight's agenda. Is there a motion to adjourn?
COMMISSIONER SELBKA: Motion to adjourn.
COMMISSIONER SIAVELIS: Second.
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All in favor?
(Chorus of ayes.)
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN DIVITO: All right, we are adjourned.
(Whereupon, the public hearing on the above-mentioned petition was adjourned at 7:09 p.m.)
https://www.vah.com/your_government/agendas___minutes_
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