North Cook News

The Village of Winnetka considered making a change to a local subdivision during a board meeting held last month.

The village council discussed a rezoning of Scott Subdivision 1303 to 1311, with the line between the two lots being moved to make the 1311 plot slightly larger than the 1303 plot. There's no current conflict between the two lots, and no changes will be made to the 1311 plot beyond the line change. The house on the 1303 plot is expected to be demolished, with a new home built on the lot to replace it.

"You received two recommendations, one from the planning commission and one from the Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously each recommending approval of the request as basically two property owners would like to adjust the lot line between two lots to make the one lot larger," said Winnetka Community Development Director David Schoon. "That's the 1311 stock parcel larger, and then the 1303 would become smaller. There are no planned improvements for the 1311 Scott Parcel, the home would remain. The 1303 parcel, the house would be demolished and a new home would be built on it."

The owners of the 1311 plot were in attendance during the meeting and were given the opportunity to take part in the discussion. Kristen and James Goodfellow bought their home seven years ago and have resided there with their children. They have been making small renovations and upgrades to the house while working to maintain the character of the property built in 1929. They are also working closely with the developer who now owns the plot next door, and they were excited to work out a plan to buy 20 feet of the lot, balancing the lots' sizes and giving their property and kids extra yard room.

The developer of the 1303 plot, DSM Properties, Inc., was also in attendance during the meeting to answer any questions. Their plans for demolition and future construction were submitted to the village on Jan. 3 for further evaluation and recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Committee were made before being given to the council for a final vote. The council decided to approve a special use permit for the 1311 plot, as the altered size put the house in violation of a setback rule by only a foot.