Concerned about setting a precedent, the McHenry City Council has referred to committee a request by Gerstad Builders to permit wider driveways in its Timber Trails townhouse complex under construction on McCullom Lake Road between Illinois Highway 31 and Riverside Drive.
City codes limit the width of residential driveways to 20 feet where they meet the street. But Roger Gerstad, developer of Timber Trails, said the 20-foot limit is too narrow for the three- and four-car garages incorporated into the project’s design.
Gerstad requested a variance to permit wider driveway entrances off Pine Street, the only dedicated street within the project. A 30-foot entrance for a four-car garage would give residents “a better shot at hitting the road,” he said.
But Ald. Bill Baird moved that the request be referred to the council’s Community Development Committee for review to ensure Gerstad’s request “would not set a precedent for every townhouse development in town.”
