Mokena may not be able to apply new housing regulations to a subdivision already under construction in the village, the Zoning Board of Appeals said recently.
Board members reviewing a proposal to revise the zoning code by requiring 90 percent brick on the first floor of residential construction were questioned by residents of Forest View subdivision, who fear the minimal use of brick in the neighboring Maracay subdivision near LaPorte and La Grange Roads will erode their property values.
Board member Kathy Schlegel said a legal opinion written for the village prohibits the town from changing the rules for a subdivision already approved.
The zoning board is a recommending body and does not have the final say on the zoning question, Chairman Robert Horras noted. He advised the homeowners to take their concerns to the Village Board.
The zoning board recommended adopting the 90 percent brick rule for all residential construction except in the older part of town, where most homes are frame models built near the turn of the century.
Members also recommended adopting a new set of minimum home sizes. The change results from a difference in measuring rather than actual size, and most Mokena homes already meet or exceed the new requirements, community development director Alan Zordan said.
Horras was more concerned with maximum sizes, especially in older areas. He called for some regulation to prevent buyers of small lots from tearing down small homes and building oversized dwellings.
The problem has not arisen, Horras said, “but we should be ready.”
