Smaller houses, larger garages and a little less red tape for homeowners needing minor zoning variations would result from three zoning code amendments recommended by Mt. Prospect village trustees.
The amendments would increase the largest permitted garage to 672 square feet from the current 600 square feet and establish a 50 percent maximum floor-area ratio for new single-family homes–meaning a house no larger than 5,000 square feet could be built on a 10,000-square-foot lot.
Current ordinances allow house sizes of up to 75 percent of lot size for some of the village’s smaller, 6,000-square-foot lots.
The proposals also would let homeowners bypass the Zoning Board of Appeals and get administrative approval for minor zoning variations to replace existing driveways, sidewalks, patios, garages and similar “accessory structures” that already exceed setback and lot coverage restrictions.
The amendments are likely to go to the Zoning Board of Appeals in November, then return to the Village Board for action. Officials expect the revised laws to be in place by early next year.
But trustees chose not to take any action on residential teardowns until the problem is detected in Mt. Prospect.
Trustees differed on how much of a threat they pose to the community.
“In my mind, it’s not really a problem,” Trustee Tim Corcoran said about the phenomenon of replacing smaller homes.
Mt. Prospect issued two residential teardown permits in 1999 and none so far this year. By comparison, Park Ridge issued 67 demolition permits and 87 building permits for new homes last year, and 34 demolition and 47 building permits so far this year.
Corcoran said Mt. Prospect is in a different economic stratum that would not attract teardown activity, though he added he would welcome some redevelopment of the village’s housing stock.
