A meeting of the Village of Riverlea Planning Commission was held June 13, 2022 at Thomas Worthington High School. Members present were Bryce Jacob (Planning Commissioner), Janet Brown, Paul Collini, Rich Skowronski, and Jennifer Zipfel. Also present were Josh & Katie Williams. The Planning Commissioner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

  1. The minutes of the regular Planning Commission meeting of April 11, 2022 were not read since each member had received a copy. Skowronski moved and Brown seconded the motion that the minutes be approved as submitted by the Clerk. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 5, Brown, Collini, Jacob, Skowronski, and Zipfel; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 5-0.

 

  1. The minutes of the special Planning Commission meeting of May 13, 2022 were not read since each member had received a copy. Skowronski moved and Collini seconded the motion that the minutes be approved as submitted by the Clerk. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 5, Brown, Collini, Jacob, Skowronski, and Zipfel; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 5-0.

 

  1. An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness and Variance by Katie and Josh Williams at 287 Frontenac Pl to remove the current patio in the back yard and replace it with a paver patio and stepping stones to the garage, replace the front stoop, and add a fence along the eastern property line. The variance was requested because a section of the fence is proposed to be 6 feet in height and because of the proposed patio will come within 10 feet of the property line due to the layout of the yard. The proposal is for the 6 foot section to run for 80 feet and then drop to 4 feet in height when it is along the neighbors’ house. There is to be no gate in the fence, as the yard will not be enclosed. The fence will be constructed of horizontal wood planks and will be unstained.

The homeowners said that the reason for the requested 6 feet height is for privacy. The Planning Commissioner stated that although there were some complications due to the fence being constructed on a corner lot, a variance for the fence height would not be required as it was at the back of the requestors’ yard. Paul Collini, who lives in the adjacent property, stated that he had no objections to the proposed height in his back yard given that the fence drops in height near the house.

The Planning Commissioner proposed adjusting the planned patio so that the southeast corner is rounded and the new landscaping connects to the existing. This would bring the patio within 5 feet of the property line which, although would still require a variance, there is precedent for allowing this distance in the Village. The materials for the front stoop would match those of the paver patio.

Skowronski moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project with the following stipulations:

  1. The variance for the patio is approved pending the suggestion above to round the southeast corner to the point where there is a 5 foot setback from the property line.
  2. The 6 foot section of the fence will extend along the lot line from the southwest corner of the lot to the southwest corner of the Collini’s house. From that point, it will be 5 feet in height to the northeast corner of the Williams’ house. At that point, it will be 4 feet in height to the northwest corner of the Collini’s house. All of these will allow for slight variance due to the sizes of the fence sections.
  3. The applicants will submit a revised drawing showing these changes to the Planning Commission.

Zipfel seconded this motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 3, Jacob, Skowronski, and Zipfel; Nay: None; Abstain: 2, Brown and Collini. The motion carried 3-0-2.

 

  1. An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness by Tracy Coe at 5786 Carrington Ct to remove the existing kitchen window and replace it with a set of three windows

Brown moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project as shown in the plans and Zipfel seconded this motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 5, Brown, Collini, Jacob, Skowronski, and Zipfel; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 5-0.

 

  1. The Planning Commissioner brought up questions that he had heard from residences regarding the construction of a pergola in the front of a house on Frontenac. Although Village ordinances do not call for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a pergola, this could possibly be considered a fence per the language in the ordinance, which would call for one. The Planning Commissioner stated that he would bring this matter to the Council at the June meeting for them to discuss.

 

  1. The Planning Commissioner stated that this meeting would be the last for Janet Brown as she would be stepping down from the Commission and thanked her for her service.

 

Brown moved and Collini seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion was approved unanimously (4-0). The meeting was adjourned at 8:01  p.m.

 

Bryce Jacob, Planning Commissioner

Josh Mehling, Clerk