Village of River Forest

The meeting addressed several items tabled from a previous session, including a review of changes associated with the Village's Safe Walking Routes to Schools (SWRTS) Project, involving potential modifications to stop signs and crosswalk signage throughout the area. Key requests included the installation of a 4-way stop at Oak Avenue and Monroe Avenue, as well as Oak Avenue and Clinton Place. Residents also requested a No Parking, Stopping or Standing restriction on a portion of Keystone Avenue and a Do Not Enter restriction on Keystone Avenue from Madison Street to mitigate speeding and delivery truck hazards. Furthermore, the installation of a north/south crosswalk at Hawthorne Avenue and Thatcher Avenue was discussed, along with the potential for a study of intersections along North Avenue and Harlem Avenue. The Commission also provided feedback regarding various traffic control devices currently in use or desired for future implementation.

The meeting agenda included several significant items. Discussions centered heavily on the sewer lateral line repair issue affecting properties on Monroe Avenue, resulting in a consensus to have the Village address immediate repairs and a commitment to revisit the ordinance (Section 5-12-10) assigning homeowner responsibility. The Board also addressed board and commission appointments, including members for the Economic Development Commission. New business included updates on Village Code Amendments regarding sewer repair, a discussion regarding Requests for Proposals for Lobbying Services, updates on Building Code Updates, and the appointment/reappointment of Village Department Heads, including the Finance Director, Police Chief, and Director of Public Works and Development Services. Consent Agenda items covered various topics, including ratification of expenditures for sewer lateral line repair, amendment to the FY22 Compensation Plan, and ratification of grant agreements for the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Furthermore, the Board ratified the execution of documents related to the American Rescue Plan Act funds and discussed the Lake & Lathrop development project status.

Key discussions during this meeting centered on the proposed rewrite of the Village Historic Preservation Ordinance. The Commission reviewed the draft section by section, debating matters such as whether the Commission has jurisdiction over lighting fixtures, which was ultimately determined to be outside its purview. Discussions also covered the definition of when the clock starts for the denial of a demolition application, the processes for local landmarks, and the potential easing of stringent local landmark requirements. The Commission agreed to create an index for the rewrite document, and staff was tasked with providing Oak Park's procedures for comparison regarding local landmarks.

The agenda for the upcoming meeting includes the call to order, approval of the minutes and findings of fact from the March 14, 2019 meeting, consideration of a variation request for 755 William Street regarding a secondary front yard setback and roof overhang dimensions for a proposed addition, a period for public comment, and adjournment. The document also contains the full minutes from the March 14, 2019 meeting where the Board recommended approval for variations concerning a garage at 555 Ashland Avenue, and recommended approval for several Text Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, while recommending denial for one specific text amendment related to increasing the height of walls with non-conforming side yard setbacks. Furthermore, findings of fact and recommendations were documented regarding the Ashland Avenue variation request and the text amendments.

The meeting agenda for the Zoning Board of Appeals primarily focuses on several public hearings concerning zoning variation requests. These include a request for 935 Franklin Avenue regarding the Front Yard Setback for a proposed new house, requests for 1037 Bonnie Brae Place pertaining to the Side Yard setback for a detached garage and the percentage of rear yard occupation by the garage, and a request for 7227 Thomas Avenue concerning setbacks in the Front Yard and Secondary Front Yard. Additionally, there is a public hearing scheduled regarding a Text Amendment request for Accessory Dwelling Units, and a Fence Variation request for 1534 Park Avenue concerning the type of fence allowed in the Front Yard. The agenda also includes the approval of minutes from the August 18, 2022 meeting and approval of Findings of Fact for the Fence and Zoning Variation Requests for 105 Thatcher Avenue.