A meeting of the Village of Riverlea Planning Commission was held May 11, 2020 via Zoom teleconference software. Members present were Bryce Jacob (Planning Commissioner), Janet Brown, Paul Collini, and Rich Skowronski. Also present were Don Brogan, Scott Siemens, Maria Muratori, and Fran West. Joshua C. Mehling served as Clerk. The Planning Commissioner called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
- The minutes of the regular Planning Commission meeting of October 14, 2019 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: 4, Brown, Collini, Jacob, and Skowronski; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 4-0.
- An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness by Scott & Eleanor Siemens at 5848 Falmouth Dr to install a fence around the backyard. The fence will be constructed of horizontal cedar slats and will be 4 ft in height. There will be gates that match the fence on either side of the house.
Brown moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for this project as shown in the plans and Skowronski seconded this motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 4, Brown, Collini, Jacob, and Skowronski; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 4-0.
- An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness by Scott & Peggy Reed at 267 Frontenac Pl to install a fence around the backyard. The fence will be black powder coated aluminum and will be 4 ft in height. The fence will match that of the neighbor behind the house. Paul Collini, who lives next door, stated that he approved of the project.
Skowronski moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for this project as shown in the plans and Brown seconded this motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 4, Brown, Collini, Jacob, and Skowronski; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 4-0.
- An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness by Julie & Don Brogan at 35 Riverglen Dr to build an addition at the east side of the house. This addition will add an entrance off the kitchen and a half bathroom on each side of the duplex. The architecture of the addition will match that of the rest of the house. The Brogans own the building and occupy half of it. The residents of the other half of the building support this addition. The owner has previously used bricks that match the rest of the building to fill in an upstairs external door and will use the same bricks & mortar for this project. The total lot coverage after this addition will be 30%, which is not an issue.
Fran West, who lives next door to this house, asked about the how long the construction for this project is expected to last and how much construction traffic is expected. Brogan replied that he expected the construction to last about 2 months and given that it is a smaller project, there should be small crews with limited trucks in the area.
Skowronski moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for this project as shown in the plans and Brown seconded this motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 4, Brown, Collini, Jacob, and Skowronski; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 4-0.
- An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness and Variance by Maria Muratori at 5778 Crescent Ct to add a fence at the side and rear of the house. The variance is being requested due to the corner lot layout and slope of the yard causing difficulties in installation. The fence will be white vinyl picket style with beveled tops.
Muratori stated that the fence is needed for the safety of her son. The fence will be on the north and south sides of the house. There will be gates on either side of the front of the house and next to the garage. The neighbors have expressed no concerns with the addition of this fence and Jacob stated that he had looked at the property and did not see that the addition of the fence would cause any visibility concerns.
The fence application is for a 3 ft tall fence but Muratori stated that she would like to revise this to a 4 ft height. Collini stated that he had felt that the 3 ft height was too small and that 4 ft would make more sense. Jacob stated that he did not think adjusting this height to 4 ft would cause any additional visibility concerns.
Skowronski moved to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for this project as shown in the plans with the revision to a height of 4 ft and Brown seconded this motion. The following vote was recorded on the motion: Yea: 4, Brown, Collini, Jacob, and Skowronski; Nay: None; Abstain: None. The motion carried 4-0.
Skowronski moved and Brown seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion was approved unanimously (4-0). The meeting was adjourned at 7:38 p.m.
Bryce Jacob, Planning Commissioner
Josh Mehling, Clerk