Work Vans A No-No In Burr Ridge Driveways

BURR RIDGE, IL – A Burr Ridge resident says her family has received seven citations from the village since December.

Their offense? Parking a work van in their driveway.

Under a village ordinance, residents are barred from parking their work vans or trucks in their driveways. They must be inside a garage.

In an interview Tuesday, Sarah Kordat, who lives in the Pleasantdale neighborhood, said her husband uses the van for his work as an HVAC technician.

The family has lived in Burr Ridge for a little more than a year. The van cannot fit in the garage, Kordat said.

Last June, Kordat said the family got a warning notice about the van, and she tried multiple times to reach the village employee who left it. She said she was unsuccessful.

They got three citations in December and another four last week, Kordat said. Each one amounts to $25, increasing to $50 if left unpaid after two weeks, she said.

"I am very disappointed and pretty stressed that these kinds of trucks are seen as unsavory and unwanted in the neighborhood," Kordat said. "My husband has a respectable job, and he provides a vital service to the community. We're seeing labor shortages (in the trades)."

Because of the village prohibition, Kordat said, her husband is using a smaller vehicle from his employer. But it hampers his work because it lacks a ladder and other tools.

"His job is essentially at risk long-term because he can't do the jobs he needs to do," Kordat said.

Last year, the Village Board amended its zoning rules to exempt racks for luggage or recreational equipment from the definition of a commercial vehicle, Village Administrator Evan Walter said in an email to Patch.

Previously, he said, any vehicle with a rack was defined as commercial.

"Vehicles with no rear windows or rear seating, such as work vans, box trucks, or vehicles with commercial lettering on the side, remain unpermitted to be stored outdoors in residential areas," Walter said.

Certain vehicles, such as semi-trucks, are completely barred in residential areas, both indoors and outdoors.

A few years ago, Walter said, the village amended its rules on garage door heights, in part, to accommodate indoor storage of larger vehicles. That has provided an "ample solution" for residents to store commercial vehicles, he said.

"Tradespeople and commercial business owners are absolutely welcome in the Village, and, to date, these rules have been sufficient in balancing the needs of residents who own commercial vehicles along with the Village’s desire to keep our residential areas 'residential' in character," Walter said. "We would be happy to see if other solutions are present to meet their needs beyond those listed."