Bathroom Battle Reaches Elmhurst Council

ELMHURST, IL — Rosie and Mark Anglewicz wanted a small addition on their house to make room for a second full bathroom, noting they have one of the smallest lots in town. But their request countered Elmhurst's longtime rule that buildings only cover so much of a lot, the city's attempt to give neighborhoods a suburban feel.

At a meeting Monday, the City Council rejected the couple's request for a variance because of the city's ordinance barring buildings from covering more than 30 percent of a residential lot. The Anglewiczes' two alternative proposals would put them at either 34 or 35 percent of their lot. That was too much in the view of the council majority.

The couple bought their 1890s-era house in the 100 block of East Elmhurst Avenue more than a decade ago. Their family has grown since then, and they said they found their house less marketable without a second full bathroom. So they proposed a backyard, two-story addition, a request that drew no opposition from their neighbors. Their request would take up an additional 200 square feet of the lot, putting them over the limit.

"The house is landlocked and can't be built beyond its current footprint," Rosie Anglewicz said.

City officials acknowledged they have granted variances to the 30 percent rule in a handful of other cases over the years. While Second Ward Alderman Bob Dunn said he understood the family's plight and that it was a unique situation, he said the couple's proposal was too much.

"We don't like to see homes cover a significant portion of residential lots. It's not our style. That's the reason the number is there. Is that the optimal number? We don't know for sure, but it's worked well in the past. It's been our policy for decades," Dunn said.

But Fifth Ward Alderman Scott Levin said he would support the request as long as the couple removed a small shed from their property. He said "great deference" should be given to the zoning commission, which recommended the project.

"We have a house with a unique circumstance because of the size of the lot," Levin said. "It doesn't affect really anyone. All the neighbors seem to be in favor."

Sixth Ward Alderman Jim Kennedy said he feared setting a precedent. "A lot of people in this world don't have toilets at all, let alone a second one," he said.

Levin joked, "Elmhust is kind of a bathroom community," adding some houses have three or four.

He proposed granting a variance as long as the shed is removed. The council split 6-6, with the mayor breaking the tie against the variance. In a subsequent vote, the council voted against the proposal outright.

In an interview Tuesday, Mark Anglewicz said he saw the process as over.

"We could always try later if there are different people on the council, not that we would do that," he said. "I thought we had a compelling case."

The Anglewiczes said they have been improving their house since they bought it in 2008.

"We'll figure out what we should do now," Rosie Anglewicz said.

The two-story addition would have made room for a bedroom and bathroom, she said. The house now has 1 1/2 bathrooms.