Elmhurst Planning Committee Discusses Membrane Structures

ELMHURST, IL — The Development, Planning and Zoning Committee met on May 29 to continue review of the City Code regarding membrane structures on residential properties. The city said Committee Chairman Michael Honquest started the discussion by addressing comments on the City’s sustainability practices explaining that the city does not restrict gardening or extending the growing season. The City currently allows greenhouses.

Based on a referral made by two aldermen, the DPZ Committee is currently analyzing the different types of tools and practices that enable gardeners to extend the growing season, the city said in a release. City Staff researched and presented mechanisms to extend the growing season, along with how other communities regulate temporary membrane structures. The international building code and local amendments were also discussed.

The discussion is in part because of one Elmhurst resident's building of a hoop house. Resident Nicole Virgil first built her hoop house as a way to extend the growing season for her crops. Opposition came about when neighbors complained to the city, and the city argued she must take her hoop house down.

The Committee came to an agreement that the different means of extending the growing season will need to be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission. According to the city, the DPZ Committee recommended the Planning and Zoning Commission review include: Aesthetics including size, placement, building materials, and type and quality of construction, along with safety of use, limitations of use, permit requirements, and the impact on the neighborhood.

Committee Chairman, Alderman Michael Honquest, Vice Chair, Alderman Noel Tallutto, and Alderman Mark Mulliner requested that staff prepare a draft report and draft Text Amendment Application for review at the June 11 DPZ Committee meeting, the city said. The DPZ Committee will then decide if the report will move forward to City Council.

Image via City of Elmhurst.