Elmhurst Hoop House Debate: City May Ease Tent Rules

Elmhurst IL

17 February, 2021

8:38 AM

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ELMHURST, IL — Elmhurst is reopening the long-running local debate over its ban on structures such as hoop houses. On Tuesday, the City Council voted for one of its committees to look into the issue of allowing party tents and "membrane" structures such as backyard gazebos and canopies. In February 2019, the mayor broke a tie in favor of barring hoop houses, which are plastic-covered, 6-foot-high structures used as greenhouses. In 2015, a dispute began when Dan and Nicole Virgil, who live on Fairview Avenue, put up a hoop house in their back yard to extend their growing season. Neighbors objected, and the Virgils were banned from having such a structure. This decision prompted a local movement for hoop houses. Supporters argued the Virgils were treated unfairly and that people should have the right to grow their own food. Last year, hoop house supporters informed the city of about 20 tent-like structures around town that they said violated the same rule imposed on the Virgils. The city responded with a crackdown, alerting the homeowners in question about their violations. Now, the city is looking at changing its regulations to allow at least some tent-like structures. For instance, proposed new rules would allow a gazebo up to 120 square feet and 9 feet high. Alderman Michael Honquest, who voted for the hoop house ban in 2019, said the proposed regulations are "a bit broad in scope." "We want to address this as a city, so we don't have unhappy residents who are claiming that one resident is allowed to do 'A,' while another resident is not allowed to do something similar at least in their mind," Honquest said. Alderman Bob Dunn, who voted against the ban, said he heard concerns about allowing up to 120 square feet and 9 feet in height. "This is just a start to the discussion," he said. In an email to Patch, citizen watchdog Edgar Pal, a supporter of hoop houses, said the City Council is probably considering a new ordinance now that it understands the existing one targeted at hoop houses applies equally to tents and gazebos. Pal said one homeowner with a tent-like structure was given until the end of January to remove it. "As of yesterday, the membrane structure is still there, so it's clear that the ordinance has not yet been enforced," Pal said in the email late last week. On Nicole Virgil's Facebook page "Right to Garden," it was announced last week that state legislation (House Bill 633 and Senate Bill 170) has been introduced to protect residents in their efforts to grow vegetable gardens. "The right to garden is the simple idea that Americans should be allowed to grow their own food on their own property," the Facebook post read. "But municipalities in Illinois are preventing people from doing just that by imposing (homeowners association)-style prohibitions on vegetable gardens."