Cool Relief: Elmhurst Denies Man's Request

Elmhurst IL

05 May, 2022

6:45 AM

Description

ELMHURST, IL – In March, an Elmhurst resident asked the city to allow him to build a structure that he said would allow him some cool relief. He was denied this week. The resident, Ernesto Alvarez, who lives at 782 S. Prospect Ave., requested an exception from zoning rules to build a pergola in his backyard. Without the exception, it would violate setback rules. The city's Zoning and Planning Commission split on his request, meaning the panel made no recommendation. Last month, the City Council's Development, Planning and Zoning Committee unanimously rejected Alvarez's plea. Then on Monday, the full City Council unanimously voted it down. No one debated the issue; it was part of a package of other business items. A pergola is defined as an archway covered with vines or other plants. In a letter to the city in March, Alvarez said his entire backyard is exposed to the sun from midday to evening. No mature trees exist for quite a distance, he said. "That means for that part of the day, it is extremely hot with no real relief from the sun and its rays and not enjoyable in the least," Alvarez said. Patch wrote about Alvarez's request in early April.