Schaumburg opposes diving shop in unincorporated home

Schaumburg trustees have formally opposed a request before the Cook County Board for a relocated scuba diving shop to operate in a home just beyond the village’s borders.

Joanna Pietrzyk, owner of Sea Lions Dive Center, said she moved her seasonal business from a rented location in Hanover Park into her unincorporated home at 422 Springsouth Road late last year due to the economy’s impact on the diving industry.

She sells and maintains scuba diving equipment and provides lessons, but said diving is a relatively expensive hobby for people to start in these economic times.

While some neighbors have come by to ask her exactly how the business will operate, others have simply flashed her obscene gestures as they drove past or dumped garbage on her lawn, she said.

Schaumburg’s stance is that such a home occupation business would be disruptive to neighbors — both village residents and unincorporated ones.

Pietrzyk said she got incomplete information from Schaumburg Township officials about just what would be required to operate the business out of her home and has had to operate only online and off-site during the current May-to-October season.

While half of her classes require swimming pools at YMCAs or park districts anyway, she’s had to rent space there even for the classroom portions this summer.

Pietrzyk was told to expect an answer on her special use permit sometime between mid-September and early October, but even then must apply for another permit to live in the same place where she’s running a business. She hopes to have all the permits she needs by next season.

The business side of her property consists of a converted garage operating as a combination classroom and retail shop, as well as a shed operating as a repair shop and air tank refilling station.

Schaumburg Village Manager Ken Fritz said that beyond those obviously nonresidential uses of the property are issues of parking and business signage that will further affect the character of the neighborhood.

Pietrzyk doesn’t believe her business would be disruptive as there would be only two class sessions per month with a maximum of eight people per class. She added that the reality is that classes have only about four to six people in them, and her driveway alone has room for 15 vehicles.

There are seldom more than four people in her shop at one time, even during the height of the diving season, she said.

“Over the winter, if I see one person a week I’m happy,” she added.

Pietrzyk said she was operating with only a 40-inch by 32-inch sign, but is willing to compromise on that. She does feel that some sort of sign is necessary to identify the business’ location, however.

The Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals already has held a public hearing on the request, but a final decision is still pending.

Because of Schaumburg’s proximity to the property, it was notified of the request and can weigh in on it, Fritz said.

The neighborhood — just north of Irving Park Road and the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway — is immediately adjacent to and nearly completely surrounded by Schaumburg.