On second thought, garage law to change in Schaumburg

Dan Rosenfeld's property has already triggered a change in Schaumburg's garage-size policy, and it's now likely to affect how many vehicles village residents can park in their backyards.

Rosenfeld collects and repairs cars as a hobby and feels he's doing his neighborhood a favor by tucking them behind the house, out of view of the street.

But Trustee Tom Dailly said he believes there's a stronger expectation among suburban residents of a certain amount of backyard open space.

Rosenfeld hasn't violated any existing village policies, but some neighbors complained last year that his garage -- legally built -- was too large for their liking, as was the number of cars he packed into his backyard.

In the spring 2007, Schaumburg's garage-size policy became more liberal -- allowing detached garages to be up to 650 square feet.

But it was the 649-square-foot garage Rosenfeld built shortly afterward that caused officials to rethink the policy.

At tonight's village board meeting, trustees are expected to give final approval to new restrictions of 600 square feet for garages and 200 square feet for sheds.

Trustees also will send a new recommendation on backyard parking restrictions to the zoning board of appeals for a public hearing.

Trustees want to limit the number of vehicles that can be parked outside a detached garage but behind the back wall of a house -- to the same number that can be parked inside the garage.

Though Rosenfeld is able to double the capacity of his garage by hoisting vehicles off the ground, his backyard parking limit would equal the three cars he can fit on the floor of the garage.

But having built a backyard driveway wide enough for several more, he's not happy to be told he can't use it.

Though he can still use the driveway alongside and in front of the house, that's not what he prefers to do.

He added that he's willing to work with the village but would like his use of his driveway to be grand-fathered in, even if through the use of landscape screening or other aesthetic enhancements.

Dailly said it's unfair for Rosenfeld to be singled out, because it was simply the example of his garage that made trustees realize their own previous policy change was wrong.