Commission Approves Mokena-Area Garage Variance Over Village’s Objection

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | November 4, 2025

Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission approved a variance for a new garage in unincorporated Frankfort Township that is slightly larger than the county code allows, despite a formal letter of objection from the neighboring Village of Mokena. The homeowner stated the 96-square-foot overage was needed to build a standard-sized garage and avoid additional construction costs.

Frankfort Township Garage Variance Key Points:

• The commission approved a variance for a property at 11348 195th Street, increasing the maximum accessory building area from 1,500 to 1,596 square feet.

• The Village of Mokena, which borders the property, objected, citing its stricter zoning codes which limit garage size and do not permit both an attached and a detached garage.

• The homeowner, Scott Chlebek, explained that building a non-standard size to comply would cost him an additional $1,500.

The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, approved a homeowner’s request for a slightly oversized garage in unincorporated Frankfort Township, overruling a staff recommendation for denial and a formal objection from the Village of Mokena.

The applicant, Scott Chlebek, requested a variance for his property at 11348 195th Street to increase the maximum accessory building area from 1,500 square feet to 1,596 square feet. The 98-square-foot overage, representing a 6% increase, will allow him to build a standard 30-by-40-foot detached garage.

County staff had recommended denial, but the primary opposition came from the Village of Mokena, which surrounds the property and has jurisdiction over 195th Street. In a letter, the village stated the project would be “significantly out of character” with its own zoning regulations, which limit detached garages to 750 square feet and do not permit properties to have both an attached and a detached garage. A written objection from a neighbor had initially forced the request, which is less than 10% over the limit, from a simple administrative adjustment to a full public hearing.

Chlebek testified that he has wanted to build the garage for years but was previously unable. He explained that adhering to the 1,500-square-foot limit would require constructing a non-standard sized building, which his builder estimated would cost an additional $1,500 due to labor and waste.

“The main reason is because the original size 30 by 40… my builder would charge me an additional $1,500 to do that because the sizes are not nominal,” Chlebek said. He added the garage was needed to accommodate vehicles for his soon-to-be-driving children and to securely park his work van.

The commission voted to approve the variance.