New Lenox Garage Variance Denied After Neighbor Cites ‘Massive’ Scale and Neighborhood Impact

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

Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously denied a New Lenox Township homeowner’s request for a variance that would have allowed for an accessory building nearly double the permitted size. The denial followed a detailed objection from a neighbor who argued the proposed 2,160-square-foot structure was out of scale for the 1-acre residential lot and would negatively impact the neighborhood’s character.

New Lenox Garage Variance Key Points:

• Homeowners Jeremy and Jennifer Allen requested a variance to increase the maximum accessory building area at 505 Willow Road from 1,800 to 3,149 square feet.

• Neighbor Jeff Rons Pies objected, comparing the size of the proposed 36×60-foot building to seven cargo containers and noting it could hold 24 cars.

• The applicant stated the extra space was needed because the home’s existing garages are too small for modern vehicles.

• The commission voted 5-0 to deny the request, siding with staff’s recommendation and the neighbor’s concerns.

The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, sided with a concerned resident and denied a variance request for a large detached garage in New Lenox Township, with one neighbor calling the proposed structure “completely out of scale.”

Homeowners Jeremy and Jennifer Allen of 505 Willow Road sought a variance to increase the maximum accessory building area on their 1-acre property from the 1,800 square feet allowed in the R-2 residential district to 3,149 square feet. The request would have accommodated a new 2,160-square-foot detached garage.

Applicant Jeremy Allen told the commission the extra space was necessary because the home’s existing garages are functionally obsolete. The attached garage, built with the 1960 house, is small and houses the home’s boiler and water filtration system. “We really can’t even fit a modern vehicle in there,” Allen said. He added that the existing detached garage has a low ceiling, also preventing him from parking a small pickup truck inside.

However, neighbor Jeff Rons Pies, who lives to the east of the property, presented a detailed objection on behalf of himself and two other adjacent neighbors. “I hate to be the guy that argues that a neighbor shouldn’t be able to do what he wants to do with the property,” Rons Pies began, “but I have to be because this proposed structure is just so massive.”

He offered several striking size comparisons for the 36-by-60-foot building. “That’s about the size of seven full-size cargo containers… Stack those side by side,” he said. “It would be a challenge, [but] you could fit 24 midsize cars under this roof if you packed them in there tightly.”

Rons Pies argued that such a large structure was inappropriate for the “pastoral, wooded” neighborhood of mostly older ranch homes on large lots. He worried about potential fluid leaks from stored vehicles impacting the area’s well water and increased stormwater runoff, estimating a 1-inch rain would send over 1,300 gallons of water onto his property. He also expressed concern that a building of that size “implies business rather than hobby,” which could lead to future ordinance enforcement issues.

County staff had recommended denial, finding that the request was based on “personal preference” and not a unique hardship. Staff also concluded that approving another large outbuilding could “begin to establish a pattern of larger accessory structures, potentially altering the locality’s character.”

In his rebuttal, Allen said the family has antique vehicles and is “not running a junkyard,” assuring the commission there would be no environmental problems. He also noted he would be willing to tear down the existing small detached garage if the variance were approved.

The commission ultimately voted 5-0 to deny the variance.