Beecher Board Grants Nonconforming Status to Keep Dixie Highway Home Residential

Beecher Village Board Meeting | June 22, 2026

Article Summary: The Beecher Village Board voted June 22 to grant permanent nonconforming status to a single-family home at 1220 Dixie Highway, allowing the residence to remain on business-zoned land so it can be sold and mortgaged.

Dixie Highway Zoning Key Points:

• The board held a public hearing and then unanimously granted permanent nonconforming status to the home at 1220 Dixie Highway, zoned B-3 General Business and Service.
• The status allows a legal residential use to continue on commercially zoned property, which the owner said lenders required for a buyer to obtain financing.
• The board directed the village attorney to prepare documents to record the action with the county.
• Trustees also raised a missing section of sidewalk in front of the home, which they said was torn out by a gas utility and lies in the state right-of-way.

BEECHER — The Beecher Village Board on Monday, June 22, 2026, granted permanent nonconforming status to a single-family home at 1220 Dixie Highway, clearing the way for the property to be sold and financed even though it sits in a commercially zoned district.

Following a public hearing that was opened and closed by unanimous votes, trustees approved the status and directed the village attorney to prepare the necessary documents for recording with the county. Planning, Building and Zoning Committee Chair Trustee Roger Stacey presented the item, noting that due notice had been published and letters mailed to adjoining property owners.

The property is zoned B-3 General Business and Service, and the board will leave that zoning in place. Officials explained that permanent nonconforming status allows a use that does not match the underlying zoning — in this case, a single-family residence — to continue legally on the parcel. The owner said the designation was needed because lenders would not finance a buyer without confirmation that the home could legally remain residential. Officials said the protection carries forward to future owners.

The property owner, who identified himself as Richard Loitz, told the board the arrangement worked for him, saying his concern was ensuring that whoever buys the home next “has the same rights as what we have.” Officials confirmed that because the land is zoned for business, banks typically require documentation of a legal nonconforming use before approving a residential loan.

Missing Sidewalk Raised

Trustees also flagged a missing section of sidewalk in front of the residence. Officials said the sidewalk was exposed and torn out by Nicor Gas during utility work and that the area in question lies within the state right-of-way, or parkway, rather than on village property. Trustees asked Loitz to contact the gas utility to have the work completed and to file a claim, noting the village would not be responsible for the repair. One trustee called the missing section “definitely a hazard” given its location along the main road.