Forever Projects? Clarendon Hills Wants To Curb Them

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Some home construction projects in Clarendon Hills seem to be endless, so the village wants to do something about them.

Under its code, the village gives builders one-year permits to construct homes. Then it gives three-month extensions.

On Monday, the Village Board approved increasing the fee for three-month extensions. Now, the fee is three-fourths of the original permit fee, up from one-third.

Only one extension is allowed without obtaining written approval from the village manager or his designee.

At the meeting, Ed Cage, the village's community development director, said extended projects don't happen a lot. But when they do, he said, neighbors are frustrated. Now, a builder is on a fifth extension.

"When someone comes and gets an extension and then another extension, there doesn't seem to be a penalty," Cage said. "I thought the added fees would be an incentive to finish."

Trustee John Weicher wanted to know whether builders were dragging their feet or having legitimate issues, such as supply delays.

"I don't want to penalize people for things outside their control," he said.

Village Manager Zach Creer said the village would show discretion and work with property owners. He said the village would avoid penalizing builders if they were making substantive progress.

A couple of years ago, an Elmhurst homeowner upset his neighbors with a four-year-long renovation. The work ended at some point after the mayor vowed the city would become aggressive about it.