Hinsdale Rejects Proposed Home In Historic Area

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale Village Board on Tuesday rejected a proposed house in a historic neighborhood, but one trustee thanked the homeowners for making some changes.

The decision follows the Historic Preservation Commission's 3-1 vote against the planned house at 223 E. Eighth St.

The action is nonbinding, meaning the owners can proceed as long as the house complies with the code.

One commission member said he disliked the arrangement of large windows. In response, the homeowners, Jon and Jessica Springer, changed the plan and replaced the windows' center panels with brick.

That change addressed one of the biggest concerns, Trustee Luke Stifflear said. But he said the owners rejected other suggestions such as shutters, double-hung windows and large sliding glass doors.

The commission already approved the demolition of the historic house at 223 E. Eighth St.

The village's code is designed to ease the process for owners who want to preserve historic homes and make it harder for those who seek to demolish and replace them.

The idea behind the rules, Stifflear said, was to get homeowners to think twice before demolishing and discourage speculative developers from buying historic homes and then tearing them down.

"I think the process has somewhat worked here," the trustee said. "Thank you for making the changes that you did. I think they're good."

The trustees then voted 5-0 to reject the planned house, with Matt Posthuma absent.

"Five nays on that," Stifflear said. "Appreciate the changes you did make."