The La Grange plan commission Tuesday night rejected a resident's proposal to open a bed and breakfast at 232 S La Grange Rd in the village's historic district.
By a vote of 5 to 1, the commissioners ruled that resident Tom Perry's plan to convert a Victorian-era home and coach house into a B&B with six guest rooms was not an appropriate use at the location proposed.
Some commissioners who opposed Perry's application said they were receptive to the idea of allowing B&Bs to operate at other locations in the village. But Plan Commission Chairman Wayne Kardatzke said there would be no discussion of several amendments to the zoning code that would have created a special use category for B&Bs because the changes had been presented only in the context of Perry's application.
Before the vote, commissioners heard from Perry, his architect Tim Trompeter, and a handful of neighbors and other residents who supported his application.
But commissioners also listened to concerns raised by than a dozen residents, mostly neighbors, who took to the microphone to speak against the application. Most viewed the proposed B&B as a commercial intrusion that would disrupt the residential nature of their neighborhood.
Following the ruling, Perry said he would consult with members of the village staff before deciding whether or not to proceed with his application to the village board of trustees, to whom the plan commission serves only in an advisory capacity.
Four of the six village trustees—Bill Holder, Mike Horvath, Mark Langan and Jim Palermo—were among the nearly 60 residents in attendance at the meeting.
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