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APPROVED – 1/21/26
Meeting Minutes for
Zoning Board of Appeals
January 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Skokie Village Hall | 5127 Oakton Street, Skokie IL 60077 | Council Chambers
Members Present: Brian O’Donnell, Chair
Nicholas Werth, Vice-Chair
Sean Arden
Elaine Jacobson
David Putrus
Sharon Roos-Kirkpatrick
Daniel Strauss
David Solovy
Jay Trivedi
Members Absent:
Presiding Officer: Brian Augustine, Zoning Administrator
Staff Present: Stewart Weiss, Corporation Counsel
Others Present:
1) Time Meeting was Called to Order/Declaration of Quorum
A quorum being present, Chair O’Donnell called the meeting to order at 7:31 PM.
2) Corporation Counsel, Stewart Weiss, gave an overview on the meeting would be run
because the only case on the agenda was an appeal to an administrative decision.
3) Approval of Meeting Minutes
A motion was made by Vice-Chair Werth to approve the minutes of the November 19,
2025 Zoning Board of Appeals. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Jacobson.
All present members voted aye with two absences.
4) Old Business
No old business was discussed.
5) New Business
2025-08Z – 6900 Leclaire Avenue
Petitioner: Roman Bujdei
Request: Appeal to administrative decision regarding Section 118-212(c)(6) – improved
alley.
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Staff provided background on the provision in question, Section 118.212(c)(6) of the
Skokie zoning chapter, which states that access to off-street parking can only be from a
public alley, and curb cuts are prohibited unless the lot does not abut a public improved
alley. Relief may only be granted for mixed-use, business, or industrial properties.
Mr. Rolando Acosta, attorney for the appellant, presented their case. He focused on the
definition of "improved" as it relates to the alley in question, arguing that a gravel alley
with vegetation was not "improved" within the meaning of the ordinance. He noted that
the ordinance does not define "improved," nor do the International Building Code or
International Mechanical Code referenced in the ordinance.
Mr. Acosta presented evidence from three professional engineers, including a former
Skokie employee, who all concluded that the gravel alley in question was not improved.
He referenced minutes from a Planning Commission meeting where commissioners
referred to "unimproved gravel alleys," suggesting that the Planning Commission itself
did not consider gravel alleys to be improved. He also presented a Chicago Department
of Transportation manual that categorizes gravel alleys as unimproved, and a legal case
where the city of Evanston referred to an unpaved alley as unimproved.
Staff then presented their position. They explained that the alley in question had been
maintained by the village, with grading performed on June 27, 2025. Staff noted that
Public Works regularly maintains stone alleys through scarifying the center to remove
vegetation, adding new stone, and trimming encroaching plants and trees every winter.
Staff contended that the majority of alleys in Skokie are stone/gravel alleys, and they are
considered improved because they have been surfaced to allow for vehicular traffic.
Mike Voitik, Planning Coordinator with the Village, presented examples of what staff
considers improved and unimproved alleys. He showed photos of various types of
improved alleys (stone/gravel, concrete, paver blocks) that are maintained by the village,
accessible to vehicular traffic, and used for refuse collection. In contrast, he showed
examples of unimproved alleys that were platted but never opened, are covered with
grass, have no alley returns, and are not maintained by the village.
During Board discussion, several members questioned the definition of "improved" in
this context. Commissioner Arden expressed concern about the vagueness of the
ordinance, noting that the administration was required to interpret an ambiguous
provision. Commissioner Kirkpatrick suggested that "improvement" in this context
simply means that something has been done to the property, not necessarily that it's of
high quality.
The Chair noted several pieces of evidence from the appellant's presentation that
suggested ambiguity, including the Planning Commission minutes referring to
"unimproved gravel alleys" and the Chicago Department of Transportation's definition of
unimproved surfaces that included gravel roadways. The Chair concluded that there was
ambiguity in the ordinance and that the village needed to clearly and definitively state the
difference between an improved and unimproved alley.
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Commissioner Strauss raised a concern that if all gravel alleys were considered
unimproved, it would defeat the purpose of the code change, as the majority of alleys in
the village are gravel.
After discussion, a motion was made to affirm the administrative decision.
Motion to affirm the administrative decision was made by Commissioner Kirkpatrick and
seconded by Commissioner Strauss. The motion failed by a vote of 4-4.
Motion: Kirkpatrick Second: Strauss
Ayes: 4
Nays: 4
Absent: 1
A second motion was then made to reverse the administrative decision.
Motion to reverse the administrative decision was made by Commissioner Arden and
seconded by Commissioner Trivedi. The motion passed by a vote of 5-3.
Motion: Arden Second: Trivedi
Ayes: 5
Nays: 3
Absent: 1
Corporation Counsel Weiss indicated he would prepare a formal order reflecting the
Board's decision to reverse the administrative decision, which would be presented at the
January 21, 2026 meeting for final approval.
Communication from Staff
Staff noted that there would be two cases scheduled for the next meeting on January 21,
2026, in addition to voting on the order reversing the administrative decision.
6) Public Comment
There were no public comments.
7) Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:32 PM
Respectfully Submitted
Brian Augustine,
Zoning Administrator/Permit Supervisor
Doc 637591 – ZBA Meeting Minutes for January 7, 2027