A Suburb's Aesthetic Goals Are 'Shed'ding

Residents of Lincolnshire, IL are outraged at a law that prohibits them from using storage sheds in their properties.

1 minute read

August 20, 2003, 10:00 AM PDT

By Connie Chung


"Fed up with stashing their overflow belongings in everything from children's playhouses to dog kennels, space-challenged Lincolnshire residents are urging village officials to throw out a decades-old ban against storage sheds....The ordinance largely has gone unenforced, and many residents have resorted to stealth tactics to conceal their junk outside--even cramming it into empty swimming pools." However, after a survey by the city "revealed more than 60 sheds, some of them shaped like miniature cottages or rustic barns, officials warned that if they were not removed, the village could withhold the tax transfer stamps required to sell property....Peppered with desperate pleas from shed owners, village officials say they are willing to consider lifting the ban provided it does not conflict with the north suburban community's aesthetic goals."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Tuesday, August 19, 2003 in The Chicago Tribune

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