Will County Commission Approves New Lenox Variances, Overriding Staff’s Denial Recommendation

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | November 18, 2025

Article Summary:
The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission approved three variances for a 5.02-acre property in New Lenox Township, including a controversial setback reduction for an animal confinement structure that county staff had recommended for denial. The decision allows the property owners to proceed with an addition to their stable, bringing the structure closer to the western property line than zoning typically allows.

New Lenox Variances Key Points:

• Location: 700 Illinois Highway, New Lenox Township.

• Approved Variances: Lot area from 10 to 5.02 acres, lot frontage from 300 to 272 feet, and an animal confinement setback from 50 to 32 feet.

• Controversy: Staff recommended denying the setback variance, citing it was based on personal preference and could lead to odor issues for the neighboring property.

• Outcome: The commission voted unanimously to approve all three variances, allowing the property owners to expand their stable as planned.

JOLIET, IL – The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, approved a series of variances for a property in New Lenox Township, including one for an animal stable that went against the recommendation of its own staff.

The property owners, Victoria Matusik, Richard Anagnos, and Kathleen Anagnos, sought three variances for their 5.02-acre property at 700 Illinois Highway. The commission unanimously approved variances to bring the undersized lot and its frontage into compliance with A-1 (Agricultural) zoning, which requires a minimum of 10 acres and 300 feet of frontage. According to county staff, the parcel was created in 1978 before the current zoning ordinance was adopted.

The contentious item was a third variance to reduce the animal confinement setback from 50 feet to 32 feet along the western property line. The owners plan to build a 60-by-160-foot addition to an existing stable. To maintain the eastern building line, the new structure will encroach into the required setback.

County staff recommended denying this variance, stating in its report that the owner’s plight was not due to unique circumstances but was “based on personal preference, not a physical constraint of the property.” The report also noted that setbacks for animal confinement structures are intended to keep odors and noise to a minimum for adjacent properties.

Victoria Matusik, one of the owners, told the commission the placement was preferred to create better access for trucks delivering sand or dirt for the planned riding arena and to prevent horses from potentially kicking the building.

With no members of the public present to object, the commission voted 4-0 to approve the setback variance, overriding the staff’s recommendation. The other two variances for lot area and frontage also passed unanimously.