Section 17.30.130   Obstructions in Required Yards or Courts
   A.   Obstructions Permitted in All Required Yards and Required Inner and Outer Courts. The following obstructions shall be permitted in all required yards, provided they comply with all other applicable standards of this Chapter:
      1.   Open patios, terraces and steps with associated landings below the first floor level and which are not roofed over.
      2.   Temporary awnings and temporary canopies with temporary supports, whether or not above open terraces or patios.
      3.   Cornices, sills, belt course, eaves, gutters, downspouts and ornamental features projecting 24 inches or less into a yard.
      4.   Chimneys and flues projecting 18 inches or less into a yard and not exceeding in the aggregate 7 feet in length.
      5.   Statuary.
      6.   Flag poles.
      7.   Signs permitted under the Winnetka Village Code, as amended.
      8.   Driveways.
      9.   Fences and walls located along the contiguous rear or side lot lines between commercial and single-family or multipl-family residential zoning districts, provided that they have a height of no more than 8 feet above natural grade.
      10.   Fences and walls not exceeding 6½ feet above natural grade located along a front or corner lot lines, except that no fence or wall shall extend within 10 feet of the intersection of a driveway and sidewalk or within 25 feet of the intersection of the street line of two intersecting streets:
         a.   unless it extends the same materials at the same height and in the same distance from the property line as the remainder of the fence or wall; and
         b.   unless the Village Engineer determines that the fence or wall, in the materials, height and location proposed, will not create a public safety hazard for vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
      11.   Poles, towers, conduits, vaults, pipelines, laterals or any similar distribution equipment of a public utility nature, whether municipal or investor-owned.
      12.   Bay windows that project 24 inches or less into a required front yard, provided they are no more than 7 feet long.
      13.   Bay windows that project 18 inches or less into any required yard other than a required front yard, provided they are no more than 7 feet long and provided that no more than one bay window may encroach upon a side yard.
      14.   Arbors and trellises, subject to the following conditions and requirements;
         a.   only one such structure may be constructed within a required setback for any zoning lot;
         b.   the arbor or trellis shall not be more than 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep;
         c.   the arbor or trellis shall be no more than 8 feet high;
         d.   the arbor or trellis shall be located at least 2 feet from any public right-of-way, and at least 10 feet from any other property line;
         e.   the arbor or trellis shall be substantially open to the passage of light and air, with at least 50% of the area of each surface of the structure being open;
         f.   the arbor or trellis shall be used solely for the purpose of supporting vines, roses or other similar vegetation; and
         g.   no arbor or trellis shall be located within 10 feet of the intersection of a driveway and sidewalk or within 25 feet of the intersection of the street line of two intersecting streets unless the Village Engineer determines that the arbor or trellis, in the materials, height and location proposed, will not create a public safety hazard for vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
(MC-157-96) (4/2/96)
   B.   Obstructions Permitted in Required Side Yards. The following obstructions shall be permitted in all required side yards, provided they comply with all other applicable standards of this Chapter:
      1.   Exterior doorway entrances, subject to the following requirements:
         a.   The entrance may be roofed but shall not be enclosed;
         b.   The entrance shall not project more than 3½ feet into a yard; and
         c.   The horizontal area of the entrance’ s projection shall not be more than 50 square feet.
      2.   Accessory buildings, subject to the following limitations:
         a.   Only that portion lying within the rear twenty-five (25) percent of the lot may encroach into the side yard.
         b.   Garages shall comply with the setback requirements established by section 17.30.110 of this title.
      3.   Decks and/or air conditioning units; provided that:
         a.   a minimum side yard of 6 feet shall be maintained in the R-5, R-4 and R-3 zoning districts; and
         b.   a minimum side yard of 12 feet shall be maintained in the R-2 zoning district.
      4.   Open parking areas, including a parking slab, subject to the following conditions:
         a.   The parking area shall not be covered by a roof or roof structure, whether temporary or permanent; and
         b.   The parking area shall not be surrounded by a fence or wall that is more than 6½ feet high.
      5.   In-ground swimming pools, subject to the following conditions:
         a.   The swimming pool must be an accessory use to a single-family residence;
         b.   A minimum side yard of 6 feet shall be maintained in the R-5, R-4 and R-3 zoning districts; and
         c.   A minimum side yard of 12 feet shall be maintained in the R-2 zoning district.
      6.   Window wells, subject to the following conditions:
         a.   In side yards that are less than 8 feet deep, the window well may not encroach more than 2 feet into the side yard.
         b.   In side yards that are required to have an articulated wall, the window well shall be set within the articulated area, so that the encroachment into the side yard does not exceed 3 feet minus the degree of articulation.
         c.   In side yards that are at least 8 feet deep and that are not required to have an articulated wall, the window well may not encroach more than 3 feet into the side yard.
         d.   Notwithstanding the foregoing, no window well shall encroach into a side yard if the window well can extend at least three feet from the building wall within the buildable area of the lot.
         e.   For purposes of this paragraph 6, the dimensions of the window well shall be measured from its interior surface.
   C.   Obstructions Permitted in Required Front Yards and Corner Yards. The following obstructions shall be permitted in all required front yards and corner yards, provided they comply with all other applicable standards of this Chapter:
      1.   Exterior doorway entrances, subject to the following requirements:
         a.   The entrance may be roofed but shall not be enclosed;
         b.   The horizontal area of the entrance’ s projection shall not be more than 60 square feet.
      2.   Basketball standards
      3.   Certain front porches, subject to the following conditions:
         a.   Where an average front set back applies, front porches may extend up to 8 feet into the average set back; provided that, any extension into the minimum set back shall not exceed the limits established in paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section.
   D.   Obstructions Permitted in Required Rear Yards. The following obstructions shall be permitted in all required rear yards, provided they comply with all other applicable standards of this Chapter:
      1.   Accessory buildings.
      2.   Gym and play equipment.
      3.   Swimming pools.
      4.   Tennis courts.
      5.   Open parking areas, including a parking slab, subject to the following conditions:
         a.   The parking area shall not be covered by a roof or roof structure, whether temporary or permanent; and
         b.   The parking area shall not be surrounded by a fence or wall that is more than 6½ feet high.
      6.   Satellite receiving dishes; provided that, they comply with all other applicable regulations of the zoning districts in which they are located.
(MC-5-2003, amended 04/02/03)
(MC-3-2009, Amended, 04/28/2009; MC-2-2004, Amended, 04/06/2004; MC-5-2003, Amended, 04/01/2003; MC-6-2002, Added, 05/21/2002)