Unpermitted Log Cabin and Stage Prompt Rezoning in Beecher

Will County Board Meeting | November 2025

Article Summary: The Will County Board approved a zoning map amendment and variances for a property in Beecher to bring existing unpermitted structures into compliance. The owners had constructed a log cabin and a stage on agricultural land without permits, triggering a code violation that required this zoning change to resolve.

Beecher Zoning Key Points:

• Property: 12.59 acres at 27115 Dixie Highway, Beecher.

• The Violation: The owner was cited (Violation 24LU00023) for building a log cabin and a stage on the northern portion of the lot without building permits.

• The Fix: The board approved rezoning the affected area from A-1 (Agricultural) to C-6 (Commercial Recreation) to match the use.

• Variances: Variances were granted to allow a building height of 28.5 feet (exceeding the 25-foot limit) and a fence height of 6 feet in the setback.

BEECHER – A popular commercial recreation site in Beecher received retroactive zoning approval on Thursday to legalize structures that had been built without county permits.

The property, located at 27115 Dixie Highway, is owned by JoeAndy Holdings Inc. According to Land Use Department documents, the owner was placed in violation after county inspectors discovered a log cabin and a performance stage had been constructed on the northern portion of the property.

That specific section of the land was zoned A-1 (Agricultural), which does not permit commercial recreation structures. Furthermore, the stage exceeded the height limitations for the district, and a fence had been installed within the required street setback.

To resolve the violation, the owners applied to rezone the specific 1.75-acre portion of the lot to C-6 (Commercial Recreation) and requested variances for the height of the structures.

While County Staff initially recommended denial of the variances regarding the building and fence height, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of all requests, finding that the changes would bring the property into compliance. The County Board followed suit on Thursday, voting unanimously to approve the map amendment and the variances, allowing the structures to remain.