Stop Blocking Sunlight to our homes

We need to start changing our laws to allow sustainable solutions to work. One idea that we had enacted many years ago was the daylight plane ordinance. This ordinance which was first enacted by Glencoe, prevented home builders from blocking the sunlight to adjacent homes. I believe all citizens that currently have direct sunlight shedding on their properties have the right to maintain this natural benefit. We can currently design homes that only use sunlight to provide all energy needs as they have done in Europe. By using the sun for direct heat and for producing electricity we can achieve sustainability and cut off our dependence on foreign oil and much pollution in our environment.

This law was taken out of our ordinance because some members on our City Council and Plan Commission several years ago thought it restricted homeowners rights to build out their property. Many thought since we had tweaked our ordinances to reduce bulk, daylight plane was not needed. Might this law promote smaller homes that might not dominate the environment and rise 30 some feet up from the property line? YES......What is wrong with that? If we continue to allow one property owner to stop the sunlight to another, we rob the citizens of really being able to live in Highland Park with a sustainable home.

I will be asking the Council to look into putting the Daylight Plane Ordinance back into our zoning laws ASAP. We need to tailor our laws so they support a sustainable program for our community. I we want our children to survive in this world we need to think GREEN.