Graydon Megan / Special to the Tribune
A Northbrook woman has found a better use for her front yard than a manicured lawn. She turned it into a vegetable garden.
But that doesn’t quite fit Northbrook’s regulations for front yard use, according to director of community planning Thomas Poupard.
The 69-year old Russian immigrant doesn’t see herself as a revolutionary. She just wants to have fresh tomatoes available for the friends and relatives who frequently visit.
“I wouldn’t do it if I had sun in the back yard,” said the woman, who did not want her name used. “The only way to get sun is to put the garden in front.”
The home in the 2700 block of Shannon Road is owned by her son, Alex Lyakhovetsky, who has been asked by Northbrook officials to remove the garden next year.
The homeowner’s mother thinks more people should grow some of their own food, for both the health and economic benefits. And she doesn’t understand who could complain. After all, she said, “it’s not a barking dog at night.”
But people have started complaining.
“We started to get calls from neighbors,” Poupard said.
The calls started after the village board discussed the problem of unkempt grass and landscaping on foreclosed properties in the village.
Poupard said his department sent a letter to Lyakhovetsky, asking that this year’s garden be the last in the front yard.
“We sent what we thought was a nice note asking the homeowner to harvest the crops and restore the yard by next spring,” Poupard said.
Lyakhovetsky said he doesn’t understand the fuss. After receiving the letter from the village, he said, he learned that the response was spurred by a complaint from a single neighbor. The rest of the neighborhood has largely come to his defense.
“[The letter] didn’t list any specific ordinance or why we can’t have it,” he said. “I got nothing but support [from neighbors] for doing this. We’re not selling anything; it’s just for personal use.”
Lee Goodman, who lives near Lyakhovetsky, decided to get involved and has gotten about 20 signatures from neighbors supporting her and her garden. Afer all, many neighbors reap the benefits of the garden’s harvests.
“Just in her neighborhood, about three in four neighbors were happy to sign the petition,” Goodman said.
He plans to present the petition to village officials but isn’t sure when.
Village board president Sandy Frum said she has corresponded by e-mail with the property owner.
“I said we would discuss it at a board meeting,” Frum said. “But there’s no rush,” since the village letter doesn’t require any action until next spring.
“A lot of people stop by and ring the bell and say they support me,” said Lyakhovetsky’s mother, a resident of Northbrook for 15 years who has lived in the Shannon Road house for about eight years.
Then she interrupted her conversation to answer the doorbell. It was a relative stopping by to pick up tomatoes.
TribLocal reporter Jeff Danna contributed to this report
maybe if she put a hedge or fence up- neighbors won’t complain about what they cant see
Mr Poupard claims he “asked” the homeowner to restore the yard. It’s an order, not a request. Why is he so mealymouthed?
Unfortunately governments tend to attract people who delight in telling others what is acceptable.
Here’s a great article that examines the impacts of lawns:
http://www.alternet.org/environment/147894?page=entire
My yard is 100% lawn-free and my native gardens require no watering while they soak up rainwater and provide food and habitat for lots of great local wildlife species. If you don’t see a butterfly in my yard this summer, just wait 15 minutes and you will. Our giant purple hyssop is also a favorite of hummingbirds.
Bet your lawn can’t do any of that!
Would they be happier if she plowed the flowers and tomatoes under and simply paved it? Perhaps painted green? These people ought to have soemthing better to do. It’s not weeds. it’s a GARDEN. And she’s right. More people should be planting their own food.
I recall an American Indian saying that the White Man invented laws when he forgot how to be a human being. This story seems to prove that point.
This story belongs on the editorial page. Who is the writer of the story to decide that the garden is a “better” use? I thought that the Chicago Tribune did a better job of editing to insure that stories were not biased and just did straight reporting. The readers are intelligent enough to form their own conclusions.
If they want grass, I would plant the whole front yard with rows of sweet corn. Corn is actually a grass. Or plant the whole front with tomatoes. Tomatoes are not vegetables, they are actually a fruit.
I am appalled that humans today would choose a perfectly groomed non native grass front yard (with very little purpose) over a prolific garden that has huge benefits to the planet and personal health. I understand that this article is based on an ‘ordinance’. I think it is time that Northbrook re-evaluate this and more ordinances that go against the local food philosophy. The less our food travels across the world, the better we are. It is just that simple. Anyway, who thinks a store bought tomato tastes better than one straight from your garden? Bar none, those vegetables at home are better for you and they do not promote bad management practices. Go local, grow your own food, fight this issue! I grew up in Northbrook and if I was living there now I would be at the council telling them this face to face.
I’m all for vegetable gardens…in the back yard. We have enough problems with lowering property values due to short sales and foreclosures…
I’d like to ask everyone who supports her to go out, tear up your lawns, and plant vegentables. I’d say 99% of you WON’T do it.
Such a sad story!
I fully support this lady and it is too bad her neighbors dont do the same.
We have a lady in our town (Warrenville) that also has a veggie garden in her front yard… it is very pretty…AND edible!
There is a growing number of people that are digging up their useless lawns and planting veggie gardens, because really? what does your lawn do for you or the planet?
Lawns need a lot of chemicals to look healthy.
(which is bad for the planet)
Lawns need a lot of water to stay green.
(which is bad for the planet)
Lawns roots are not very deep and most rainwater runs off to sewers.
(which is bad)
Lawns tend to be a mono culture which does not support a healthy ecosystem.
Lawns are not natural or native to this country… it was brought over by European settlers.
Now lets think about veggie gardens.
VG (veggie gardens) can be grown organically with NO chemicals.
VG can be eaten.
VG can help stock a community food bank.
VG can soak up excess rain and help PREVENT FLOODING.
In short, it is as simple as this:
Home veggie gardens = Less agribusiness
Less agribusiness = Healthier Planet
Healthier Planet = Healthier People
Class Dismissed!
Well, they might actually prohibit vegetable gardens, but everybody knows that tomatos are FRUIT!
BAH on Northbrook.
I could not locate the village code referenced in the letter. Has anyone been able to locate the specific wording in the applicable village code?
http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=11769&stateId=13&stateName=Illinois
Great piece! It brings attention to the fact that local municipalities ought to be regularly auditing their ordinances to verify whether rules & regulations are still pertinent to our time. The utopian views that once dominated the suburbs and those who dwell in them are finally breaking down (sadly more out of necessity than because of any mass-awakening to the reality that typical American-suburban living is terrible for your health and mental welfare), and just because you may want a putting green for your front yard shouldn’t mean you get to force your neighbor to maintain one as well.
“Stand up an complain when your neighbor is being an idiot, which this woman is. The mess belongs out back. She knows it, the neighbors know it, and the city knows it. ”
This mentality is what’s keeping the world from progressing toward its future. What’s more important right now, at a time when severe weather systems stemming from climate change, caused by pollution and disregard for the Earth’s health – a “mess” or responsible use of the land? This woman is not harming anyone and if there are laws that require lawn, those laws are antiquated.
Everyone should be encouraged, not punished, for doing something more responsible than growing useless, polluting, water-sucking lawn on their land. I’m outraged that towns like Northbrook still don’t understand the responsibility we all have to make best use of the Earth, without further contributing to the problems we’re already knee-deep in. It’s time to say good-bye to useless lawns and open our minds to smarter landscaping. I applaud this woman and hope Northbrook officials finally see that she is doing more for everyone and their children than anyone with a green carpet of turf grass.
To Barbyr : thanks for spotting that portion of the letter. One would think the author of this article would actually cite the relevant portion of the Village of Northbrook ordinance in the story, not in a picture attached to the story. Reading these stories should not a “where’s Waldo” exercise.
Oh, wait.. you can read the letter in the bottom photo – the village clearly states their ordinance prohibits vegetable plantings in a front or side yard…
This woman is lying or can’t read or both.
Is there a law against a garden in the front yard or not? The article is not very clear on this important point. If not, I’d tell the city to go pound sand.
Always remember, though, when it comes to the “only one person complained” excuse – there were many people complaining, trust me. They just choose to lie about it because they don’t want to be seen as “one of those people.”
Stand up an complain when your neighbor is being an idiot, which this woman is. The mess belongs out back. She knows it, the neighbors know it, and the city knows it.
Is there a law against a garden in the front yard or not? The article is not very clear on this important point. If not, I’d tell the city to go pound sand.
Always remember, though, when it comes to the “only one person complained” excuse – there were many people complaining, trust me. They just choose to lie about it because they don’t want to be seen as “one of those people.”
Stand up an complain when your neighbor is being an idiot, which this woman is. The mess belongs out back. She knows it, the neighbors know it, and the city knows it.
It is a real shame that one neighbor can cause all these problems. I do not live in Northbrook but have the same type of neighbor. This neighbor complains to the village about something or another (mostly unfounded) about most houses/families in the vicinity. The village reacts, neighbors become upset, relationships are strained and the hostility begins. All because of one neighbor that doesn’t like something or someone. It was nice to read that the neighbors are supporting this woman. I personally don’t see a problem with the garden. What if a house has grass that is overrun with weeds – will the villages be able to force you to hire a lawn service to remove the unsightly weeds – what next?
Is there a city ordinance that requires homeowners to have Grass on the open part of the front of her property? If so , does the law specify the type of grass that has to be planted? After “Grass ” is a very broad category and a variety of plants are included. Bamboo or even some cereal grains technically qualify as “grass”. How about “Prarie Grasses” which are native to the area? Does the village of Northbrook really want to dictate , precisely the type of grass everyone has to grow in their front yard?