Illinois Town Bans Window-Mounted Air Conditioners

June 13, 2008 6:12 p.m. EST

Addison, IL (AHN) - It will be a hot summer in this Chicago neighbor this year, not only because of the rising temperature but a ban on window-mounted air conditioner units.

The prohibition is the result of an ordinance approved by the village board in March. It specifically banned the installation of window-mounted air coolers on walls that face the street or in side windows 12 feet or less from the street.

The law seeks to improve Addison's aesthetics, according to Addison Mayor Larry Hartwig. Violators of the ban will be given warnings this year, but next year they would be fined up to $500.

Addison is the home of several large U.S. firms which includes Pizza Hut, Mary Kay and Palm Harbor Homes. Its stringent landscape regulations even defines plant heights in certain locations.

Addison has about 36,000 residents who live in multifamily dwellings that are quite old. Some residents have questioned the correctness of such a law during summer.