Yu Darvish Looks To Buy City's Lakefront, Build Fence Around Home

EVANSTON, IL — Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish wants permission from Evanston to buy city-owned land and build a fence around his new lakefront home. Darvish, 31, bought the mansion in May for $4.5 million. He's now seeking exceptions to city code to expand the property and make it more private.

Current city code does not allow for 6-foot fences, like the one Darvish wants to build, surrounding properties. Fence standards established in April 1999 limit property line fences to 4 feet. Additionally, the home is located in Evanston's Lakeshore Historic District, meaning any fence request requires preservation commission approval.

In an application submitted to the commission, Darvish's representative said the All-Star also wanted to buy an extra 26 feet of lakefront currently owned by the city to further expand the fence.

"We are exploring the possibility of the city vacating this property and to allow the owner to attach his new fence to the existing one," the applicants write.

Darvish "is well known nationally and has had security concerns in the past due to his public recognition," the application said. Darvish, a native of Japan, is married to a four-time world wrestling champion, Seiko Darvish née Yamamoto.

Darvish signed a six-year free agent contract with the Cubs worth $126 million. He has a 2018 record of 1-3 with a 4.95 earned run average, and he is currently on the disabled list with an tricep injury.

The Darvishs' new home includes a boat and jet ski lift on its more than 150 feet of lakefront, according to the home's listing. There's a lakeside patio adjacent to the boat dock and a large deck for outdoor entertaining. The home's previous owners threw in a boat, two jet skis along with the purchase price, according to the sale contract.

Both of Darvish's two closest neighbors testified against the planned fence at the preservation commission, which delayed further action on the proposal until July 10. His neighbors said other famous people in the area haven't felt the need to lock themselves behind fences, suggesting Darvish would be better suited to living in Burr Ridge or Rolling Meadows if he sought to live in a gated community.

"Here we are in a situation where suddenly I'm going to have a compound in my backyard and someone who is fearful – fearful of [what] I don't know," said Pierre Durand, who had arranged with the previous owners of Darvish's property to tear down two homes between to allow for more open space. "There could be crazy people inside doing violence and we would not know because the bushes would dampen the sound."

Another neighbor, Alexis Eyler, told the commissioners that there was already an easement in place that restricted Darvish from blocking views of the lake.

"I think it violates the spirit of the community in which we live, of everything that is Evanston." Eyler said, of walling off one's home. "We have a very special place where we are, and I would hate to see that so permanently destroyed."

Evanston Preservation Commission Meeting June 12, 2018:

• Address: 90 Kedzie St, Evanston
• Sale Price: $4,550,000
• Sale Date: May 15, 2018
• Square Feet: 5,400
• Bedrooms: 6
• Bathrooms: 5 full, one half
• Built: 1904

This listing originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.