Peoria Standard

Peoria County Land Use and Infrastructure Committee met June 26.

Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:

Members Present: James Dillon - Chairperson, Thomas O'Neill, Brad Harding, Barry Robinson, Brian Elsasser, Paul Rosenbohm, Sharon Williams

Members Absent: Rachael Parker

Others Present: Larry Evans - State's Attorney's Office; Shauna Musselman, Angela Loftus, Gretchen Pearsall - County Administration; Kathi Urban, Kerilyn Gallagher - Planning & Zoning; Doug Gaa - County Sheriff; Andrew Rand - County Board Chairman; Kate Pastucha; Chris Kaergard - media

Call to Order:

Mr. Dillon called the meeting to order at 2:05 p.m.

Approval of Minutes:

A motion to approve the Land Use Committee minutes from the May 22, 2017 and June 8, 2017 meetings was made by Mr. O'Neill and seconded by Ms. Williams. A vote was taken on the motion and carried. (6-0) (Ms. Parker absent and Mr. Rosenbohm absent for vote.)

Reports/ Other Minutes/Updates:

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Minutes: No questions or comments.

Unsafe Structures: Mr. O'Neill asked for an update on unsafe structures, and Ms. Urban responded that the department was working with the State's Attorney's Office on a couple of structures for demolition. Mr. O'Neill asked if any of these structures were located in Limestone Township, and Ms. Urban responded that several were located in Limestone Township.

Development Summary: No questions or comments.

Mr. Dillon stated that the committee would skip over the zoning case and attend to it last.

Mr. O'Neill made a motion to allow Mr. Rosenbohm to attend via teleconference and was seconded by Mr. Robinson. A vote was taken and the motion passed; (6-0) (Ms. Parker absent.)

Mr. Rand introduced Kate Pastucha, who was interested in serving on the Land Use Committee, and Mr. Dillon welcomed Ms. Pastucha.

Committee Action:

Review of Executive Session Minutes:

Mr. Evans recommended that all previously held minutes continue to be held as the need for confidentiality still exists, and to destroy all audio recordings of executive session minutes more than 2 years old. A motion was made by Mr. Elsasser and seconded by Mr. O'Neill to accept the recommendation of the State's Attorney's Office. A vote was taken and the motion carried; (7-0). (Mr. Rosenbohm voted via teleconference and Ms. Parker was absent.)

Discussion:

West Laramie Neighborhood Plan:

Ms. Urban stated that Kerilyn Gallagher had been heading this project and would lead the discussion. Ms. Gallagher stated that she had been working on this project to produce a neighborhood plan for the West Laramie Neighborhood. Ms. Gallagher added that this project was manifested by a grant application for demolition funds that recommended a neighborhood plan as a part of the application process. Ms. Gallagher stated that this grant did not open in the spring, but would hopefully open again in the future. Ms. Gallagher added that she hoped this plan would make Peoria County more competitive for future grants as well. The neighborhood plan focuses on Limestone Township sections 12, 13, and 24, which is in Ms. Williams's district. Ms. Gallagher added that Ms. Williams had been a very helpful part of the process and had spent a lot of time getting people in the neighborhood interested in the project.

Ms. Gallagher stated that staff had started working on the project in February and was currently working on drafting a neighborhood plan. Staff began the process with asking for neighborhood input in order to help identify the issues that exist within the neighborhood. This took the form of mailed surveys, interviews, and a public hearing. Residents and businesses were contacted for input in these areas, as well as Pleasant Hill School and the South Side Mission, which are also located within this neighborhood. Feedback was also provided regarding what residents envision for the neighborhood as well as what they currently like. Based on the feedback, the top five concerns for the neighborhood were: litter/garbage, general safety, use of off road vehicles, maintenance of structures, and the removal of abandoned structures. Ms. Gallagher added that during the second public meeting, participants split into groups and brainstormed ideas on how to address these top issues.

Ms. Gallagher stated that, at this time, staff was drafting a plan to be distributed to the neighborhood for comment in July. Ms. Gallagher added that she hoped that staff would have a plan to be presented to the Land Use Committee in August and then voted on by the County Board in September for adoption.

Mr. O'Neill asked what streets were on the border of the included area, and Ms. Gallagher responded that the neighborhood was contained west of Laramie Street, south of Harmon Highway, and east of Kickapoo creek. Laramie Street and Kickapoo Creek come together to the south, which creates the southern border. Ms. Gallagher added that this area contained approximately 65-70 residences, although some were not occupied, and that the population of the area was approximately 1500 people. Mr. Dillon asked if there was a West Laramie Neighborhood Association, and Ms. Williams stated that there used to be in the past. Ms. Williams added that this was an issue some residents had brought up and that there was interest in starting something like that again in the neighborhood.

Mr. Dillon stated that he noticed garbage/litter was at the top of the list of concerns and wondered if a possible suggestion to address this issue was to provide one carrier for garbage pickup. Ms. Williams stated that on her street alone, there are three different garbage pickup days which are dependent on the carrier you use. Ms. Williams added that she had spoken to Mr. Sorrel in the past about coordinating the use of one carrier in the neighborhood to be included in the tax bill. Ms. Williams stated that the problem is especially a problem with rental homes that do not pay for garbage pickup and either let their garbage pile up or dump it elsewhere. Ms. Williams added that garbage burning is also an issue. Ms. Williams stated that one of the most frequent complaints she receives from constituents is about garbage.

Mr. Elsasser asked what committee dealt with the Landfill, and Mr. Harding responded that it was the Public Safety Committee. Mr. Elsasser asked if rates at the landfill had been raised, and Mr. Harding stated that there is a known issue with the landfill fees as of late, and action is being taken to resolve it. Mr. Dillon stated that the various garbage pickup carriers operating in this area also causes substantial wear and tear to these roads because of the increased number of trips with heavy trucks. Mr. O'Neill stated that with the addition of recycling services, there is another truck that comes to pick up those materials. Mr. Dillon asked if Peoria County had landlord registration, and Ms. Urban stated that the county does not and is not permitted to do so.

Ms. Williams and the committee thanked the Planning and Zoning staff for their hard work on this project.

Zoning Cases:

033-17-Z, Petition of South Side Christian Academy, (Peoria Christopher Club, Inc., owner):

Mr. O'Neill made a motion to approve the rezoning request and was seconded by Ms. Williams.

Ms. Urban summarized the request. A Rezoning request from "C-2" General Commercial to "R- 2" Medium Density Residential. The petitioner proposes to rezone this parcel in order to operate a private school. The parcel is 5.84 acres in size and is located on Hill Street, which is in the West Laramie Neighborhood. The building is currently owned by the Knights of Columbus. The private Christian school intends to begin with a Kindergarten class and add a class each year through 8th grade. The parcel is served by public water and sewer. Traffic impacts, initially, will be very minimal as there will only be one school bus and a few staff members at the school. There were no comments from the Limestone Township Road Commissioner. The request is consistent with the Peoria County Land Use Plan and the Smart Growth Strategies Plan. Staff has recommended approval and the Zoning Board of Appeals also recommended approval unanimously. The Limestone Township Planning Commission recommended denial.

Mr. Harding asked why the Planning Commission recommended denial, and Ms. Urban responded that the documentation provided to staff from the Planning Commission did not specify; however, the petitioner did testify that the reason was because the township would lose tax revenue due to the fact that the private school is a non-profit organization. Mr. O'Neill stated that a school board member from Pleasant Hill School objected due to the loss of tax revenue and that one of the Planning Commission members had convinced the committee to vote against the case. Mr. O'Neill stated that he testified at the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on behalf of the Knights of Columbus. Mr. O'Neill stated that the neighbors in the area have made it clear that they are happy with the school as a proposed use of the property because it would be a good addition to the neighborhood. Mr. O'Neill stated that he is confident that the school will be a good neighbor. Ms. Williams stated that there are businesses and a church located near to the school, and that none of these places have an objection to the request.

Dave Obergfel spoke on behalf of the South Side Christian Academy. Mr. Obergfel stated they were excited about the location because it was large enough for their need to grow and was also located in an area that they would like to serve. Mr. Obergfel added that next year there would be a Kindergarten and 1st grade class, and that each year a class would be added until 8th grade. Mr. Obergfel stated that he appreciated Mr. O'Neill's comments and that they had had a great relationship with the Knights of Columbus so far.

Mr. Harding asked if there were any conflicts due to nearby businesses being located closely to a school, and Ms. Urban responded that there were none. Mr. Robinson asked if the Knights of Columbus would be meeting somewhere else, and Mr. O'Neill responded that they would be meeting at a church in the future. Mr. Elsasser stated that he thought it was a great project and was an important service to be provided in this area. Mr. Obergfel added that in addition to teaching the students, the goal of the organization was to also sponsor outreach to the parents and the community.

A vote was taken and the request was approved; (7-0)

Miscellaneous:

Ms. Urban stated that the Planning and Zoning Department would be holding a meeting that area builders could attend on July 11th at 4:00. Ms. Urban stated that the current plan is to possibly hold a meeting of this type twice a year, although it would depend on interest. Ms. Urban stated that the current list of items to be discussed is: the eventual technology upgrades in the department and the technology fee, new forms and permit procedures, and the process to find another inspector. Ms. Urban stated that the intention was to share information about what is going on in the department as well as listen to input from builders and developers. Ms. Urban stated that the department has called some builders and personally invited them to attend. Ms. Urban stated that it was also the department's intention to include builders who may have had issues in the past and get them engaged in the discussion. Ms. Urban stated that the Home Builders Association and some realtors had been invited.

Mr. Dillon stated that any committee member was welcome to attend. Mr. Dillon stated that he hoped that the meeting would help address issues and questions and begin a dialogue between the developers and the department. Mr. Elsasser stated that it has been his goal to make Peoria County the best place to do business.

Adjournment: Mr. Dillon adjourned the meeting at 2:39 p.m.

http://www.peoriacounty.org/download?path=%2Fcountyboard%2FCommittee_Agenda_and_Minutes%2F2017%2FAugust%2F28+-+Land+Use%2FLand+Use+Committee+Agenda+8-28-17.pdf