McHenry Times

City of Harvard Planning and Zoning Commission met March 3.

Here is the minutes provided by the commission:

Hearing Officer Steve Santeler called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm and led the pledge to the flag. City Clerk Moller called roll to establish a quorum. Commission members present: Tom Condon, Mike Grieshop, Jim Hutchinson and Ian McCafferty. Also present were City Administrator David Nelson, Alderman Charles Gorman and members of the audience.

Appoint Hearing Officer 

In the absence of the Chairman, a motion was made by Commissioner Mike Grieshop, seconded by Commissioner Tom Condon to appoint Community Development Director Steve Santeler as Hearing Officer in the Commission proceedings. All ayes. Motion carried.

Public Comment 

Hearing Officer Steve Santeler opened the floor to public comment on the agenda items. There was none.

Planning and Zoning Commission Minutes of January 7, 2020 – Approved 

A motion was made by Commissioner Grieshop, seconded by Commissioner McCafferty to accept the minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting of January 7, 2020. All ayes. Motion carried.

City of Harvard – Text Amendment to the UDO/Zoning Map Amendment 

Hearing Officer Santeler opened the hearing in the petition of City of Harvard. The parties of interest in the petition were present. The Notice of Hearing was published per statutory requirements in the Northwest Herald. The Certificate of Publication, completed petition and staff report were entered into the record. Certified notices were sent to property owners within 250’ of the subject property relative to the zoning map amendment.

The City of Harvard is requesting a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance to eliminate the 2-parking spot rule per residential unit in the B-1 RC and B-1 MU Zoning Districts.

The City further petitions the Planning and Zoning Commission to rezone property located at 201 W. Diggins St., Harvard (City Hall) from R-3 Traditional Residential District to B-1-MU Mixed Use Sub- District. PIN 01-35-265-021

Presentation of Evidence by Petitioners 

Upon being sworn in, City Administrator David Nelson stated the City Council would like the Commission to consider changing the parking requirement, in the downtown district only, which currently requires two parking spots for each residential unit down to zero parking spots per residential unit. In an effort to help explain the petition, City Administrator Nelson brought up Alderman Charles Gorman to give a presentation on the City Council’s line of thinking on the proposed text amendment.

Upon being sworn in, Alderman Charles Gorman, 305 North Jefferson St., noted the process started with questions about developing businesses on Ayer St. and not being able to due to the requirement to provide 2 parking spaces per rental unit. The purpose of the proposed amendment is to eliminate the owner’s responsibility to provide 2 parking spaces. It doesn’t change any of the City’s parking regulations. If someone wanted to renovate an apartment building on the second floor in the downtown area, they could do so without providing parking spaces. It would become the renter’s responsibility to find a legal place to park under the City’s current ordinances. The proposed amendment only affects Ayer St. and the surrounding area where there are multi-unit buildings and the second floors of Ayer St. buildings. The idea is that owners would be more likely to renovate and fix up those apartments because they wouldn’t have the requirement of trying to find parking spaces for each of the apartments.

Questions/Discussion by Planning and Zoning Commissioners to Petitioner 

Hearing Officer Santeler opened the floor to questions from the Commissioners:

• At Commissioner Condon’s inquiry, it was confirmed that under the current code, it is the owner’s responsibility to provide the required parking spaces for their renters. There are a few instances where solutions have been cobbled together, i.e. La Rosita has two parking spaces that are currently being rented out by building owners.

• City Administrator Nelson noted the ultimate fact that there is a disinvestment in residential units in the downtown area. There are a number of vacant units on the second and third stories of some of the buildings that have been empty for years. The City Council feels that the parking rule might be one of the reasons for creating that disinvestment.

• There have been past instances where the parking requirements have been waived or reduced.

• There are permit parking spaces available in the Front St. parking lot and the overnight Metra lot and on Johnson St. where tenants could pay to park their vehicles.

• Owners/landlords would have the option to pay for their tenant’s parking or provide parking spots.

Vote on Petition 

A motion was made by Commissioner Grieshop, seconded by Commissioner Condon to recommend to the City Council that the proposed amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance be approved as presented by the City’s petition. Roll call vote: Condon, aye; Grieshop, aye; Hutchinson, aye and McCafferty, aye. Motion to approve the petition was approved four to zero.

Presentation of Evidence by Petitioner 

City Administrator Nelson reviewed the specifics of the proposed zoning map amendment. When the zoning code was redone 18-24 months ago, the zoning map was also changed, creating a downtown district that had multiple zoning districts. City Hall (the old First State Bank building) was inadvertently left out of that particular zoning district. On the old zoning map, City Hall was in the B2 downtown zoning district. During the planning process for the police dept. project, it was noticed that City Hall was actually located in a residential district, which makes the current building legal non-conforming, and does not allow for expansion of the current facility. The City recommends that the property be rezoned back to the downtown zoning district which it was zoned when the bank was built in 1970 and zoned that way for the last 35 years. This gives the City the flexibility to build the new police dept. building.

Questions/Discussion by Planning and Zoning Commissioners to Petitioner 

Hearing Officer Santeler opened the floor to questions from the Commissioners. There were none.

Vote on Petition 

A motion was made by Commissioner Condon, seconded by Commissioner Grieshop to recommend to the City Council that the proposed zoning map amendment be approved as presented by the City’s petition. Roll call vote: Grieshop, aye; Hutchinson, aye; McCafferty, aye and Condon, aye. Motion to approve the petition was approved four to zero.

The Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation will come before the City Council at their next regular meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at 7 pm to be held in the City Council Chambers, 201 W. Front St., Harvard.

Clerk’s Report 

No report

Chairman’s Report 

No report

At 7:16 pm, a motion was made by Commissioner Condon, seconded by Commissioner Grieshop to close the hearing and adjourn the meeting. All ayes. Motion carried.

https://www.cityofharvard.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/planning_and_zoning_commission/meeting/13161/planningzoningminutes2020-03-03.pdf