Economic Development Minutes 2018 06-05-18Page 1 of 4
APPROVED W/ CORRECTIONS
7/3/18
UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Tuesday, June 5, 2018, 6:00pm
City Conference Room
In Attendance:
Committee Members
Chairman Ken Koch Alderman Joel Frieders
Alderman Carlo Colosimo Alderman Alex Hernandez
Other City Officials
Assistant City Administrator Erin Willrett Senior Planner Jason Engberg
Community Development Director Krysti Barksdale-Noble
Alderman Chris Funkhouser Code Official Pete Ratos
Other Guests
Chad Chahbazi, Cenergy Power Colleen Murphy, Shear/Arch Salon
Lynn Dubajic, City Consultant Dan Murphy
Mike Saar
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Ken Koch at 6:00pm.
Citizen Comments: None
Minutes for Correction/Approval: April 3, 2018
The minutes were approved on a unanimous voice vote.
New Business
1. EDC 2018-40 Building Permit Report for March and April 2018
Mr. Ratos reported 22 single family detached and 11 commercial permits for April. In
March, there were 10 single family detached and 24 single family attached. He said the
permits are trending 40% higher than last year for single family.
2. EDC 2018-41 Building Inspection Report for March and April 2018
In March there were 238 inspections and 429 in April. With the increase, some of the
work is being outsourced.
3. EDC 2018-42 Property Maintenance Report for March and April 2018
No hearings were held in March as all issues were brought into compliance. There were
six cases heard in April and fines were assessed for two cases.
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4. EDC 2018-43 Economic Development Report for April and May 2018
Ms. Dubajic gave the following information in addition to her report.
1. Harmony Aesthetics is Open.
2. Capitano's should be open next week.
3. Minor Threat Restaurant Group has announced they will be doing an expansion
for Crusade. All others buildings on the west side of Rt. 47 will go back to
Imperial Investments. Minor Threat will not be moving forward with other
recently announced plans, such as Pizza Riot, brewery or Mongo.
4. Former Yorkville Christian High School has moved out of south side property and
the property is now leased for tire sales.
5. Abby Properties is purchaser of 165 units of Kendall Marketplace.
5. EDC 2018-44 515 W. Madison Street – Accessory Structure Variance
Mr. Engberg reported on this variance and said James McNamara at 515 W. Madison
wishes to build a detached garage. By ordinance, detached garages can only be built in
rear yards. This property is an older part of town and there is a 40-50 foot drop-off in the
back yard with virtually no access. The committee was OK with this variance and this
moves to Planning and Zoning Commission for a Public Hearing.
6. EDC 2018-45 Saar – Route 71 Rezoning – 1.5 Mile Review
The property is near the Timber Creek Subdivision and the owner wishes to rezone from
A-1 to R-1 and sell as a residential property. The committee was OK with this and it
moves to the June Planning and Zoning Commission.
7. EDC 2018-46 Windmill Farms – SE Quadrant of IL 71 and IL 126 – Special Use
Permit for a Solar Farm
Ms. Noble said that due to no meeting of EDC last month, this item moved forward to
Planning and Zoning from which there was a positive recommendation with conditions.
BAP Power is doing this project under a new Illinois solar program. To get into the
program the developer must have zoning for the Special Use. Restore Church owns the
property on which the solar farm would sit and the church has agreed to lease 10 acres of
the property to BAP Power with the condition that the church must repeal the existing
PUD.
Mr. Chahbazi of BAP Power shared information about similar projects his company has
done. He discussed the jobs to be created, tax money the project will generate and power
that can be sold back to the church and other participants. He said his company will hire
local people to make 1-3 visits per year to conduct quality checks.
Alderman Frieders and other committee members had concern for possible glare from
the panels. He also took issue with the minimal maintenance visits per year and that jobs
created are only temporary and said he would not support the project. Mr. Chahbazi said
a glare study can be done, however, they have a solar farm next to an airport with no
problems. Ms. Noble said staff did research concerning possible glare and found none.
She said a glare study will be done. She also said there will be landscaping in the part of
the solar field that is visible from the road. She added that if the city's standards are not
met, the solar farm can be decommissioned.
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Alderman Colosimo said the solar panels are less than 400 feet from single family
houses. He questioned why this site was selected since there is so much available land in
the county. He will not support this project. Alderman Koch and Hernandez said they
take issue with the proximity to residences. Alderman Funkhouser questioned the
potential for stormwater problems and the gravel roads to service equipment. Mr.
Funkhouser also had concern with weeds and tall grass, but low prairie grass or a ground
cover has been discussed. BAP will meet all requests regarding the landscaping.
Access to the site from Rt. 126 was also discussed. There was concern that the landowner
has not come forward for repeal of the PUD. Mr. Chahbazi said his company needs an
inter-connection agreement with ComEd and Special Use permit approval to even apply
to the Illinois program and get the PUD removal. Ms. Noble addressed the access
question and said it would be between the church and BAP. She said that Special Uses
are only valid for 3 years and if the project is not functional in that time, the permission is
revoked.
Ms. Noble said 12 owners on Hampton received notices about the project and no one
came to the Public Hearing to object. The notifications will be re-reviewed. If the
project were to be moved on the site, an amended submittal must be made, Plan Council
must meet and a new Public Hearing must be held.
Mr. Chahbazi said this is the first project out of 15, that has been rejected. He suggested
moving the panels to a different location within the site. The committee discussed
moving the site about 400 feet and making it longer. Ms. Noble suggested that staff host
residents of the area for their input prior to the June 24th Council meeting and Aldermen
agreed. She will notify all residents within 1,000 feet and also Raintree HOA and bring
this matter back to the August EDC meeting.
8. EDC 2018- 47 Microblading (Semi-Permanent/Cosmetic Tattooing Services Text
Amendment
Ms. Noble explained the microblading process. City staff notified this business they
were within 700 feet of a residential building and that city approval was needed. City
staff explored options for this case and decided to propose an amendment to the body
piercing, create a microblading definition and exempt them from the 700 feet requirement
and the required 500 square feet for the service. They still have to get the business
license and zoning review. Ms. Noble asked if the committee would consider in the
future, complete removal of the 700 feet buffer. Mr. Frieders said he would like to keep
the 700 foot buffer, but exempt this business. Ms. Noble will prepare the amendment for
City Council on the consent agenda.
9. EDC 2018-48 Comprehensive Plan Update – Forced Annexation Discussion
Ms. Noble said the Comp Plan identified 4 residential areas, 60 acres or less and
surrounded by the city . Staff also looked at all areas completely surrounded by the city,
less than 60 acres, and found there are 98 parcels. The State allows involuntary
annexation of these properties that are surrounded, which receive city services or other
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benefits from the city, by placing a notice in the newspaper, notifying other government
agencies to be impacted, provide a 10 day notice and then approve via ordinance. A
notification to the affected parcels can also be made and a Public Hearing held.
There will also be increased commercial sales tax, property tax and impact from MFT.
Alderman Koch asked what would happen if the parcels do not want to be annexed.
There is no litigation since the state recognizes the city is providing city services. Ms.
Noble and the City Attorney would handle the annexation process. Most of the parcels
are now served by wells and septic and there was discussion about the option of
connecting to city service. It would be the resident’s option to choose the connections to
water and sewer. If their properties are within 250 feet of a city connection and they had
a catastrophic well failure, they may be required to connect at their own expense at a
cost of about $10,000.
It was agreed by the committee, to have the ordinance drafted including language about
the water and sewer option and move to the Council for discussion for the June 24th
meeting.
Ms. Dubajic discussed the vacant properties on the north side of Rt. 34 and the current
zoning and how rezoning would occur. Land owners here would not pay for the one-time
rezoning. This language will be added into the ordinance as well. Notifications will also
be sent to the land owners.
Old Business
1. EDC 2018-15 Developer Deposit Report/Ordinance
Ms. Noble said there was a Public Hearing at the PZC meeting and no developers
attended. The Commission made a recommendation for deposits as follows: $5,000
deposit for less than one acre, $10,000 for more than one acre, but less than 10 acres,
$15,000 for 10 acres but less than 40, $20,000 for more than 40 acres but less than 100,
$25,000 for more than 100 acres.
Alderman Frieders asked if the schedule could be brought back within 3 months if there
are developer complaints. This will be moved to the June 12th Council meeting for
discussion.
Additional Business
One June 22, from 5-7pm, a public participation workshop for the downtown overlay
district will be held at the Rivers Edge Theatre.
There was no further business and the meeting adjourned 7:37pm.
Minutes respectfully submitted by
Marlys Young, Minute Taker