City Council Approves South Banker Street Business District Plan

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Published on November 21 2017 10:14 pm
Last Updated on November 21 2017 10:14 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

The Effingham City Council Tuesday approved a South Banker Street Business District plan.

The plan calls for a 1% tax to be collected from properties along the stretch of South Banker south of the Banker Street overpass to Hoffman Drive. The revenue generated will be used for infrastructure improvements in an effort to spur development in the area.

Bahrns Equipment had objected to the project at a meeting several weeks ago, and the business was left out of the plan. That decision caused Commissioner Don Althoff to vote against the plan. Althoff has consistently objected to anyone being allowed to "opt out" of such plans as they have developed around the city.

A public hearing on the proposals to approve a Business District Plan and designate a Business District will be held at 4pm on December 5 at City Hall.

Another split vote came on the granting of a license to Save-A-Lot Foods to sell liquor. Commissioner Merv Gillenwater voted No after hearing from some residents as he didn't think grocery stores should be selling liquor. The vote was 4-1 in favor of issuing the license.

The Council voted 5-0 to issue a liquor license to a brew pub opening at Banker and Jefferson. 

Also Tuesday, the Council:

--rezoned a lot at 8 Galvin Street to single family residence district

--rezoned a lot at 101 West Evergreen to light industrial district with a special use permit to allow a veterinary hospital, animal clinic and kennel to develop there

--rezoned a lot at 15421 East State Highway 33 to general commercial district to house a commercial billboard

--rezoned a lot at 1501 Marguerite Lane to single family residence district for construction of a house on the lot

--revised the guidelines to allow the personnel policy to be an online document to make it easier to make changes in the document

--renamed the DJMDT Subdivision to Golden Fields Subdivision

--appointed Mayor Jeff Bloemker and City Economic Development Director Todd Hull as members of The Alliance Board of Directors

--discussed a downtown rehabilitation project at 200 North Front Street that would cost $66,000 with the developers of a residential development business there and the city splitting the cost

--discussed changing the size of numbers when numbering buildings from three inches to four inches as of the first of the year

--discussed a piece of surplus land to Joseph Roedl for $2,100

--purchased parcels of land from Maxine Lankow for $2,000 and from Jamie Roberts for $4,000 for expansion of Oakridge Cemetery

--approved a new building, electrical and plumbing comprehensive fee schedule as of January 1

--recognized TOPS IL-794 Chapter on its 50th anniversary

--honored Building Official Michelle Wilkins as the City's Employee of the Quarter