Plan Commission Recommends Changes to Apartment Complex Development

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Published on July 11 2018 3:15 pm
Last Updated on July 11 2018 3:15 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

The Effingham City Plan Commission voted Tuesday to recommend the City Council approve changes to a plan for an apartment complex.

Golden Fields Development is to be located east and north of Buffalo Wild Wings. Changes have to be made from what was originally proposed to make sure the apartment buildings fit on the lots. The Commission agreed to recommend the Council replat seven lots in the development down to six lots and to reduce the number of apartment buildings from seven to six. The proposed change also would reduce the required 25 foot rear yard setbacks for the six lots to 20 feet.

The proposal was made jointly by the managing member of Golden Fields Development Tom Grunloh and by D&A Farms President Donald Goldstein. The plan is to locate eight apartment units in each building.

The Plan Commission also recommended the City Council deny a rezoning of land owned by Billy and Florence Genaust at 14018 E. 1100th Avenue, along the Airport Road. The original plan was to replat the Genaust's 20-acre tract of property to leave a close to two acre tract including the Genausts' home and shed for them to occupy and to sell off the remainder of the tract. The tract the Genausts would keep would be zoned R-1 Single Family Residential.

The problem is that the property is targeted for industrial use in the City's Comprehensive Land-Use Plan, and city officials feared that zoning the tract to be retained by the Genausts as residential would establish a precedent for the area. 

Instead, the Genausts agreed to replat the parcel they will retain to two acres or larger. In that case, they don't have to rezone the parcel. It's expected the matter will be revisited at a future Plan Commission meeting.

The Commission Tuesday approved a site plan for a new home for Heartland Towing. The business will relocate from its current location along East Route 40 to 1909 West Evergreen Avenue, a five-acre tract just east of Pet Wellness Center of Southern Illinois.

Plan Commission members also recommended approval of an amendment to the City Code concerning special use permits. The change would help regulate banquet facilities. A banquet facility in the proposal is defined as "a room, building, or property for the purpose of hosting a party, banquet, wedding or other reception, meeting, or other social event."

Existing structures would not have to comply unless there is a change of use to use it as a banquet facility, or if there are significant changes in the size of an existing banquet facility.