Spring Break
City council members debate changing neighborhoods
Andrew Thomason
Issue date: 3/28/07 Section: News
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A discussion at Monday's Macomb City Council meeting concerning non-conforming uses of property quickly disintegrated into a talk about the residential areas surrounding Western Illinois University.
Citizens as well as aldermen were concerned that neighborhoods once geared toward families have begun to metamorphose into college rental properties. Areas such as Stadium Drive were used to illustrate the point.
According to Fourth Ward alderman John Maguire, several classifieds in the Western Courier advertised six-bedroom rentals in areas relegated to single families. Maguire suggested the city look into the properties for possible violations of zoning ordinances.
"The city has a moral responsibility to do something about it," said Ken Zahnle, Second Ward alderman.
Charles Gilbert, First Ward alderman, said the areas have been in a state of perpetual change for all 35 years he has lived in Macomb.
"If you spend your time on whether you should hold the line in a certain area, you never discuss whether they should change," Gilbert said.
In other business, the council debated how to handle the upcoming expiration of Macomb's Tax Incremental Financing districts. TIFs offer tax incentives for business development in dilapidated areas of cities. They provide extra funds to the municipalities to update the infrastructure of the areas.
Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch outlined five possible options to handle the TIF deadline:
• Allow the existing TIF to expire and do not establish any new TIF district.
• Extend the existing TIF for another 11 years through legislative action.
• Establish a new TIF adjacent to and/or including portions of the existing TIF.
• Establish a new, independent TIF in another part of Macomb.
• Re-establish the existing TIF district for another 23-year period.
The aldermen agreed that keeping the TIF would be in the interest of the city, but otherwise no consensus was reached. Location of the TIF district was the largest source of discontent. The council was divided on whether to keep the district at its current location on the Square or attempt to develop other areas. Maguire suggested an area to contemplate for development - the Haeger Potteries building at 411 W. Calhoun St.
"We do studies about what catches peoples' eye, and what they remember about Macomb is the Square," Gilbert added.
Citizens as well as aldermen were concerned that neighborhoods once geared toward families have begun to metamorphose into college rental properties. Areas such as Stadium Drive were used to illustrate the point.
According to Fourth Ward alderman John Maguire, several classifieds in the Western Courier advertised six-bedroom rentals in areas relegated to single families. Maguire suggested the city look into the properties for possible violations of zoning ordinances.
"The city has a moral responsibility to do something about it," said Ken Zahnle, Second Ward alderman.
Charles Gilbert, First Ward alderman, said the areas have been in a state of perpetual change for all 35 years he has lived in Macomb.
"If you spend your time on whether you should hold the line in a certain area, you never discuss whether they should change," Gilbert said.
In other business, the council debated how to handle the upcoming expiration of Macomb's Tax Incremental Financing districts. TIFs offer tax incentives for business development in dilapidated areas of cities. They provide extra funds to the municipalities to update the infrastructure of the areas.
Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch outlined five possible options to handle the TIF deadline:
• Allow the existing TIF to expire and do not establish any new TIF district.
• Extend the existing TIF for another 11 years through legislative action.
• Establish a new TIF adjacent to and/or including portions of the existing TIF.
• Establish a new, independent TIF in another part of Macomb.
• Re-establish the existing TIF district for another 23-year period.
The aldermen agreed that keeping the TIF would be in the interest of the city, but otherwise no consensus was reached. Location of the TIF district was the largest source of discontent. The council was divided on whether to keep the district at its current location on the Square or attempt to develop other areas. Maguire suggested an area to contemplate for development - the Haeger Potteries building at 411 W. Calhoun St.
"We do studies about what catches peoples' eye, and what they remember about Macomb is the Square," Gilbert added.
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