DEKALB COUNTY
ZONING ORDINANCE CHANGES
Alternative proposal an improvement
The
ongoing process in the attempt to change the DeKalb County
Zoning Ordinance serves as an example of how an informed,
involved citizenry is essential to good government.
The
proposed changes apply to all property not within the limits
of the incorporated cities, towns and villages. These
changes, according to Planning and Zoning Director Paul
Miller, are meant to help implement the goals and
recommendations of the County-wide Comprehensive Plan,
adopted at the end of 2003.
The
original proposed changes would have resulted in all rural
property to be rezoned to A-1 Agriculture and would have
created hundreds of currently property zoned residential,
commercial and manufacturing to be rendered as “legal
non-conforming.” Due to public input at meetings and through
direct communication with County board members, problems
with those changes were identified and considered.
In
consideration of the concerns expressed an alternative
proposal that would change the title of the residential,
commercial and manufacturing zoning districts to
‘conservation’ districts has been proposed. "The titles of
each district would be changed to ‘residential
conservation,’ ‘business conservation,’ ‘manufacturing
conservation,’ etc., and the ‘Purpose and Intent’ portion of
the R-1, R-2, B-1 and M-1 zoning districts would be
rewritten so that instead of being for the construction of
residences and businesses, the districts would be for the
preservation of existing lots, building and uses. No
existing lot, building or use would be rendered
nonconforming as a result of this change.”
There was
an almost immediate knee-jerk reaction to the alternative
proposal. Some confused the word “conservation” with
“preservation” as it relates to zoning. A preservation
zoning district is often filled with rules and regulations
regarding remodeling and repairs of property because such
zoning is usually tied to historic preservation. A similar
conservation district has been implemented in Elgin that
provided property-owners of small lots with protection but
prevents future lots of similar size from being developed.
There are
still questions regarding the alternative proposal:
Would
existing owners of affected R-1 and R-2 zoned properties be
allowed to tear down and rebuild?
Would
owners of B-1 and M-1 property be required to sell their
property for exact same use or would a new idea that
conformed to B-1 or M-1 regulations be permitted?
How does
zoning such as “conservation” impact a borrower’s ability to
obtain financing?
Whether
or not this alternative proposal will accomplish the stated
goal of “by making all future nonagricultural growth and
development subject to the planned development regulations,
the County Board will be better able to achieve the goals of
the DeKalb County Unified Comprehensive Plan of controlling
growth and preventing sprawl,” is questionable. The County
is trying to funnel all development, especially residential,
to the municipalities subject to annexation. The two
municipalities best equipped to handle residential growth,
DeKalb and Sycamore, have unofficial but effective
moratoriums in place on residential annexations that has
created opportunity for the smaller communities like
Cortland, Kirkland and Waterman.
Each
community in DeKalb County can expand its incorporated
borders by a mile-and-a-half through annexation. Some would
suggest that the shut down of residential growth in DeKalb
and Sycamore is creating a sprawling community in Cortland.
The
DeKalb County Board should be commended for listening to the
public on this issue. The alternative proposal is evidence
that they are responding to public concerns. Does it
properly address all those concerns? That’s why there is
another public hearing.
“The
public hearing will be re-opened by the Zoning Hearing
Officer on Thursday, February 24, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the
DeKalb County Health Department, Multi-Purpose Room, 2550 N.
Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb, IL, 60115. All interested
persons are encouraged to attend and be heard, as this will
be the only opportunity for public input on this zoning
application. The petition, DC-04-32, is available for
inspection at the DeKalb County Planning Department, 110
East Sycamore Street, Sycamore, IL 60178 (815) 895-7188. The
text of the proposed changes to the titles and purposes of
the various zoning districts may be viewed at the
DeKalb County website, under "Hot Topics.”"
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