Plan Commission Recommends Rezoning on 5-4 Vote

The Effingham City Plan Commission voted 5-4 to recommend the City Council rezone a lot on the north end of La Pasada Estates Subdivision from R-1 to R-2 single-family residential. 

If the Council finalizes the rezoning, it would allow the owner of the lot to place a relocatable home on the property. The home can be accommodated on a R-2 lot, but not a R-1 lot.

The owner of the lot at 302 South Granada is Heather Mumma. She said the lot is not part of La Pasada Estates but it borders the subdivision. Mumma said there is a need for homes in the $150,000 to $180,000 range in the city and said the structure she has in mind would fall in that price range. She said it's not a trailer, could have an attached garage and could be placed on a basement.

The owner of the property to the south, Gary Norris, objects to the rezoning. He believes a manufactured home is a manufactured home. Norris thinks a structure like that proposed by Mumma would lead to lowered property values for the existing homes in the subdivision.

As indicated by the 5-4 vote to recommend approval, there was a difference of opinion on the Commission. Commissioner Dave Storm said he thinks the home would act as a buffer between Fayette Avenue and the commercial development to the north and the homes in La Pasada. Commissioner Jeff Staser, though, said he feels such a project is going against the original intent of those who located in La Pasada.

When the vote was taken, Commissioners Staser, Cindy Vogel, Brad Meinhart and Clint Spruell voted against the motion, while Commissioners Storm, Rob Macklin, Mark Thies and Libby Moeller voted in favor. Chairman Brian Hayes broke the tie with a vote in favor of the motion.

The Plan Commission voted to recommend a rezoning of property in the first addition to Golden Fields Development, south of Rickelman Avenue and east of Charlotte Street. The plan is to develop 11 single-family homes on the parcel, rather than five duplexes as was proposed by the previous owner group. There were no objections to the plan. Also recommended for approval was a plat of the property.

Also recommended for approval is the rezoning of property on the northwest corner of Keller Drive and Outer Belt West, a portion of the Hecht property at the intersection. The plan is to build a dental facility on the site. Dylan Tarr said Heartland Dental plans to move the dental office now housed in the corporate office building to the location at Keller and Outer Belt. There were no objections to the proposal.

The Commission also considered two text amendments to the City Zoning Ordinance.

One proposes a special use permit for a commercial recreational amusement or campground. City Engineer Jeremy Heuerman explained the permit would give the City the ability to regulate such a development, but would also let a developer know what will be expected of them. Any existing operation would be allowed to continue unless the developer wanted or needed to make substantial changes to the development.

The other proposal requires a drainage study in a case when a development would involve paving a previously unpaved area as part of a development project. An example given by Heuerman is if a large parking lot needed added to an existing facility. The expansion might not warrant a site plan that would take the additional paving into consideration, but this provision would allow the City to insure proper drainage is included as part of the project.