By Angela Marshall
The board enacted a six-month moratorium in June 2001, halting all non-residential development in excess of 40,000 square feet while the trustees worked to update the village code. The moratorium was extended twice for a total of 18 months. It expires in December and cannot be renewed.
With many issues still undecided, the board plans to adopt a new six-month moratorium.
I think it's time to get the proposals on the table and make a decision, said Trustee Mary Bossart as the board discussed how much longer it would take to complete the code revision. While Bossart, Trustee Jack Matthews and Mayor Eugene Murray said they would like to move quickly to complete an overall revision, Deputy Mayor Wayne Lipton said he thought the board would be better off tackling swallowable projects one at a time.
Despite the difference of opinion on how to go about the revision, the board got right to work and political party lines were often ignored during the two-hour discussion.
The first order of business was to drop the idea of including a maximum floor area ratio as recommended by the village's planners, Buckhurst, Fish & Jacquemart. Lipton called it inherently problematic and Bossart agreed saying it mathematically doesn't compute.
The board then moved on to discuss what businesses should be allowed in Business A zone. The mayor and Bossart felt that apartment buildings, currently barred in Business A, should be allowed. Murray said apartments are recommended to bring people to the downtown area.
The rest of the board, including Trustee Greg Rinn, agreed with the idea but balked when Bossart and the mayor said they want to require retail businesses on the ground floor of the apartment buildings.
Lipton called that requirement extremely limiting and Matthews came up with a compromise, saying the code should require retail but allow the developer to apply for a variance. He said some parts of Business A would not be conducive to retail businesses and should be given relief from the requirement.
As part of the revision, the board is considering reducing the number of business zones by combining some of the existing zones into others. For instance, Business AAA, AA and A would be combined into one Business A.
In each zone, the board will have to decide on new maximums for height and lot coverage and new minimums for front, side and rear setbacks. Right now the code allows 60-foot-high buildings in Business A. The board discussed lowering allowable height there to 50 feet or five stories. In Business B, it is considering 40 feet or four stories.
Matthews said he would also like to change some of the zoning lines, moving lines to get rid of problem areas where a person's house or business is in two zones.
Matthews repeatedly said he wants to in-crease front and side setback re-quirements in all zones. He said large buildings look better when pushed back from the street.
The board also discussed a new more restrictive business zone referred to as the Little Town Commercial District or Business C, but the lines for this zone are not complete. Most of the board members have agreed new development in Little Town should not be higher than 30 feet or three stories.
The mayor suggested making Little Town extend from the train station north. It was unclear whether his plan included the whole north side of the village or would have east or west boundaries.
Lipton said limiting the whole north side to 30-foot-high buildings would stop development there. Let's get back to a little reality here.
Matthews called the idea radical but said that he might approve it.
During the course of the meeting, the future of two proposed developments came into question. After presentation by both developers last month, the board was concerned about height and setbacks for the proposed apartments. Both projects are north of the train station.
Village native F. J. McCarthy wants to build a 24-unit golden age apartment building where two houses stand at 53 and 57 Clinton Ave. The proposal calls for 16 two-bedroom and eight one-bedroom units at a cost of $8 million. He is proposing a height between 38 and 43 feet.
The board has also heard a proposal for a four-story luxury apartment complex to be built on Banks Avenue behind the King Kullen shopping center. It would house more than 450 one- and two-bedroom units. The area is currently zoned industrial.
Before any changes are made to the village code and zoning map, the board will hold public hearings to get resident input.
