C.J. Summers has been attending meetings and doing good work on the Main Street Commons issue. Basically, some developers want to turn the former Walgreens at the corner of Bourland and West Main Street into a condominium project catering to Bradley students. In order to do the project as envisioned, they are going to seen some zoning variances.
As is usually the case with these sorts of things, the project as originally described back when the developers brought it up isn’t exactly what is appearing on paper. The neighbors are opposed — well, some of them — and don;t want the variances to be granted.
C.J. doesn’t like some of the variances and says the project should be changed. That didn’t happen and he’s ticked off.
It passed the Zoning Commission with next to no deliberation. Marj Klise was the only “no” vote. One of the commissioners said that provisions in the Land Development Code were “open to interpretation” — which is to say, meaningless. That was enlightening.
Yes, it certainly was enlightening.
I think it shows we don’t need zoning codes. Everyone thinks that is we don’t have a cadre of anal-retentive zoning inspectors running all over the place, enforcing the ruless, the city will become an a nightmare. One example I am constantly given when I make this argument is that pig farms will up next to private homes.
The horror, the horror.
Actually folks, no one wants to put a pig farm next to your home. However, someone MAY may want to open a mom-and-pop store on your block, because thy think they can make a buck doing it. Zoning the city government’s way of saying: “No, you should try to make a buck HERE, where our developer pal has built a strip mall.”
Yes, some people will complain about having a store on your block will ruin property values. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t wish they didn’t have to drive a mile from their house to buy a friggin’ half-gallon of milk at a store owned by a corporation.
Another thing zoning codes usually do is keep little old ladies from building a fence in their yard, or hassle property owners about the size of their awnings. Zoning codes almost never stand in the way of developers, as this example shows.
So, I propose that — as an experiment — the city simply does away with zoning rules for about one year. We’ll see if any pig farms and rendering plants go up next to the castles on Grand View Drive. I strongly suspect there will be a building boom. And the general ugliness will be at the exact same level, as will the agitation neighbors feel when the eyesore they have gotten used to is replaced with the unknown.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
It won’t be a pig farm out your bedroom window, it will be Methodist’s helicopter pad coupled with one of those giant LCD billboards. Have fun with that.
I already have a giant helipad within two blocks of my house. Some neighbors of mine are even closer.
Want to go on a drive with me? I’ll take you to some spots in Peoria where people have giant LCD billboards virtually in their back yard.
And all this happened under the watchful eye of city zoning.
If government makes no difference, we don’t need it. How can all the money we spend for zoning be justified if it goes away at the snap of the fingers of any developer who comes along?
The placement of pig farms is more strictly governed by rules set forth by the IL l Dept of Agriculture I believe. Zoning might stop the crazy neighbor with 3 or 4 pigs that are being raised for sale, but the placement of a large livestock facility of any kind is already addressed by the state.
Its funny when people complain about variances and special uses in zoning, because people would be equally as pissed if no such process was allowed and everyone was required to follow the letter of the law without question. Sure some communities try harder than others to follow the intent of the zoning ordinances.
Without zoning ordinances we could always get that pet kennel next door with 200 yapping dogs. I am a former kennel owner and even I don’t want this next to my house. Or you could get a cheap apartment house next door with all kinds of transient neighbors and noise, right next to your $350,000 home in the historic district.
You should live within the 1.5 mile boundary of a village and be controlled by their board/zoning committee as to what you can build on your property even though you can not vote them out of office due to your address is out side their jurisdiction
SD: My home in the historic district IS a rental. It was divided into rental units long before anyone thought the government ought to have have the right to forbid owners of old homes to do with their property in otherwise legal means. And thank goodness. I love where I live and would not be able to live here had this home not been turned into apartments.
And you will be happy to know that in the historic district there are crappy-looking rental units. Zoning did nothing to keep them out.
And it wasn’t zoning that Peoria’s elite used to keep new rental construction out of a wealthy section of North Knoxville a couple years ago. It was the historic preservation ordinance.
And you proved my point with the dog kennel comment. Had the city followed existing zoning rules, that dog kennel on Wisconsin would not have neen allowed to expand. Since zoning rules to NOT stop such things, which go to the million dollar expense of having them?
Bob writes
send the wolf pack to the home of the pekin drunkards, the green valley tap. They don’t call gary a stinking drunk heriford for nothing.
howl ……
I actually agree with you, Billy. The City only uses zoning regulations to reward some developers while penalizing others. If the whole system is going to be a sham, it’s better just to do away with the pretense and dump the whole code — Appendix B and C, for that matter. Go back to the old days where you had to buy a guy down at City Hall a box of cigars in order to get your building project approved. At least it would be honest, and you wouldn’t need to pay a whole staff of people to keep up the charade.
And I am being completely serious. Instead of before the fact regulation, we can use after the fact justice. If a neighbor use of his property is outrageous enough, the court can settle matters. Soon enough there will be enough precedents so that land owners will know where they stand. It won’t be perfect, but what we have is nohwere near perfect. Or fair.
Peoria City needs a CFRZ ( citzens for responsible zoning) group similar to CFRS
Is that an announcement that you’re starting one, Precinct Committeeman?
I don’t live in the city.
My situation is with the state statute being extremely anti democratic
Can you have chickens in your backyard in peoria. I want some chickens and a goat.
Farm animals are prohibited in the city of Peoria.
…generally speaking, that is. Farming, including farm animals, are allowed in an area zoned A1 (agricultural).