McLean County Times

City of Pontiac Planning & Zoning Board met Oct. 15.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The City of Pontiac Planning and Zoning Board held a meeting on Monday, October 15, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers to consider the following:

Dairy Queen of Pontiac has requested a zoning re-classification from R-2 Two-Family Residential to B-3 General Business & Wholesale. The legal address of the property is LOT 53 1/2 & 120 LOT 15 BLK 19 JOHN'S RESUB OF BLKS 3,12,13 & 19 HAYNE'S & JOHN'S ADD, commonly known as 719 W Cleary St.

Wendy's of Pontiac has requested a variance to allow for a pole sign exceeding the height limit. The legal address of the property is 1.10 ACRES LOT 185 X 250 LOT 1 BAUKNECHT COMMERCIAL SUB., commonly known as 505 S. Deerfield Rd.

The following members were present: Bill Abraham, Rick Baier, Tim Fogarty, Don Hicks, Pat Martin, and Nate Miller. Also, present were Building & Zoning Officer Greg Knowles and City Attorney Alan Schrock. With a quorum being present, the meeting began at 4:31 p.m.

Rick Baier made a motion to approve the minutes from the July 22, 2024, meeting, and with a second from Tim Fogarty and a unanimous yes vote, the minutes were approved.

Dale Schrock, owner of the Dairy Queen (DQ) located at 802 N. Ladd St., has purchased the adjacent property to the east (719 W. Cleary St.) with the intent to construct a 12x20 shed for extra storage of parts and supplies. Mr. Shrock needs the new property to match his current zoning in order to combine the lots. To accommodate the shed, a portion of the existing fence will be removed; however, the remaining sections will be preserved to prevent debris from entering adjacent properties and the vacant lot. Neighbor Holly Howard of 717 W. Cleary St. raised several concerns, including the distance of the shed from the DQ lot, concerns about future conversion of the property into a parking lot, and potential impacts on her property value. In response, Mr. Schrock confirmed there are no plans to turn the property into a parking lot and has assured that any lighting from the shed will be directed away from neighboring properties to maintain privacy. Mr. Schrock is committed to addressing the neighbor's concerns and fostering a positive relationship throughout this process. Bill Abraham recommended to the board to accept the B-3 General Business & Wholesale zoning, and with a second from Don Hicks and a unanimous yes vote, the motion was approved.

Sonja Wilson, Director of Operations for the Wendys located at 505 S. Deerfield Rd., presented a request for a variance to increase the sign height from 18 feet to 28 feet to increase visibility, as the sign location sits lower than the road. Tim Fogarty raised concerns about whether the sign would have sufficient setback from the road in the event it was to fall. Aerial photos showed that the sign location allows adequate clearance. Ms. Wilson provided renderings of the proposed sign. Tim Fogarty recommended to the board to accept the variance to allow for a pole sign exceeding the height limit, and with a second from Nathan Miller and a unanimous yes vote, the motion was approved.

The proposal will go to City Council on Monday, October 21 to be confirmed or rejected.

With no further business, Chairman Pat Martin adjourned the meeting at 4:36 p.m.

https://www.pontiac.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10142024-1086