By Our Fine Staff
In a stunning 4-2 vote, the Winfield Village Board reversed the Plan Commission and rezoned a one-block residential section of Beecher Ave. from R-1 (residential) to TC (mixed-use commercial). The affected block runs west from Winfield Rd. to Lions Park and is backed by Winfield Fuel & Material’s 5-acre property that its owner would like to sell for development. The affected homeowners and others in the area, and the School District 34 board opposed the zoning change, but lost when the vote was taken.
Voting for the involuntary rezoning were Village Trustees Tim Allen, Jay Olson, Jim Hughes and Erik Spande. Voting against it were Village Trustees Jack Bajor and Tony Reyes.
The votes of Mr. Spande and Mr. Hughes came as a surprise to most observers, and a disappointment to the homeowners affected, who had expected their support.
The voting was somewhat chaotic, with some Trustees confused about exactly what they were voting on because shortly before the vote Mr. Olson made a verbal motion to override the motion printed on papers before the Trustees. Mr. Olson’s move combined into a single vote the separate issues of (1) protective changes for the 11 homeowners already in the new zoning (such as allowing them to rebuild after a fire), and (2) involuntarily adding 9 more homes and Lions Park to that zoning.
After some Trustees complained that they thought they were voting on whether to change the question, and others thought the question had been changed and they now were voting on the main issues, the Trustees took a second vote.
Mr. Spande told The Winfield Register “it was a tough call. My default position is that the Village should impose its will only when absolutely necessary. The only reason I voted for the bundled zoning was the other piece— which provides increased resident rights for properties that are currently residential.”
Mr. Hughes, the swing vote, did not respond to the newspaper’s request for an explanation to the public of why he voted as he did, nor did the other Trustees who voted for the measure.
Before the vote, Mr. Reyes told the other Trustees that he thought the residents of Beecher Ave. were not well served, nor had the Trustees considered their concerns. “For us to arbitrarily just take it [the property] and change it [the zoning] because we think that there might be some development that might occur from this is not a sane move.... My concern is that if we're going to vote yes to do these things, you are really going to be hurting a lot of people. And that's not what we're elected to do.”
He asked those who were planning to vote for the rezoning “How can you even think about passing this when you've heard some of the testimony you've heard?”
During the public comment time at the opening of the meeting, Susan Gillespie, 48, 0n131 Ethel St., President of the School District 34 Board of Education, told the Trustees that the school board unanimously opposes the rezoning of that block across the street from the two schoolhouses because of concerns about traffic, flooding, and safety. Furthermore, development along Beecher Ave. would exacerbate existing traffic problems becoming more problematic with lengthening delays.
A gentleman who did not say his name clearly-enough to be understood, spoke against the rezoning and echoed Mrs. Gillespie’s observations. As a school bus driver, he said, he sees traffic violations which endanger the public every day, and sees greater danger if the rezoning occurs.
Dirk Enger, 51, 0n331 Ethel St., presented a slide show based upon facts easily known to him as a member of the County Board about the environmental impact, auto and foot traffic concerns in the area, various related safety issues, and storm and flood water difficulties. He urged caution and taking time to carefully consider the impact of all these factors as crucially important.
Harold (“Bing”) Besch, 50, 27w626 Beecher Ave., confirmed that he had presented a petition of 185 signatures of neighborhood residents against rezoning.
Dave Sayner, 47, 27w532 Beecher Ave., also spoke in opposition to the proposed rezoning. “I know you're sick of listening to us,” he began, and in light of Mr. Enger’s comments, noted that “in spite of a ton of talk about democracy and having public debates and getting citizens involved, the opposition to this proposed rezoning has been overwhelming.”
He felt there are very few people who actually support this plan. Mr. Sayner added, “You can ignore the school board, a bus driver, owners of businesses, and the petition.... But if you really believe in democracy you have to listen to what people say.”
The controversy began last summer when the Economic Development Task Force —an appointed body tasked with seeking more businesses for the Town Center area— suggested the Plan Commission rezone the area to make development cheaper for a developer, and purchase of the Winfield Fuel & Material property more attractive.
Throughout the public hearing process that ran from October through December, the Plan Commission heard objections and sworn testimony from real estate experts who spoke of lessening of property values in the area and likely difficulty with banks in obtaining loans or refinancing due to the mixed use designation.
In view of the lack of a specific plan for the property and the fact that no one except an attorney for Winfield Fuel & Material spoke in favor of the zoning change, the Plan Commission rejected rezoning by a 5-1 margin. Only Plan Commissioner Dolly Pointner, 42, 27w417 Oak Ct. voted in favor of the involuntary rezoning.
That elevated the matter to the Village Board at its Jan. 19 meeting, when members of the public spoke against rezoning. No one spoke in favor. The board voted on the matter at its Feb. 2 meeting, passing it 4-2.
