Machesney Park approves vehicle rental business on Harlem Road

By Bob Balgemann

Reporter

The village board has expedited approval of a special use permit that allows a vehicle rental business at 1023 Harlem Road. First and second readings of Ordinance 41-20 were accomplished during the Nov. 16 meeting, as the board agreed with Trustee James Kidd to waive the usual two-week layover of a committee recommendation.

It was a multi-faceted process starting earlier this year when the planning and zoning commission (P&Z) considered a different special use permit, for the sale of used vehicles, on the same 1.12-acre property. The request was approved with a number of conditions.

However, since then the applicant abandoned plans for a used car lot.

Most recently, the operator of an automotive repair business on the same property, between Elm Avenue and Scott Lane, expressed interest in offering U-Haul rentals there.

Mixed in with both proposals was the concern from a neighbor across the road about increased traffic congestion in that already crowded area.

The planning and zoning commission (P&Z), which looked at the initial request, was back in the picture Oct. 26. Then, it considered the special use permit (SUP) request for the motor vehicle rental business in a commercial community (CC) zoning district.

Village Planning and Zoning Specialist Carrie Houston in her opening presentation reiterated the same concern from neighbor Shannon Barlow about increased traffic congestion. But staff didn’t agree because that is an already crowded, mixed use area and, as such, U-Haul rentals would not disrupt orderly development. Staff recommended approval of the SUP, as did P&Z in a 5-1 vote. PED was unanimous in its recommendation for approval on Nov. 16. 

The conditions

Among the conditions attached to the SUP were:

* The maximum number of U-Haul vehicles allowed to park on the property is eight.

* Vehicles may not be parked on the northern 82 feet of the property, as that area will be reserved for customer parking.

* Landscaping and screening will include no less than seven canopy trees.

* Lighting must be directed away from residential properties, which are located north and south of the Harlem Road property.

* No excessive signage, balloons or banners will be permitted on the property.

* No inoperable vehicles may be parked at the site for more than seven days.

Next stop was the planning and economic development committee (PED) on Nov. 2.

During that meeting Village Clerk Lori Mitchell read Barlow’s letter into the record. “The U-Haul facility would drastically increase traffic on an already busy road,” she read. “It could also create lots of noise during early pick up – drop off of vehicles.”

There was no discussion among committee members who voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the requested SUP. First reading of the ordinance was scheduled for the Nov. 16 village board meeting. 

Later that night at the village board meeting Trustee Kidd tried to have the layover rule waived so Ordinance 41-20 could be approved on first and second readings.

Administrator James Richter explained that Ordinance 40-20, which also had been recommended for approval by PED at the same meeting, moved on to the village board that night because it had been requested by Trustee Joe Seipts.

And Village Attorney Tom Green said the normal path would have been for Ordinance 40-20 not to be on the board agenda that night. But Seipts’ request accelerated the process, which was not the case for the other two PED agenda items including Ordinance 41-20.

More details

“I worked closely with the couple that’s opening this (business),” Trustee Seipts said. “They expressed they had put pretty much everything they had into this. They lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and they have a family to feed. And that’s why I asked to include it on tonight’s (board) agenda.”

After Ordinance 40-20 was approved on second and final reading, Trustee Kidd offered a motion to have Ordinance 41-20 added to the agenda, under new business, granting a special use permit for a motor vehicle rental business.

But Green replied, “I applaud your effort but it is not on tonight’s agenda. It would be a new item and is simply not allowed. So the motion is out of order.” 

Consideration of Ordinance 41-20 was scheduled for first reading at the Nov. 16 village board meeting. That did happen, and it was approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda.

But Kidd then moved to expedite the process, as had happened on Nov. 2, so there could be a second reading the same night. The motion to waive the layover procedure was approved, 6-0, followed by a 7-0 vote to approve the ordinance on second and final reading.