Western Courier

Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: News

Media Credit: File Photo A fire destroyed the house at 206 W. Pierce St. the morning of March 19th.

Michael Flynn, owner of the burnt skeleton of a house at 206 W. Pierce St., pleaded Monday night with the Macomb City Council to rezone his property from R-2 to R-4 zoning.

In R-2 zoning, only two unrelated people can live in the same building while R-4 allows multiple unrelated people to occupy the same dwelling.

Flynn explained that the fire happened while he was in the process of remodeling the house and the insurance was only enough to cover his possessions. After the remodeling was complete, Flynn said he planned to live there or sell it as an R-2 lot.

"My lot is the only lot on the 200 block of Pierce not zoned R-4," Flynn said.

He added the only people who have displayed any interest in the property said they would only buy it if the rezoning occurred.

Residents who live in close proximity to the house said they are sympathetic to Flynn's situation but are strongly opposed to a rezoning.

Dan Murphy, who lives at 406 N. McArthur St., described the property as a last line of defense against decreased property value an R-4 zoning would bring.

"The latest R-4 property (located at Adams and Johnson streets) is dirty and unclean," Murphy said.

He went on to say there is trash spread in the yard despite the new trash receptacles.

"I feel for Mr. Flynn, but I think we should put the health of the town first," Murphy said.

On April 23, the Macomb Planning Commission heard the case for Flynn's re-zoning request. The Commission voted 7-2 to recommend a denial of the re-zoning. In a memorandum set out by Ed Basch, the community development coordinator, the commission cited three main reasons for the recommendation: the lot is shown as an R-2 zoning in the 2007 Comprehensive Plan; there was considerable opposition expressed by members of the neighborhood; and the area as a whole has more single-family lots than multi-family lots.

The council voted unanimously to agree with the recommendation of the Planning Commission.

"As it stands, the lot will stay as it is and bankrupt me," Flynn said.

In other business, Macomb Utilities Manager Jim Bessler and Public Works Director Walter Burnett explained the upcoming Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of the water treatment facilities.

The CPE is being required to evaluate the facilities by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency because of the city's recent problem of meeting turbidity requirements. It will consist of four areas of evaluation: facility design capabilities, administrative practices, operational practices and maintenance practices.

According to Bessler, the ultimate goal is to identify anything that might have contributed to the high levels of turbidity. The CPE will cost approximately $16,000, and approval of the study will be on the City Council's May 5 agenda.

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