Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting

MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING URBANA ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS DATE: July 21, 2021 APPROVED TIME: 7:00 p.m. PLACE: Council Chambers, Urbana City Building, 400 South Vine Street, Urbana, IL _______________________________________________________________________________ MEMBERS ATTENDING: Ashlee McLaughlin, Adam Rusch, Charles Warmbrunn, Harvey Welch MEMBERS ABSENT Matt Cho MEMBERS EXCUSED Joann Chester, Nancy Uchtmann STAFF PRESENT Katherine Trotter, Planner I; Lena Walker, Planning Intern; UPTV Camera Operator OTHERS PRESENT John Paul Buzard, Andrew Fell, Stephanie Henry, David Huber, Rob McColley 1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL AND DECLARATION OF QUORUM Chair Welch called the meeting to order at 7:13 p.m. Roll call was taken, and he declared a quorum of the members present. 2. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA There were none. 3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES The minutes from the June 16, 2021 regular meeting were presented for approval. Mr. Warmbrunn moved that the Zoning Board of Appeals approve the minutes as written. Ms. McLaughlin seconded the motion. Roll call on the motion was as follows: Mr. Warmbrunn - Yes Mr. Rusch - Yes Ms. McLaughlin - Yes Mr. Welch - Yes The minutes of the June 16, 2021 regular meeting were approved as written. 1  July 21, 2021 4. COMMUNICATIONS Communications received for Case No. ZBA-2021-MAJ-06:  Email from Susan Pryde  Email from Jessie Stark  Email from Lara Orr  Email from Brian Stark  Email from Lisa Bralts  Email from Mary Stuart  Email from Debi DiFonso 5. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARINGS There were none. 6. NEW PUBLIC HEARINGS ZBA-2021-MAJ-05 – A request by Andrew Fell Architecture and Design on behalf of John Paul and Linda Buzard for a major variance to allow a porch awning and concrete approach to encroach into the required 15-foot front yard at 604 South Cedar Street in the R-2, Single-Family Residential Zoning District. Chair Welch opened the public hearing for Case No. ZBA-2021-MAJ-05. Kat Trotter, Planner I, introduced Lena Walker, Planning Intern, and mentioned that Ms. Walker would give the staff report for the case. Ms. Walker introduced the case and gave a brief background of the subject property. She stated the purpose for the proposed major variance which would be to allow the replacement steps and awning to encroach in the 15-foot required front yard setback. She noted the zoning and existing land uses of the subject property as well as for the surrounding adjacent properties. Referring to the existing and proposed site plans, she talked about the proposed changes. She summarized staff finds, read the options of the Zoning Board of Appeals and presented City staff’s recommendation for approval with the condition that the construction be in general conformance with the attached site plan, as shown in Exhibit D. She stated that the applicant was available to answer questions. Chair Welch asked if any members of the Zoning Board of Appeals had questions for City staff. Hearing none, Chair Welch opened the hearing for public input. He invited the applicant or the applicant’s representative to speak. Stephanie Henry, of Fell Architecture and Design, approached the Zoning Board of Appeals to answer any questions that the Board members may have on the project. Chair Welch swore her in. There were no questions. Rob McCaulley approached the Zoning Board of Appeals to speak. Chair Welch swore him in. Mr. McCaulley stated that he loved what the owners have previously done with the house, so he was in support of the major variance. 2  July 21, 2021 With there being no further input from the audience, Chair Welch closed the public input portion of the hearing and opened the hearing for discussion and/or motions by the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Warmbrunn moved that the Zoning Board of Appeals forward Case No. ZBA-2021-MAJ-05 to the Urbana City Council with a recommendation for approval with the following condition: the construction be in general conformance with the attached site plan, as shown in Exhibit D. Mr. Rusch seconded the motion. Roll call on the motion was as follows: Mr. Rusch - Yes Ms. McLaughlin - Yes Mr. Warmbrunn - Yes Mr. Welch - Yes The motion passed by unanimous vote. Ms. Trotter noted that this case would be forwarded to the City Council on August 16, 2021. ZBA-2021-MAJ-06 – A request by David Huber for a major variance to allow a porch to encroach 10 feet, 10 inches into the required 25-foot front yard at 907 East Washington Street in the R-3, Single and Two-Family Residential Zoning District. Chair Welch opened the public hearing for Case No. ZBA-2021-MAJ-06. Kat Trotter, Planner I, gave the staff report for the case. She began by stating the purpose for the proposed major variance, which is to allow the expansion of the porch and awing to encroach 10 feet, 10 inches into the required front yard. She noted the location of the subject property. She stated the zoning of the subject property and of the surrounding properties. She discussed the average front yard requirement for the houses on this block. She summarized how the proposed variance would meet the criteria in Section XI-3 of the Urbana Zoning Ordinance. She read the options of the Zoning Board of Appeals and presented City staff’s recommendation for approval. She pointed out that the applicant was available to make a statement and answer questions. Chair Welch asked if any members of the Zoning Board of Appeals had questions for City staff. Hearing none, Chair Welch opened the hearing for public input. He invited the applicant or the applicant’s representative to speak. David Huber, applicant, approached the Zoning Board of Appeals to speak. Chair Welch swore him in. Mr. Huber stated that he owns four houses on East Washington Street and lives on the street as well. The renovations that he is doing comes from a place of optimism and not all change is bad change. Rob McCaulley approached the Zoning Board of Appeals to speak. He stated that he is in favor of Mr. Huber’s work. The work Mr. Huber has done in the neighborhood is stunning and has become a talking point among neighbors. With there being no further input from the audience, Chair Welch closed the public input portion of the hearing and opened the hearing for discussion and/or motions by the Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Rusch moved that the Zoning Board of Appeals forward Case No. ZBA-2021-MAJ-06 to the Urbana City Council with a recommendation for approval with the condition that the work be 3  July 21, 2021 done to generally conform to the plan in the written staff memo. Ms. McLaughlin seconded the motion. Roll call on the motion was as follows: Ms. McLaughlin - Yes Mr. Rusch - Yes Mr. Warmbrunn - Yes Mr. Welch - Yes The motion was approved by unanimous vote. Ms. Trotter noted that this case would be forwarded to City Council on August 16, 2021. 7. OLD BUSINESS There was none. 8. NEW BUSINESS There was none. 9. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION There was none. 10. STAFF REPORT There was none. 11. STUDY SESSION There was none. 12. CLOSED SESSION Closed Session: To Consider Security Procedures, Pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(8) At 7:37 pm, Mr. Warmbrunn moved that the Zoning Board of Appeals enter into closed session. Ms. McLaughlin seconded the motion. The motion was passed by unanimous voice vote. Closed session ended at 7:53 pm. 13. ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING Chair Welch adjourned the meeting at 7:53 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kevin Garcia, AICP Principal Planner Secretary, Urbana Zoning Board of Appeals 4