Yorkville planning, zoning commission OKs future land use changes

UPDATED 6 A.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12:

YORKVILLE – Differences in future land use maps between Yorkville and Kendall County may soon be more in alignment following a city planning and zoning commission meeting this week.

The Yorkville planning and zoning commission voted, 4-0, to approve a proposed amendment to the city's comprehensive plan to re-classify land use designations along Route 34, Route 71 and Eldamain Road during their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Commission chairman Jeff Olson was absent from the Wednesday meeting, with Daniel Williams sitting as chairman, and commissioners Rusty Hyett and Richard Vinyard also absent.

Krysti Barksdale-Noble, community development director for Yorkville, said the city's ten-year land use maps originally approved in 2016 had future designated estate and residential land, but the city is looking at changing those areas to either commercial office or destination commercial following approvals of already-existing projects in those areas. Those projects include Cedarhurst Living, 4040 Cannonball Trail; Casey's General Store, 580 E. Veterans Parkway; and Coffman Carpets, 9290 Route 34.

"After the approvals, staff went through all of the proposed developments as they were developed and are now aligning their comprehensive plan to reflect the development as approved," Barksdale-Noble said.

Barksdale-Noble said the proposed changes also include the industrial area within the city's corporate boundary along Eldamain Road. She said Kendall County officials requested shortly after the city's comprehensive plan was adopted in 2016 that city staff look at land north of that current boundary up to Galena Road and align with the county's future land use plan as eventually making that land use industrial.

"And at that time, we had brought it to City Council and ... planning and zoning commission and we felt that there was no need to make a change at that point," Barksdale-Noble said. "There was kind of some ambiguity if Eldamain Road [improvements] would ever be funded in the horizon in the plan for the connection with the bridge over the Fox River."

Barksdale-Noble also said another consideration that went into making the proposed changes this time around included the still-distant possibility of Yorkville getting a Metra station and a possible location being near Eldamain Road. That would be pending the recommendations from a feasibility overview for a Kendall County rail extension the state earmarked $100 million for.

There were no comments made in favor or in opposition of the changes during the public hearing at the Wednesday meeting. Commissioners also did not voice any issues or additional questions after Barksdale-Noble's presentation.

"Just looking into the future," commissioner Deborah Horaz said before the vote.

Barksdale-Noble said the matter now is set to go before the City Council for a vote during their next meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at City Hall, 800 Game Farm Road.

The update comes after Kendall County officials discussed the city's comprehensive plan changes and how that relates to the county's land use plan during their Tuesday, Feb. 4 meeting.

Kendall County Board Chairman Scott Gryder said many municipalities, including Yorkville, and the county have run into a few issues in the past where the future land use maps haven't matched up with each other. Especially considering the county is spending millions of dollars on repairs to Eldamain Road, he said, he was happy to say that Yorkville city officials are now looking at the land uses that could help bring more commercial development to the county.

"So it's more in line with what our vision was," Gryder said.

County Board member Matt Prochaska said when the county raised the objection to the city's previous future land use plan, Yorkville city officials said having businesses along Eldamain Road wasn't the priority for the city at the time but it would be addressed in a future plan. He said that was fine until a few years ago, when Yorkville objected to a business trying to go into that area.

"I am thrilled that the current administration of Yorkville is changing its mind and moving this forward," Prochaska said.

County Board member Amy Cesich said she agreed that it's a good thing there's more agreement between the two future land use plans. She said it seems like, with Yorkville Mayor John Purcell coming from the county, Purcell better understands that vision.

"It has been really nice to have some sort of unity going on now with Yorkville and the county," Cesich said.