Art studio and exhibit space receives favorable recommendation from DeKalb panel

DeKALB – A DeKalb panel charged with hearing rezoning requests, showed support Tuesday for a petitioner’s proposal that would help allow for an art studio and exhibit space at the site of the First United Methodist Church and the associated parking lot.

The DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission provided a favorable review of the petitioner’s request to the City Council in a 6-0 vote.

But ultimately, the final decision rests with members of the City Council. Their next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Yusunas Meeting Room at the DeKalb Public Library.

Petitioner Jacob Tennant of EggToy Studios Design Inc. said he hopes to find a home for his art studio and exhibit space, at 311-317 N. Fourth St. and 321 Oak St.

“We’ve been in the Sycamore area for 15 years now operating in a number of different areas and have never had any noise complaints, bad neighbor type of complaints,” Tennant said. “The idea of looking at moving into an area where the church is currently sitting in is definitely, I feel, a doable situation as far as our impact on the community.”

The property is currently zoned residential conservation district, but the petitioner is requesting that it be converted to planned development commercial district, according to city documents.

City Planner Dan Olson, noting that the leadership at First United Methodist Church had listed the property for sale a while ago and is in the process of building a new location off North Annie Glidden Road, said the city would like to see that the building is maintained.

Tennant touted EggToy Studios’ experience with converting unoccupied facilities into art studios and exhibit spaces.

“Our current space in the Anaconda building in Sycamore, we started moving there about nine, 10 months ago and over the past year have rehabbed all these offices that were 30-plus years old, unoccupied and just nicotine covered and falling apart,” he said. “What we’ve been able to do just with what we had on hand and were able to show was a really impressive feat in the area.”

Tennant said he has a theory that the First United Methodist Church building could be transformed successfully into an art studio and exhibit space, much like the Anaconda building was.

“We like having the idea of the sanctuary, some of the design office spaces to where we can set up some of the vignettes to where they can change out as different clients come in,” he said. “Sometimes it’s hard to sell to a client especially when it’s somebody who may not be on the creative scale of it.”

Commission Member Trixy O’Flaherty lauded the petitioner’s proposal, saying it would be a creative way to put the church to use again.

“I really like the idea of this kind of reuse on this building,” O’Flaherty said. “I think it could be a really excellent way for us to keep that neat old building, [for] it to live another life. It’s probably a good old setup for you guys, too, having everything all together.”

The petitioner’s plans for the site would not be permitted until the end of August 2023 once the church has vacated the site, city officials said.

Should the church’s timeline to leave the premises change, Olson said that an amendment would be needed.