After promising to clear junkyard in 3 months, DeKalb property owner granted another 60 days to remedy

DeKALB – The owner of a DeKalb junkyard facing the prospect of losing its special-use permit is getting another chance to make it right to the city.

At a recent meeting of the DeKalb City Council, city officials voted 6-0 to table a decision to revoke the special-use permit that allows DeKalb Iron and Metal Co. to continue operating at 1008 Oak St.

The topic was brought before DeKalb city leaders, as they had agreed in June to bring it back for further consideration in 90 days. Discussion at that time centered on a debate over the owner’s efforts to clean up the property after city leaders said the unkempt property was a nuisance to some neighbors. But the property owner, Danny Meyers, assured the city on June 27 that it would be addressed within three months.

Things didn’t pan out according to plan, however.

“There was some work done over the weekend, some substantial work, but not much had been done leading up to that,” City Manager Bill Nicklas said.

Meyers disputed Nicklas’ account, saying some issues arose that slowed down the process of cleaning up the junkyard, but the company is more than three-quarters of the way done.

“If you remember, there’s two yards: one on each side, the east side and west side,” Meyers said. “The east side is where the automobiles are being stored. When we took over the company, the automobiles were there.

“I wasn’t in the automobile industry before this when we took over this. There’s a UDL license that you need to actually remove the cars from the purchase lot for the buyers to take them. That UDL license expired two weeks after our meeting, which we weren’t aware of. … Personally, we’ve been over there for six weeks processing those cars.”

Meyers added that DeKalb Iron and Metal Co. has stopped taking in additional vehicles.

Mayor Cohen Barnes asked why Meyers didn’t notify city staff that there would be a potential delay.

Meyers admitted that he should have come to the city to request an extension when he learned more about the depth of the issues unfolding before him.

“I certainly would in the future,” he said.

Third Ward Alderman Tracy Smith said residents are fed up. He said he may petition city leaders to bring the matter back to the City Council for consideration sooner than 60 days if Meyers doesn’t keep his promise.

Nicklas suggested that Meyers provide the city with a weekly report on the status of the junkyard’s cleanup.

Should Meyers fail to submit a weekly report to the city in a timely manner, he will be fined $1,000.