The Streator Plan Commission unanimously recommended denying a request Tuesday night to rezone a Morrell Street property for multifamily housing.

Daniel and Brian Baltazar, owners of Baltazar Rentals LLC in Aurora, requested that 110 W. Morrell St. be rezoned from single-family to multifamily uses. The change would allow them to restore the building’s former use as a duplex.

City staff recommended against the rezoning, noting that the property lost its legal nonconforming status as a multi-unit residence in 2004 when it was converted to a single-family home.

The house has operated as a single-family rental since 2014. City staff also cautioned that rezoning would create a “spot zone,” as all surrounding properties are single-family.

During the public hearing, many nearby neighbors voiced opposition. A petition signed by 13 nearby residents was submitted, and Gayle Biroschik of 112 W. Morrell St. said she and her husband were worried about parking congestion across from Streator High School and about the property being managed by landlords who live outside the city.

“I don’t want to wake up and find a halfway house or boarding house across the street one day,” Biroschik told commission members, adding that neighbors feared a zoning change could open the door to other high-density or special-use facilities.

The Baltazars argued that the property remains physically set up for two units, with separate driveways and garage space, and said reinvestment in the home would benefit the neighborhood.

Because the rezoning would remain with the property regardless of ownership, commissioners voted against the request.

The Streator City Council will have the final say when it votes on the request at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at city hall.