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Sugar Grove panel postpones vote to expand code for banquet halls

SUGAR GROVE – The village of Sugar Grove is looking to expand the municipal zoning code to make banquet halls allowable in town.

The topic was discussed at the Feb. 19 meeting of the Sugar Grove Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Currently, the village’s zoning code does not stipulate if it allows establishments that operate solely as banquet halls in town.

Walter Magdziarz, community development director for the village, said the village has an interested party awaiting its decision.

The panel raised a number of questions on the topic, touching upon everything from parking and signage to screening and hours of operation.

Magdziarz wanted to be clear that the village’s current zoning code that applies to The Pine Room and Fireside Grille will not suffice in this instance because the request differs. The Pine Room and Fireside Grille both have banquet halls attached to their premises as accessory uses.

The village is looking at allowing banquet halls in the M-1 Manufacturing District and the B-3 Regional Business District.

Panel member James White brought up the idea of allowing banquet halls as a special use, thinking it may be appropriate.

“A special use is what we do when we want to set limitations,” he said.

At the same time, White said he doesn’t want to put people through the wringer to set up a banquet hall in town.

Magdziarz said he believes projects of this type would suffice as a permitted use. “That’s why we started out approaching this as a permitted use and identified standards and conditions of that use regardless of where it’s located,” he said.

Village staff intends to come back with a revised proposal for the panel to review.

Magdziarz said it’s necessary to tighten up some of the definitions outlined in the village’s zoning code to help provide greater clarity.

The topic will be reviewed again during a March 4 special meeting of the Sugar Grove Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Also at the meeting, the panel decided to not take a position on a request for rezoning property on the north side of KeDeKa Road, east of Blackberry Creek in Sugar Grove Township, from F-1 Farming District to E-2 Estate Residential.

Petitioner James Cooke is seeking rezoning to allow for several improvements, including new access to KeDeKa Road, right-of-way dedications, new home(s), septic and well, and a new drain tile.

Currently, the property is vacant land that is being used for farming, and a residence is under construction.

The village cannot apply its zoning regulations to the property as it is beyond corporate limits, according to village documents. However, if the requested zoning classification is inconsistent with the long-term land use plans of the village and the established land uses in the general vicinity, the village may object to the request, according to village documents.

The panel decided to not take a position on the request in accordance with village staff’s recommendation.

Source: The Daily Chronicle

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