The Journal Star reports that McDonald’s wants to rebuild their Knoxville restaurant the same as their University location. But there’s a catch:
The McDonald’s proposal calls for 14 waivers from the city’s land development code on items such as reducing the parking lot’s setback from properties along Arcadia, increasing the size of a sign, allowing a drive-through window adjacent to a nearby residence and eliminating some landscaping requirements, among other things.
As such, the city’s Planning and Growth Management Department opted not to recommend approval of the McDonald’s site plan. The [zoning] commission will consider the request during a 1 p.m. meeting Thursday.
The article went on to say that the second district council member, Barbara Van Auken, was unavailable for comment. But two years ago, when Taco Bell asked for nine variances — making it completely non-compliant with the land development code (LDC) — she voted for it along with a majority of the council, even though the zoning commission and City staff recommended denial. She called it a “state of the art Taco Bell,” and said it was unfair to require a business completely rebuilding its property to comply with the LDC. (If not then, one wonders when it would ever be “fair” to enforce it.) I expect she will throw the LDC (and nearby residents) under the bus again this time, too.
Van Auken and a majority of the council have consistently voted against enforcing the LDC, continuing a pattern of development that has been detrimental to the older part of town. My suspicion is that this largely done out of ignorance — that most of the council members have never read nor understood either the Heart of Peoria Plan or the LDC. Perhaps with former Heart of Peoria commissioner Beth Akeson on the council now, she’ll be able to persuade more council members of the long-term benefits of enforcing the LDC.икони
Ignorance of the code is no excuse. As 2nd district rep, BVA should be well aware of the LDC and should be upholding it, not rolling over it. Variances should be granted when compelling reasons are provided, not just “because.” I also hope Akeson’s knowledge of how cities work will help with some positive change on the council.
Beth cannot represent the LDC alone. contact your council people, all of them. It doesn’t matter if they are in your district or not. Many will vote with the District council person because that person is supposed to be doing the homework on specific issues. That may not be the case. and CJ “robo burritoes” are crutial to the development of the 2nd District…..(I’m kidding).
Actually this one may have a shot at a denial. This business butts up against BVA’s own neighborhood association. It will solely depend on that. The last one was in Gary’s and she was honked off at him at the moment, so it was a payback maneuver. What was funny were the Curphy Smith signs in front of that Taco Bell during the election.
Oh wait, I think I am incorrect and it butts up against General Parker’s neighborhood association, it will therefore pass easily.
Ignorance? They’re making uninformed, unintelligent, unprofessional decisions as council members? Nice. Good thing they only make minimum wage.
Funny how politicians can pick and choose what laws and codes to enforce and which ones to ignore. Maybe that’s what’s going on at our Mexican border. If our leaders can pick and choose laws to enforce, we might as well pick and choose what laws to obey, eh?
I like this law or code, so I’ll obey it. I don’t like this law or code, so I’ll disobey it.
Now this is interesting. Van Auken votes to ignore the LDC for Taco Bell, but not for McDonald’s. I guess the obvious question is what kind of influence did TB use that McD did not. It does sort of leave a thought or two out there, doesn’t it? Now, I also have to wonder….who had the contract to do the Taco Bell upgrade, and who would have had the contract to do the McDonald’s upgrade? And what district are they based in, or more appropriately, where do the developers or contractors live?
Does make you think, doesn’t it?
http://www.pjstar.com/business/x311053468/Last-day-for-Illinois-Antique-Center
Yes, yet more money to go to developers. Gordon, Koehler, and company must have money running out of their behinds to fund projects, perhaps all the concern about debt is just a vicious rumor. And Ryan, god love ya, root for more developer money right on target. What a tough decision that must have been. Please let me wipe the sweat from your brow. Did HP get any kind of commision from that deal?
What no money for street repairs, sidewalks, crime reduction….no problem. we have happy developers, that’s what matters, they vote AND fund campaigns….After all they do have much more money than anyone in the bluffs or the south end, we must take that into consideration. And yep this would qualify as a rant…..Now let’s order a Big Mac from the new McDonalds….He should honk his horn and crank his stereo in celebration in the drive through since it will only be a few feet from houses behind them. After all, if THOSE people were worth anything then they would move to FIFTH DISTRICT, the land of milk and honey, where skittles fall from the sky……
Fred: Taco bell was a David Joseph project?
Heh.
If this was another Five Guys Burgers N Fries, I might support it, but McCrap can McDeal with it! Why don’t they just move into the old (heh, “old,” that’s funny) Cub Foods spot if they want more space. They can Super Size their Knoxville presence. What a great idea! They neighbors won’t mind, it’s just the East Bluff on that side. I’m going to become a developer’s consultant and make millions off stupid ideas like that.
Keep in mind my comment is not meant to disagree with CJ’s McDonald’s opinion, CJ brings up a valid argument. My observation is….it seems there is a Beth Akeson coalition building with CJ pulling the strings…Gary is on the same side, too, but maybe a bit too independent or “rogue” to list as a “coalition type”…now, I understand that’s how politics is done, coalition vs. coalition…but, there’s no words like “fair” or “fairness” in the webster’s definition of a coalition…This all seems to be counterproductive to what my image of CJ is…truth, fairness, and the American way(not including Peoria’s existing council coalition of 9))so, just for philisophical argument sake, please tell me I’m barking up the wrong tree
outsidethebox:
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause.
… probably just another situation of where certain people agree about one topic and are on the same ‘team’ and on another issue … quite possibly on opposite sides of the table.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend type of situation. … unless you think that Beth and CJ and anyone who agrees with their opinions are only acting in their own self-interest … instead of the common cause? … unless you just don’t agree with their common cause?
It would seem and I might be wrong …. that one would start talking with people to achieve a common cause, those who are like-minded would readily join the common cause, then you would keep educating other people to see the light of your vision …. whatever topic is at hand.
It does seem that the previous and possibly current council did/do not see value in the LDC because after all the hype about citizens participation being so valuable … the Heart of Peoria plan is adopted in concept … no teeth … lip service … so the insanity continues of doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Aliens landed.
They kidnapped and impersonated our liars, I mean leaders.
The aliens, posing as our leaders, then said,”We enforce all the laws and codes…except when we have feuds with other leaders we used to date, or when we’re bribed, or when we don’t feel like it, or when it doesn’t fit in with political expediency.”
Bare in mind that we are sitting here criticizing the Peoria City Council for how they MIGHT vote on this thing.
Always interesting how “objective” and “even keeled” Billy is and how often he takes a “let’s wait and see what happens” approach, when one of his “favoreds” on the Council is being skewered for failing to live up to public expectations.
Billy – one of the purposes of the blogs is to educate and sway public opinion to prevent actions from taking place, not just to gripe about what has already happened!
Each zoning case and Council vote is based on its ‘own facts;don’t lump McDonalds and Taco Bell into one single situation and factual case. Don’t know or care anymore than the above, but you should know what you are talking about before you tear people apart. Good luck!
I think a Council member’s past voting may very well predict how he or she may vote on an issue. Based on past votes, I think it is fair to say that BVA has little regard for the LDC and may vote to support the variances, though other factors (angry residents, etc.) could cause her to vote the right way.
Billy, it’s not very becoming of you to think positively like that. It’s the Peoria way to assume our predictable leaders will act in a thougtless manner as they always do. When they don’t, it’s the Peoria way to find out what selfish & under-handed reason they had to vote in our favor. That’s politics! It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
The Heart of Peoria Plan was quickly forgotten. Although lenghty, it is a detailed and thorough plan of how great Peoria could be. Unfortunately, the step by step process wasn’t clear enough. If they paid DPZ to just do everything and not just plan it, Peoria would be the gem of the state.
There are a lot of “could’s and should’s” which leadership obviously took the wrong direction. Sometimes tough decisions that would need to go against the vehicle/sprawl driven society have to be made. To summarize they have not been made.
If there was ever a business not to accomodate to it would be McDonald’s. It seems the council has gotten so used to bending over backwards they can’t get anything straight.
http://www.pjstar.com/business/x1723305203/Zoning-panel-OKs-McDonalds
The main concern appeared to be the size of the sign and one zoning commission didn’t think McDonalds’ site should be in the LDC anyway. article didn’t expound on any concerns about the drive through and the dumpster being a few feet away from the houses behind them.
and then it was done.
Yeah for McDonalds !! Bring back the Mcrib!
I think this is in the new East Village TIF.