By Steve Robinson | April 21, 2008 - 10:10 pm
Posted in Category: Normal Town Council, The Normalite

Town of NormalNORMAL – After some discussion, the Normal Town Council voted 4-3 to reject an ordinance which would give a stay to the issuance of a demolition permit for the University Christian Church building along North St. in Uptown Normal.

Members of the church, as a body, held a last service on April 13. In March, Champaign-based JSM Development, Inc. purchased the building. Church members had set a minimum purchase price of $1.25 million for the property.

By Town Code, Normal’s Historic Preservation Commission must approve demolition of all buildings or structures in the Town of Normal. On April 8, that Commission denied an application for demolition citing “the building’s architectural significance of the property.”

JSM is looking to build a 5-story building on the site, two floors of which would be retail, and would have ground floor parking.

City Manager Mark Peterson told council members that he and Town Development Director Wayne Aldrich met with JSM officials and found that JSM “was on an aggressive timetable” for beginning construction on the new project. He said JSM has filed construction plans with the Town Clerk’s office.

Peterson said JSM had hoped to complete construction by August 2009.

“This ordinance will not help them. (JSM’s) concern is time and money,” Peterson told the council. He said no representatives from JSM planned to attend Monday’s meeting. However, Peterson did pass along a message from JSM that staying demolition would not help them in getting their project completed sooner than was anticipated.

“(This ordinance) creates an issue out of nothing,” Council Member Adam Nielsen said. “I don’t know that there is an issue (here) where one had existed (previously).”

Council Member Jeff Fritzen asked what about JSM’s responsibility would be concerning the property in the event the church is demolished but new construction is delayed. Peterson answered, saying, in the event of construction delays, JSM would be responsible for maintaining, seeding, and keeping the lot clean to prevent erosion.

Voting in favor of rejecting the ordinance were Council Members Nielsen, Fritzen, Jason Chambers, and Sonja Reece. Voting for the ordinance were Mayor Chris Koos, Council Members Chuck Scott and Cheryl Gaines.

Uptown Parking Recommendations Discussed: Council members also heard from members of the Uptown Parking Management Committee who had recommendations to make concerning the College Ave. Parking Deck.

“We went beyond just parking, asking (Uptown businesses) about future needs,” said Brian Simpson, committee member and owner of Babbitt’s Books in Uptown Normal. Simpson said the group also checked with how Peoria-based Heartland Parking, the management company that will oversee the College Ave. Parking Deck, has managed facilities in other communities.

“We are a community with a University attached,” Committee member Stephanie McClellan told Council members. “(The University) had needs that had to be addressed. We also had the Normal Public Library that had some unique features (to address).”

Among the Committee recommendations for the College Ave. Parking Deck were:

• The first hour of parking should be free.

• Any parking fee should be charged in one-hour increments after the first hour.

• Equal enforcement should be applied between streets, parking deck, and surface.

The Committee suggested charging $1 an hour after the first free hour; $6 for an “all day” rate lasting 7-12 hours; and $8 for all day.

Hoose Chess Champs Honored: Members of the Colene Hoose Elementary Chess Team, Kindergarten and First Graders who won their State Championship at the State Scholastic Chess Championship in Glenview last month. Mayor Koos honored the team with a proclamation designating April 22, 2008 as “Colene Hoose Chess Club Appreciation Day.”

The eight-person Hoose team was part of a700 students total that took part in the competition, which took place on March 15-16.

The team is under the direction of coaches Charlie Bates and Paul Parent. Team managers are Dawn Carlson and Becki Brown. Peggy Caslow is the team’s faculty sponsor.

The team members are: Andrew Carlson, Kaashyap Chilakamarri, Julia Herrman, Pujita Julakanti, Rohith Kolli, Thomas Moh, Cassandra Parent, and Ethan Varner.

Uptown Wireless To Improve: The Council also unanimously approved waiving the formal bidding process and conditionally accepting a proposal for wireless mesh network response from Invision Networks in the amount of $116,401 and approval of a recommended budget adjustment.

The Council also unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement with Springfield-based Hansen Information Systems, Inc. for providing technical support for the Uptown Wireless Network in the amount of $18,000.

Omnibus Agenda Approved: Items approved on the Council’s omnibus agenda include:

• Approval of the minutes of the Council’s regular meeting of April 7, 2008.

• Approval of Town of Normal expenditures for payment as of April 16, 2008.

• A motion to authorize Town Staff to develop a Town-wide bicycle and pedestrian master plan.

• A motion to reject bids for a backhoe loader with a pavement breaker for the Water Department.

• A motion to award a bid in the amount of $22,519.19 for a skid steer loarder to Bobcat of Bloomington.

• A motion to award a bid from Bloomington-based Stark Excavating in the amount of $450,776 and award a contract for the Adelaide St. water main replacement project.

• A resolution amending the agreement with Peoria-based Heartland Parking for parking management services in Uptown Normal.

• A resolution replacing the Town’s 2008 Private Activity Bond Cap to Illinois Housing Development Authority for first time homebuyer program. The cap is now at $4,307,885.

• A resolution accepting a dedication of easement and temporary easement grant from Roger and Sherrillyn Taylor behind the properties located at 113-115 W. North St.

• An ordinance to ban parking on both sides of the 700 block of W. Orlando Ave.

• An ordinance declaring property surplus – 415, 419, and 419 ½ W. Vernon Ave.

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