Zoning commission to hold meeting on application

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The Union Township Zoning Commission will meet again later this month to determine the completeness of a zoning parcel amendment application.

According to a legal notice, the commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 29 at the Township Hall, 3018 Harper Road, to review the completeness of an application for zoning parcel amendment filed by Howell Brothers Development LLC for property located at 49 N. Ludlow Road, Urbana. The notice states no public testimony on the merits of the application will be heard and no other business will be conducted.

The North Ludlow Road property was the former site of the DuPont Pioneer Research Facility. The property was built by Howell Brothers Development LLC in 2012 and leased to Pioneer.

The research facility opened in December 2012 and closed in the summer of 2014.

An Oct. 5, 2015, letter addressed to Union Township Trustees and the zoning commission from Howell Brothers Development LLC requests a broader conditional use designation. The letter states the present use of the property is for corn research and the request seeks to broaden to an M-1 designation to include light manufacturing and warehousing for the property.

The letter notes a potential tenant was willing to speak about the planned use of the facility by the Sutphen Corporation.

During last week’s zoning commission meeting, the commission adopted a zoning parcel amendment application form.

Commission Vice Chair Julie Johnson said Thursday the application is required by the Logan-Union-Champaign Regional Planning Commission (LUC) for a zoning parcel amendment. Johnson explained when an application is filed, the zoning commission reviews it to determine its completeness before it is sent to the LUC.

The application must be received by the LUC 10 days before its zoning committee meeting.

Once the LUC’s zoning committee considers the application, the matter returns to the zoning commission for a public hearing on the LUC’s recommendation. During the public hearing the zoning commission would receive public testimony before making a decision on the LUC’s recommendation.

“They’re going to make a recommendation to either recommend that we approve the application or that we deny the application,” Johnson said. “We either accept their recommendation or not.

“When we take action, then it goes to the (township) trustees. The trustees can either accept or reject our recommendation.”

In addition to adopting the application, the zoning commission adopted a $500 processing fee for applications. Johnson explained the LUC processes amendment requests for member townships for free, but because Union Township is not a member township they are charged $125 per hour with a minimum of three hours.

The application fee will not be refunded if the application is denied.

By Nick Walton

[email protected]

Nick Walton can be reached at 937-652-1331 Ext. 1777 or on Twitter @UDCWalton.

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