[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6122231,"mediaKeyId","2695509-04412a77d9af5487364950bd8ceef266","parentId",2695509,"title","Kankakee planning board recommends rezoning and conditional-use permit for landscape contractor at 1192 S. Washington Ave.","audioSeconds",1445,"startMs",467000,"endMs",1912000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2695509-04412a77d9af5487364950bd8ceef266&start=467&end=1912","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2695509-04412a77d9af5487364950bd8ceef266/thumbnail_467000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6122231/Kankakee-City/Kankakee-County/Illinois/Kankakee-planning-board-recommends-rezoning-and-conditional-use-permit-for-landscape-contractor-at-1192-S-Washington-Ave","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122231-5183bc035e40d4bdff15478767e9d087/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202166&Signature=TiWzZgKS19213smjLFgmRDC3Cgrx~WPvxZ~x7VQkjzcC0L2IIZ13OxPSqsGkBzP65p0if6b6~UBU7jjFl7MF~TVTBKyFI6B5M-MGNgiKC2IkrEixVSs7BCW2C2mR7Wq6IK-Ta~2Fg0EmOG21TYnR5IGlbSYQGpaEvn-Gr9JvNan9Q0~CJl3NFFd1N~wNpXZVcIi-WHl908HNmfl37M5Gd71pAi8gc8nm2zB6k3YQrQxftEsqdMY5tCy1WQv1kfYo2hykPsk4wsSvSSFzK47UgeOSn1zFoNZMacH7lob7qR4f2aPsd3-o8by2aLg3RIZ-Bk5J7yBY9hd6RnuTkVDShA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Kankakee, IL","date","2025-03-19T14:39:51Z","article","At its March 18 meeting, the Kankakee Planning Board voted to recommend approval of a map amendment to rezone 1192 South Washington Avenue from R-2 (two-family residential) to C-2 (service commercial) and to recommend approval of a conditional use permit for a landscape contractor to operate at that address.

The planning department presented recommended conditions that the board attached before voting. Planning staff read the conditions into the record, saying, “Subject to, a prior to commencement of the business operation, all improve review and issuance of a site and plan approval and building permits by the building, fire, planning and engineering department. The applicant shall obtain a city of Kankakee business license prior to commencement, of the business operation. All parking lot standards outlined in the city zoning ordinance must be met, including the landscape requirements, screening shall be provided on the northern property line to provide a buffer for the residential use and appropriate perimeter landscape provided along the west and south property lines.” Staff also read an additional condition: “The applicant shall also be required to install a fence of not less than 8 feet above the existing grade ground level around the outdoor storage area.”

The board added a site-specific condition about a tree on the property. Commissioner Deb Tarrow moved to recommend approval of the map amendment and asked that the tree “be removed to the degree that it would be, you know, no more than 6 feet tall and used for decorative purposes.” Barry McCracken seconded the map-amendment motion. The board approved the map amendment recommendation on a roll call vote (Deb Tarrow — yes; Chip Wong — yes; Barry McCracken — yes; Arthur Wax — yes; Beverly Hood — yes). Planning staff recorded that the map amendment is recommended for approval and will be forwarded to the city council.

On the conditional use permit for the landscape contractor, the board voted to recommend approval with the planning department’s conditions and additional site limitations recorded in the staff reading. Those conditions include: completion of site-plan review and issuance of all building and fire permits before operations begin; compliance with all city parking-lot and landscaping standards; a required screen along the northern property line to buffer adjacent residential uses; installation of an outdoor-storage fence not less than 8 feet above grade; hours of operation and other limits as listed in the staff conditions; a maximum of two work trucks parked on site at any time; and a restriction that deliveries and material pick-up be routed to the alley so long as such deliveries do not create traffic issues (violations could lead to revocation of the conditional use permit). The conditional-use recommendation passed on a roll call vote (Deb Tarrow — yes; Chip Wong — yes; Barry McCracken — yes; Arthur Wax — yes; Beverly Hood — yes).

Jesus Pisano, the applicant, answered questions during the public hearing about operations and site layout and thanked the board after the vote: “thank you for your time,” he said. In remarks earlier in the hearing Pisano described using the site for retail displays of shrubs and other small plants, said the business has been operating in some fashion for about 30 years, and indicated plans to submit a site plan showing parking, screening, and drainage improvements.

Planning staff told the board the recommended motions would go to the City Council on April 7 for final action.

Votes at a glance: Map amendment (case PB2025-3-1) — Motion by Deb Tarrow; second by Barry McCracken; roll-call recommendation for approval (yes: Deb Tarrow, Chip Wong, Barry McCracken, Arthur Wax, Beverly Hood). Conditional Use Permit (case PB2025-3-1) — Motion by Deb Tarrow; second by Chip Wong; roll-call recommendation for approval (same yea votes).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Kankakee - Planning Board Livestream","oneSentenceSummary","At its March 18 meeting, the Kankakee Planning Board voted to recommend approval of a map amendment to rezone 1192 South Washington Avenue from R-2 (two-family residential) to C-2 (service commercial) and to recommend approval of a conditional use permit for a landscape contractor to operate at that address.","taxTitle","Kankakee City, Kankakee County, Illinois","taxId",4543,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6122226,"Kankakee planners, commissioners debate pilot to allow shipping-container hydroponic farms and pop-up retail",3175,1999000,5174000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2695509-04412a77d9af5487364950bd8ceef266&start=1999&end=5174","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2695509-04412a77d9af5487364950bd8ceef266/thumbnail_1999000.jpg","/articles/6122226/Kankakee-City/Kankakee-County/Illinois/Kankakee-planners-commissioners-debate-pilot-to-allow-shipping-container-hydroponic-farms-and-pop-up-retail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122226-8e9fb29363a19877bc586a0cfb0d9615/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202166&Signature=m-Gg5iLkLTwYy2mzRfy0Ta~FLiaPd-uuxVVgl~h16e~xVFAfQbSxtE8k7GpReyAARHVvsXlj2jM9vBzeJHDruaG0eBRn-O544o0d2JoxS5UIn5WNHY2lHrY8ATLXpGzW~ICtPYJKb7Zg4ORRm-As02LYMXQGakLhYbEZ9D3hix4OwOAsP9SoP5WGeu3OAxkPleNNDvhDerogeDQ79cVThFPmPj~~mpyUPghO5GGZh5I4vQb13GeIWpyei-3x1F5y~PF2POiFe1NX5Ymt5f-L8LfSsS-N1lcTIT2uV96T0q85ZOr6NRosCeqEMzU1BPSfubUGYBkc-a3czRzMrcwEOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff briefed the Kankakee Planning Board on proposed code amendments to allow temporary use of shipping containers for two distinct uses: hydroponic urban agriculture and commercial pop-up retail or restaurant operations.

Staff said the city’s current building code and zoning ordinance do not explicitly allow ground-mounted cargo containers for these uses and recommended the city consider a targeted regulatory approach rather than relying on variances. Planning staff described a pilot program that would be limited to city-owned property, subject to a lease agreement and council approval, and recommended an initial term (staff suggested six months with council renewal options). Staff noted that the temporary-use section currently allows certain trailers for storage but does not define cargo containers or set placement, setback, drainage, or modification rules for them.

The planner offered production figures and operational context for hydroponics, stating, “a single container can produce over 6 tons of produce a year. … it takes what would grow on a normally 2 acre farm and produces the same amount of produce in a 3 26 foot square foot footprint.” The presentation described advantages: year-round controlled-climate growing, reduced transportation overhead, and the potential to increase local food access. Staff also said the pilot could require murals or wraps on containers in prominent locations while noting legal limits on regulating content.

Commissioners and staff discussed technical and legal issues: building- and fire-code compliance for occupied containers, whether containers must sit on slabs or may rest on timbers or gravel, restroom and grease/waste handling for food uses, accessible routes under the Americans with Disabilities Act, utilities and drainage, foundation stability to prevent uplift or utility damage, stacking restrictions, and prohibitions on hazardous or toxic storage. Several commissioners recommended splitting the two use types — fast-tracking the hydroponic/agriculture requests (which staff said likely would not generate parking or signage requirements and is likely to be one early applicant, “Jenny”) while placing retail/restaurant pop-ups into a separate regulatory process that addresses signage, competition with brick-and-mortar businesses, and public-noticing costs.

Planning staff said some elements could be managed through lease terms on city property (maintenance standards, removal if the container deteriorates, performance escrow or bonding), and that other elements — such as mural content and signage — would require careful legal review because municipal rules cannot regulate content. Staff also noted cost concerns: full site-plan review can be cost-prohibitive for startups (staff estimated several thousand dollars for a site plan), so the pilot aims to balance oversight with startup affordability.

No formal vote or motion was made by the Planning Board. Commissioners asked staff to continue drafting regulations and to coordinate with the ordinance committee, economic development committee and city attorney. Staff said the item would likely return in draft form in late April or early May for further review and that any pilot proposals would go to city council for approval.

Quotes: The planning presentation included the observation that the city’s existing rules “prohibit” the use of containers in the building code as currently written. The planner summarized: “If we’re looking at regulating…we should also pick these things up and try to add some regulation in there in the temporary use section to kind of clean it up.”

Next steps: staff will continue drafting proposed language, coordinate with the ordinance committee and economic development committee, and return with a draft ordinance or pilot proposal for further consideration.","Planning staff presented possible zoning-code changes to permit temporary use of shipping containers for hydroponic urban agriculture and pop-up retail/restaurants on city-owned property as a pilot. Commissioners discussed building-code conflicts, signage and mural rules, parking, utilities and lease-security concerns; no formal vote was taken.","actionData","errors"]

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Kankakee planning board recommends rezoning and conditional-use permit for landscape contractor at 1192 S. Washington Ave.

Kankakee planners, commissioners debate pilot to allow shipping-container hydroponic farms and pop-up retail