[{"_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",6129212,"mediaKeyId","5747578-59b4559ecd675d4a69f795048298e3b4","parentId",5747578,"title","O'Fallon begins three‑year strategic planning cycle; council members emphasize housing, downtown, parks and economic engagement","audioSeconds",4552,"startMs",3605000,"endMs",8157000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747578-59b4559ecd675d4a69f795048298e3b4&start=3605&end=8157","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747578-59b4559ecd675d4a69f795048298e3b4/thumbnail_3605000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6129212/OFallon-City/St-Clair-County/Illinois/OFallon-begins-threeyear-strategic-planning-cycle-council-members-emphasize-housing-downtown-parks-and-economic-engagement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6129212-42323768d46d235a83b2d40a45d49b66/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445386&Signature=Hk7IlgL8LWA~leV66-p4eYUf58wwbPzJJ74~dGgKgE9-~k4PYAahK2mJMT2ydb3D5RUPMgk-p8Gng~g1Q3BKQIwjJhNBkHbJgGW6bIQAwGFkBQ3wPJICTp6Rl5dGuHZTAIwys3XgMAa0pcbtIaE96-HumAdGXLJ7PMEPE5VxYgLDbUU4aHy4lWBQuvEFaL36W2AwFvJyVBFg6Rkfg50xeMH21Vbee6y1TWr3mrI30xvakUSesKz67knYk9-R9aQPaa3f5fzy98zVPMuliua0Rr9gosSHgpY9s-dFvlYi-YutV8OsFQr2i1wwEmEjO8o6rxj4QuDGXopDqHgjH~0GEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","O'Fallon City, IL","date","2025-08-26T12:38:49Z","article","O'Fallon — City staff and the Community Development Committee convened a strategic planning workshop in which the leadership team reviewed draft priorities that would guide the city's work for fiscal years 2027–2029 (the city’s fiscal year begins May 1). The session was presented by Assistant City Administrator Grant Litikin and department directors and gathered council feedback on housing, infrastructure, parks, downtown redevelopment and public safety investments.

Grant Litikin framed the meeting as an update to the 2040 Master Plan and a chance to translate longer‑range goals into three‑year action steps. \"The strategic plan is a component of the master plan,\" Litikin said, and he told council members the draft covers a three‑year window that staff will use to guide capital improvement planning and the annual budget cycle. He said the next strategic cycle would begin May 1, 2026.

Key priorities discussed

Housing and zoning: Staff proposed a multi‑year update to zoning and development standards aimed at making older neighborhoods more adaptable for aging residents and accommodating future needs. The committee discussed subdivision control within the city's one‑and‑one‑half mile sphere of influence and asked staff to study targeted code changes (for example, parking and facade standards) before broad rewrites. Staff also raised the need for a transition plan for aging mobile home parks and said no immediate regulatory change is intended to force conversions.

Downtown, community gathering space and tourism: Council members emphasized a shortage of reasonably priced, technology‑equipped meeting spaces for civic groups and small businesses. Staff noted upgrades to the O'Fallon Market (air conditioning and audiovisual) are already in the capital improvement plan. Several council members advocated accelerating a tourism/visitor website and better coordination among hotels, parks and events to capture visitor spending.

Parks, parking and trails: Council members raised recurring concerns about insufficient formal parking near busy venues (notably community park/Blazer fields) and suggested incremental, careful approaches — from shuttle options to reconfiguring existing spaces — that protect green space. Staff said a bike‑trail master plan exists and that trail extensions and bike racks can be folded into the broader zoning and development manual update.

Library and cultural facilities: Ryan Johnson, the library director, updated the committee on efforts to register K‑12 students for library cards under recent state guidance and said staff are working with local school districts to broaden access. The council also discussed options for a potential local history component within any new library plan and ongoing community engagement work.

Finance, systems and census considerations: Sandy Evans, director of finance and administration, said large back‑office projects are on the horizon: an enterprise resource planning (ERP) update for financial and utility billing systems and possible migration of work‑order software to a cloud platform. She noted the city previously spent more than $1 million on a software transition and said a special census — which the city would pay for — can cost roughly $100,000 when pursued to increase state revenue shares for population growth.

Public safety and staffing: Fire and EMS capital and staffing needs were raised as priorities. Fire Chief Brad White noted equipment costs have risen: \"The standard fire truck is no less than a million dollars. The ladder truck is no less than 2.5\" million,\" he said. Council members asked staff to study alternative funding and staffing models and noted repeating EMS calls for a small number of addresses as an area for social service coordination.

Economic engagement and marketing: Several council members urged creation or expansion of a city role to coordinate visitor marketing, hotel engagement and business outreach — an economic engagement position or shared role across departments — to better convert visitors into local spending and to attract business investment.

Process and next steps

Staff said the workshop was a first draft and that items would be refined based on council input, folded into the capital improvement program and considered in the next budget cycle. Litikin said staff will return a revised plan and eventually seek formal adoption via council resolution.

Why it matters: The strategic plan will guide staffing and capital decisions for the next three fiscal years, influence the CIP and inform zoning and code changes that affect development, housing and public services. The workshop highlighted trade‑offs between preserving green space and adding parking, timing of expensive IT upgrades, and the fiscal implications of expanding public safety capacity.

Ending: Staff will revise the draft based on council feedback and return to the council for further review and adoption as part of the city's budget and CIP process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee Meetings - August 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff led a workshop on a draft three‑year strategic plan tied to the 2040 Master Plan. Council members and staff discussed priorities including zoning/code updates, housing preservation, parks improvements, a potential new library, downtown planning, and staffing and capital needs for public safety and core city systems.","taxTitle","O'Fallon City, St. Clair County, Illinois","taxId",52736,"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},6129217,"Committee gives advisory approval to U‑Haul planned use at 1404 W. Highway 50, with variances for parking and signage",2754,551000,3305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747578-59b4559ecd675d4a69f795048298e3b4&start=551&end=3305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747578-59b4559ecd675d4a69f795048298e3b4/thumbnail_551000.jpg","/articles/6129217/OFallon-City/St-Clair-County/Illinois/Committee-gives-advisory-approval-to-UHaul-planned-use-at-1404-W-Highway-50-with-variances-for-parking-and-signage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6129217-ad4b4ad26e20670172b9d912f221039a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445386&Signature=DZ-iQjgTYPey5Uc5Bhs-cuUdPGf~SB~Va8jssK1jSOpekXal9aQ~MPMeYRjx7LzzNhkEaZjjePWk-cgnn7jjA~B-3RBd6naoBnHhGDYOSWe2EcWFURzOYZI~qEDOqm-~8jVG9dhG8jA8E-1Re8dMU3S7lcusmS3bgrEPjRJwTl6FMg9QaMaikUEUA34Qw0WfoOZk8xt9zmJ5XCc0z~omQPolpdaXrOeZky2pyfQmzLvosKVyYPsdfUenA0AxoPhTIiNsOByOEFoltr2v9r5OurTBBPSO0ehIbGtP1OgLEr9r-NwQK9ckuyy5uVfzHfVjx5ipy-F2TfmkR5fyoJvbFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","O'Fallon — The Community Development Committee on Monday voted to recommend approval of a planned use (B-1P) for a U‑Haul Moving & Storage Center at 1404 West Highway 50, a roughly 7.05‑acre parcel formerly occupied by RP Lumber. The committee's vote was advisory; the full City Council will consider the ordinance and final approvals.

Greg Anderson, the city's director of community development, presented the petition from applicant Sahithya Shiruku of Americo Real Estate Company and described a two‑phase project that would renovate two existing southern buildings near Highway 50 and add a three‑story, climate‑controlled self‑storage building on the northern portion of the site facing I‑64.

The proposal requests multiple variances and site exceptions, including truck and equipment rentals in a B‑1 district, an alternative parking plan, and additional wall signage. Anderson told the committee the project would include about 1,038 self‑storage units (not including U‑Box pods), a roughly 36,000‑square‑foot three‑story storage building, a 15,000‑square‑foot retail/office showroom and an approximately 12,000‑square‑foot U‑Box storage building in phase 2.

Anderson said the property is currently zoned Community Business District (B‑1) and, if approved, would change to B‑1P (planned community business). \"This is a planned use submittal for the property at 1404 West Highway 50, which is approximately 7.05 acres,\" Anderson said.

Why it matters: Committee members and members of the public pressed staff and the applicant on traffic, cross‑access, signage and security. The project would repurpose a long‑vacant commercial lot, add retail sales that could generate sales tax, and seek relief from several standards in the city's code.

Details and debate

Parking and alternative parking plan: City code requires one parking space for every five storage units plus four spaces per 1,000 square feet of office/retail; Anderson said the code calculation required 227 spaces for the site. The applicant's parking study using Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) data proposed a peak demand estimate of 45–46 vehicles and submitted an alternative plan that would provide 44 spaces plus required ADA stalls. The staff recommendation included allowing the alternative parking plan and reducing required stalls to 44, with a minimum of two accessible stalls.

Traffic and cross access: Committee members and residents asked whether truck traffic could be funneled to signalized intersections and whether large trucks could safely make left turns onto Highway 50. Anderson said staff had pressed for cross‑access agreements with adjacent Sam's Club and Walmart parcels to reduce left turns onto Highway 50. He also said the city and its traffic consultant, Lee Cannon with CBB, were concerned about rented U‑Haul drivers turning left from the south exit and therefore had emphasized cross access as mitigation.

Signage and variances: The petitioner seeks extra wall signs on multiple elevations of the three primary buildings and a total additional 40.88 square feet above the code allowance across the site. Some council members said the request was larger than recent sign variances and asked whether three sides instead of four would be more appropriate; staff noted that other high‑traffic commercial areas in the city have been granted similar relief.

Operations, security and restrictions: Anderson and the applicant said the project would not include outdoor vehicle or RV storage; any outdoor storage would be required to be screened by a 6‑foot vinyl fence. Hours of business were proposed as Monday–Thursday and Saturday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday 7 a.m.–8 p.m.; and Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with after‑hours access for registered patrons via access codes and card readers from 5 a.m.–10 p.m. Staff recommended limiting U‑Haul display trucks to three along Highway 50 in front of the drive‑in storage portion of the site. Anderson also said license‑plate readers and a comprehensive security system would be installed across the property.

Applicant responses: Mike White, a U‑Haul representative, told the committee the site would not include fuel sales or on‑site vehicle repair. \"We do not have any fuel at our properties. Some U‑Haul locations do refill propane tanks. We do not have that planned at this location currently,\" White said.

Committee vote and next steps: After discussion, committee members moved and seconded consideration of the item and took a roll call vote. Alderman Rosenberg, Alderman Parchment, Alderman Mylark, Alderman Campbell and Chair Jessica Lotz voted in the affirmative; Alderman Todd Roach was present but muted and his vote was not recorded. The committee's recommendation is advisory; the matter will be scheduled for full City Council consideration.

What the decision was not: The committee's vote does not authorize construction or final permits. Anderson said specific building plans, any final cross‑access agreements and construction permits will be reviewed separately as part of the city's development and building review processes.

Ending: The project will return to the full City Council for a final vote; staff and the applicant said they will continue work on cross‑access agreements, finalize technical plans, and address signage and traffic concerns raised by committee members during the presentation and public comment.","O'Fallon's Community Development Committee voted to recommend approval of a planned use (B-1P) for a U‑Haul Moving & Storage Center at 1404 West Highway 50, including variances for reduced parking, additional wall signage and truck/equipment rentals; the committee's vote is advisory and the item will go to the full City Council for final action.","actionData","errors"]

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O'Fallon begins three‑year strategic planning cycle; council members emphasize housing, downtown, parks and economic engagement

Committee gives advisory approval to U‑Haul planned use at 1404 W. Highway 50, with variances for parking and signage