Machesney Park committee backs administrative material-variance rule, reduces drive‑through bypass width and approves county zoning response

The Machesney Park Planning and Economic Development Committee on Feb. 3 recommended changes to local development rules that would let staff grant narrow variances to exterior building material requirements, reduce a required drive‑through bypass width from 14 feet to 12 feet, and approved a resolution responding to a proposed Winnebago County zoning map amendment.

The measures were advanced by voice votes and will go to the village board for further consideration on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18, 2025.

Staff told the committee the first item is a text amendment to allow administrative approval for new commercial and industrial buildings that ‘‘come close to complying with our commercial industrial design standards in regards to exterior building materials, but they're just short.’’ Under the change staff would be able to approve a deviation of up to 5% from the material-percentage requirement when the other design standards are met. If an administrative variance is not appropriate, applicants would still be able to seek a standard variance that requires board review.

Planning staff said the rule targets situations where a building’s facade narrowly misses the standard, which calls for at least 50% of the total commercial facade to be brick, glass, stone or wood. ‘‘Sometimes it's just less than 50%. This would give us the ability to approve staff to approve a variance if it's 45% rather than 50% without requiring the whole board procedure,’’ staff said.

Trustee Trickey asked whether the amendment applies only to new construction or also to renovations. ‘‘This is for new construction, not redoing,’’ Trickey said. Planning staff replied the administrative variance could apply to updates in some cases depending on how much of the exterior is changed.

The committee moved the ordinance (Ordinance 0-25) forward with a positive recommendation to the Feb. 17 village board meeting.

On a separate text amendment, staff said the village previously proposed a 12‑foot bypass lane but the Planning and Zoning Commission amended the requirement to 14 feet for safety; the committee is now being asked to revert to the original 12‑foot width. Staff said the village engineer considers 12 feet sufficient and noted that with a 12‑foot drive‑through lane plus the 12‑foot bypass there would be ‘‘24 feet of space on the side of the building.’’ The committee recommended the change (Ordinance 02-25) to the Feb. 17 meeting.

The committee also reviewed a county zoning notice. Staff reported that Winnebago County Planning and Zoning sent notice of a proposed map amendment for a 4.97‑acre parcel south of Burr Oak Road near Catwood Road, changing the parcel from AG (agricultural priority) to RA (rural agricultural residential). Staff recommended approval of Resolution 05R-25 and "take no action on the county's zoning," noting the proposed RA zoning would not change the residential use and would align with nearby zoning to the north and west. The committee approved the resolution to go to the Feb. 18 village board meeting with a positive recommendation.

Other routine business included approval of the Jan. 6 meeting minutes. There were no public comments and the meeting was adjourned.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Jan. 6 minutes — Motion by Trustee Roe; second by Trustee Stromberg; voice vote; minutes approved. - Ordinance 0-25 (text amendment: administrative variance for exterior material percentage, up to 5%) — Motion by Trustee Bailey; second by Mrs. Miller; committee recommended approval to the Feb. 17 village board (positive recommendation). - Ordinance 02-25 (text amendment: reduce drive‑through bypass lane width from 14 feet to 12 feet) — Motion by Mr. Trickey; second by Trustee Stromberg; committee recommended approval to the Feb. 17 village board (positive recommendation). - Resolution 05R-25 (response to Winnebago County map amendment for 4.97-acre parcel south of Burr Oak Road near Catwood Road) — Motion by Trustee Stromberg; second by Mr. Roe; committee recommended approval to the Feb. 18 village board (positive recommendation).