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Business owners and residents tell council they face years of permitting hurdles; one speaker says code enforcement inaction caused financial harm
Summary
Three public commenters described long-running development and permitting difficulties for a commercial/residential parcel and said city staff discouraged small owners from developing; another speaker accused the city of ignoring code enforcement complaints and said he had filed a lawsuit.
Three members of the public used the July 1 meeting’s public‑comment period to describe related development and enforcement problems tied to a commercial/residential parcel.
Sharish Shah, who said she moved to Lake Forest in 1991 and owns property near Cook’s Corner, described a long process starting in 2004 when she sought a permit to add about 1,000 square feet to a commercial building. Shah said a complete development plan was required, the planning commission approved a 7,000‑square‑foot plan, and subsequently she encountered changing staff requests and requirements (including new reports) that have delayed permits. She said staff suggested selling to a large developer and that buyers have been discouraged by the city’s review process. Shah provided contact information on her speaker card for staff follow‑up.
Sandy Shaw said she represents related interests and described being discouraged by city staff and told repeatedly to sell the parcel to a large builder; she said the family spent more than $200,000 on reports and fees and could not complete development, forcing alternative business arrangements. Both Shah and Shaw asked for help from the city; staff said they would follow up.
Brian McMillan said the city’s “persistent intentional indifference to corruption and incompetence by city officials” had caused him to file a lawsuit and that he had pleaded with the council previously about illicit businesses on his property; he said code enforcement had not followed procedures and that he has suffered “profound financial losses.” McMillan asked the council to instruct the city manager to ensure code enforcement follows city ordinances and procedures for investigating and addressing complaints.
Mayor Voigt and staff acknowledged the comments, noted limits to permit timelines and code enforcement processes and said staff would coordinate follow‑up with the commenters who left contact information. The council did not take formal action on these public comments at the July 1 meeting.
