County approves rezoning and special uses at North Tower Road and hires as‑needed building inspector

The Stephenson County Board approved several zoning recommendations from the Zoning Board of Appeals and authorized a contract for an independent as‑needed building inspector.

Director Williams presented five ZBA items. The board approved a zoning‑map amendment to change the property at 1276 North Tower Road in Freeport from B‑3 to A‑1 and separately approved a special‑use permit to allow a single‑family dwelling at that address. The board also approved a special‑use to permit a home‑occupation junk‑removal business at the same address under a specific condition: no junk may be hauled back to, unloaded, stored or burned on the property. During discussion board members asked how “junk” would be defined and raised enforcement concerns; Zoning staff said the applicant typically hauls dumpster loads to the landfill and an adjacent landowner said they would monitor the property.

The board also approved a separate special‑use request for Allen and Jessica Schutz to place a single‑family dwelling in the Ag district on West Pinhook Road; the ZBA recommended approval and no objectors were present. All zoning votes carried.

After the ZBA items, the board approved a contract for an independent building inspector to perform code inspections for structures deemed dangerous or unsanitary. Director Williams said the county issued an RFP and received no bids; the selected inspector was found through local contacts and charges $300 per hour. The board asked whether the county budget included funds for the inspector and was told $6,000 is currently in the budget. Board members asked about legal and code frameworks; staff said the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) will govern inspections and enforcement.