Zoning board backs rezoning recommendation for Evans parcel despite access questions

The Galena Zoning Board of Appeals voted Dec. 10 to recommend that the City Council rezone parcel 22-100-916-00 from limited agriculture to low-density residential at the request of owner William H. Evans.

Evans, who told the board he bought the property in 1984 and that his home burned on June 19, said he intends to sell the wooded parcel rather than subdivide or develop it, and asked that it be rezoned to better match surrounding residential properties. "We bought this property in 1984," Evans said during his testimony, and said the sale proceeds would help pay for his rebuild.

Board members questioned how the property would be accessed and whether buyers could develop it: staff and Evans discussed multiple historic right-of-ways (West Street, Juan Street) and the need for future purchasers to secure agreements or construct driveways within existing right-of-ways. The board was also told much of the lot lies in the flood plain, and that water and sewer connections are not immediately adjacent; potential buyers may need wells or septic or to combine parcels to achieve a buildable site.

Despite those caveats, a board member moved to forward a positive finding to city council, citing compatibility with nearby low-density residential parcels and the Galena comprehensive plan. After discussion, the motion — amended only by standard conditions identified in the staff report — passed on a roll-call vote.

The board closed the public hearing after a single neighbor spoke about local access patterns. The rezoning recommendation now goes to the City Council, which will consider the board’s findings and any additional conditions related to access and floodplain restrictions.

What happens next: the City Council will receive the board’s positive finding and the applicant or a future purchaser will be responsible for resolving access and utility constraints before building permits could be issued.