Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Pawnbroker topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
East Dundee planners recommend limiting pawnshops to B‑3 district, propose 2,500‑foot spacing
Summary
The Planning & Zoning/Historic Commission voted Dec. 4 to recommend a text amendment defining “pawnbroker,” allowing pawnshops only as a special use in B‑3 business districts and asking the Village Board to consider a 2,500‑foot separation requirement and a dedicated licensing chapter.
The East Dundee Planning & Zoning/Historic Commission voted on Dec. 4 to recommend that the Village Board adopt a zoning text amendment that would define “pawnbroker,” allow pawnshops as a special use in B‑3 business districts, and prompt the village to draft a separate chapter for licensing and regulation.
Franco, a village staff member, told the commission the code currently does not define pawnbrokers and that state statute uses the term “pawn shop.” "The village code as it is doesn't define what a pawn broker is," he said, adding that a standalone licensing chapter would mirror other regulated businesses and let police inspect records when law enforcement concerns arise.
Commissioners debated which business districts should allow the use. Several members said they wanted to protect the character of the downtown and the village’s main thoroughfare by limiting pawnbrokers to B‑3. "I lean more towards just the B‑3 thing then," the chair said during the discussion. Commissioners also discussed letting the Village Board set licensing caps or spacing rules to avoid concentrations.
The village attorney told the commission that the code could include a separation requirement to prevent clustering and that a dedicated license category would help police and administration oversee the use. "You could put separation requirements," the attorney said, noting examples communities use such as a 2,500‑foot buffer between similar establishments and record‑checking conditions tied to licensing.
After discussion the commission moved to recommend the text amendment to Chapter 157 with a recommendation that pawnbrokers be allowed by special use in B‑3 only and that the Village Board consider a separation requirement of about 2,500 feet between pawnbrokers and a licensing chapter. A motion to recommend the change passed unanimously.
Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the East Dundee Village Board, which must vote to adopt any ordinance or the accompanying licensing chapter.
(Reporting based only on the commission meeting transcript.)
