Council denies request to restore multifamily use at 312 South Jackson

The Belleville City Council voted July 6 to deny a request to allow multifamily use at 312 South Jackson, siding with neighbors and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Laurie Powell, a Ward 6 resident, told the council she opposed converting the house to multifamily and noted previous denials: “He’s been denied twice for that,” Powell said, arguing the property did not meet the variance criteria of unique hardship, non–self-created condition and public benefit. Timothy O’Connell, speaking for owner Ryan Gold, said Gold had reduced his request from a triplex to a duplex after hearing neighbors and emphasized more than $100,000 in renovations. “Reasonable people can disagree about land use, but I respectfully ask the council to consider whether this specific property…can reasonably function as a duplex without harming the surrounding neighborhood,” O’Connell said.

During council debate one alderperson said the property had been converted after the fact and urged denial to support the city’s goal of restoring single‑family housing in parts of downtown. The council moved to deny the use variance; after a roll call the motion carried and the variance request was denied. The Zoning Board of Appeals had recommended denial by a 6–0 vote.

The denial preserves the property’s current zoning designation and means the owner must pursue any change through a future compliant application or appeal processes available under city code. No appeal outcome or follow-up dates were set during the meeting.