McHenry County Zoning Board splits 4–3 on rezoning recommendation for Marengo property; forwards file with no recommendation

The McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4–3 on July 11 on a petition by Branche Enterprises LLC seeking a map amendment and multiple variances for parcels on the west side of Route 23 near River Road in Marengo Township, and decided to forward the case to the County Board with no recommendation.

The petition, filed as application Z26-0027, asks to reclassify Lots 5 and 8 from B-1 (Neighborhood Business) to I-2 (Heavy Industrial) and seeks variances including a reduction in minimum lot area to about 0.54 acres for the two lots, reduction of required road frontage from 150 to 110 feet, a rear-yard setback reduction from 100 feet to 18.6 feet for Lots 6 and 7, and a 2-way parking aisle reduction from 24 feet to 23.8 feet at a corner of the proposed parking area.

Why it matters: The property includes a long-vacant industrial building the applicant proposes to renovate into multiple leaseable storage/warehouse units; proponents said the changes would restore a deteriorated site and reduce impervious surface. Opponents on the board said I-2 is the county’s most intensive zoning category, carries permitted uses that could change future land use without additional board review, and might be inconsistent with the county’s newest comprehensive-plan guidance for the area.

Applicant and staff presentations Architect Neil Curtis of AKL Architectural Services said the project would remove nonconforming additions, rework the building into five individual leaseable units with their own overhead doors and restrooms, and create additional parking by slightly widening one center aisle (he said the design needs roughly 3 extra inches of aisle width to meet required parking counts). "We're essentially trying to do our best we can to make everything as compliant," Curtis said.

Owner Karl Branche said he bought the property about a year ago to invest and to run his construction business out of one unit; he said the building had been vacant or used only for storage for roughly a decade and that his crew had already cleaned up weeds and garbage. "I'm gonna use it for storage," Branche said.

Planner Melody Jacobson told the board the parcel currently contains both B-1 and I-2 zoning and that adjacent parcels include B-1, I-1, I-2 and agricultural districts. She said staff initially referenced the county’s 2030 comprehensive-plan map during early meetings with the applicant, which showed the area as industrial; the 2050 comprehensive plan adopted later designates the site as open space, creating a discrepancy that contributed to confusion in early staff discussions. Jacobson also noted the site lies in a sensitive aquifer recharge area and that the county’s Soil & Water Conservation District report had been received for the record.

Debate and vote Several board members pressed the applicant on why they sought I-2 zoning rather than less-intensive options (I-1 or B-3) or asking for conditional use under B-1/B-2. A dissenting member argued that a zoning map amendment is “very significant” because granting I-2 allows many intense uses without another board hearing; that member said, "When you amend a map, I-2 has a lot of other permitted uses that this property could be subject to without coming before the court."

Another member framed the vote around pragmatic reuse of a long‑vacant industrial property and said the parcel and surrounding corridor have historically accommodated industrial uses. That member said, "I believe that all the standards, for both map amendment and variances, have been met, and I am going to vote in favor of this petition."

A motion to approve the map amendment and variances was made and seconded. On roll call the board recorded four votes in favor and three against; the chair explained that a positive recommendation to the County Board requires five affirmative votes, so the board’s action will be transmitted as a file with no recommendation rather than a favorable recommendation.

What comes next Planner Jacobson said the County Board will consider the petition on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. The chair suggested the applicants may attend the County Board’s Committee of the Whole and advised contacting County Board members before that meeting.

The board adjourned after the vote.