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Poplar Grove trustees reclassify restoration hangar as museum after Airport Museum appeal
Summary
After a hearing on June 24, 2026, the Poplar Grove Village Board voted 4–2, with one abstention, to reclassify the Airport Museum's restoration hangar from Assembly Group A-2 (event space) to A-3 (museum), following a presentation that the museum had outgrown its existing exhibit space and would use the hangar primarily for displays.
At a June 24, 2026 hearing, the Poplar Grove Village Board voted to reclassify a restoration hangar at the Airport Museum as Assembly Group A-3 (museum), a change prompted by the museum's request to expand display space.
Greg Fowler told the board that “the museum has outgrown its current display space, making it difficult to host events without moving exhibits, which increases the risk of damage.” He proposed using the restoration hangar as an annex to house several large exhibits and to free up space in the main museum. Fowler said any events held in the hangar would be museum-related and that the hangar would operate on the same hours and days as the main museum.
Building official Anna Pivoras said safety is her primary concern and asked why the facility continued to be classified as A-2 when the code appears to identify museums under a different occupancy classification. Her questions framed the safety and code implications that informed trustees' votes.
Admin Chairman Owen Costanza moved to change the classification to A-3; Trustee Sinae Hubbard seconded. The board recorded votes of Yea: Costanza, Allgood, Hubbard, Richardson; Nay: Cheek, Vance; Abstaining: Finance Chairman Jeff Goings. The motion passed.
Trustees who voted in favor cited the museum's need for exhibit space and the stated limitation on non-museum events; those who voted against the change raised safety and classification concerns during the hearing but no further formal conditions were recorded in the minutes. The minutes do not specify additional procedural steps or an implementation timeline following the reclassification.
