Unless city officials change their minds, the historic 90 N. Main Street building will include residences.
On 6-0 vote, City Council adopted the first reading of the Zoning Ordinance Overlay District Amendment to include the residential component, which had been stricken previously by the planning commission.
‘I think having a mixed use would make a lot of sense,? said resident David Bihl. ‘It doesn’t make the property more of a problem, but it lessens the impact on the village to have residents in it.?
Councilman Steve Hargis, who is also the liaison between the council and planning commission, was strongly opposed to any residential component, but had a change of heart after reflection.
‘I think we ought to give the ownership some latitude to come up with the ability to propose the highest and best use,? Hargis said. ‘I’m supporting having some residential mixed use in this operation to see what they could actually come up with because I don’t see this going away. I would like for it to go away, I’d like not to have to deal with it but I don’t see it happening.?
However, resident Theo Papatheodoraperilos said the council should go with the planning commission’s recommendation.
‘Nobody can predict the future. Ten years ago we didn’t know it was going to be an overlay (district) and something else could happen. If we just knock it out now we hopefully just move on and we go back home and live the rest of our lives. Things change all the time,? Papatheodoraperilos said.
‘Also as a resident of this town I feel we have given this hardship case enough to work with the building. We are letting them (the owners) use the building in a way the building wasn’t supposed to be used.?
Bob Roth, owner of 90 N. Main, said he had a hard time believing residents were arguing over the residential aspect of the amendment.
‘If it’s to be compatible with residential, how can a residential component not be a plus for it? It’s going to make it compatible for the person who lives there,? Roth said. ‘It’s very compatible by having a residential component there. I think that was the intent all along.?
City Attorney Tom Ryan agreed.
‘Whether you’re on the property as a resident or off the property next to it, you all have the same interest in having a low impact non-intrusive,? Ryan said. ‘If it’s not residential folks it’s going to be something else, which is commercial or office.?