Alternative Proposal

The ongoing process in the attempt to change the DeKalb County Zoning Ordinance serves as an example of how an informed, involved citizenry is essential to good government.

The proposed changes apply to all property not within the limits of the incorporated cities, towns and villages. These changes, according to Planning and Zoning Director Paul Miller, are meant to help implement the goals and recommendations of the County-wide Comprehensive Plan, adopted at the end of 2003.

The original proposed changes would have resulted in all rural property to be rezoned to A-1 Agriculture and would have created hundreds of currently property zoned residential, commercial and manufacturing to be rendered as “legal non-conforming.” Due to public input at meetings and through direct communication with County board members, problems with those changes were identified and considered.

In consideration of the concerns expressed an alternative proposal that would change the title of the residential, commercial and manufacturing zoning districts to ‘conservation’ districts has been proposed. "The titles of each district would be changed to ‘residential conservation,’ ‘business conservation,’ ‘manufacturing conservation,’ etc., and the ‘Purpose and Intent’ portion of the R-1, R-2, B-1 and M-1 zoning districts would be rewritten so that instead of being for the construction of residences and businesses, the districts would be for the preservation of existing lots, building and uses. No existing lot, building or use would be rendered nonconforming as a result of this change.”

There was an almost immediate knee-jerk reaction to the alternative proposal. Some confused the word “conservation” with “preservation” as it relates to zoning. A preservation zoning district is often filled with rules and regulations regarding remodeling and repairs of property because such zoning is usually tied to historic preservation. A similar conservation district has been implemented in Elgin that provided property-owners of small lots with protection but prevents future lots of similar size from being developed.

Would existing owners of affected R-1 and R-2 zoned properties be allowed to tear down and rebuild?

Would owners of B-1 and M-1 property be required to sell their property for exact same use or would a new idea that conformed to B-1 or M-1 regulations be permitted?

How does zoning such as “conservation” impact a borrower’s ability to obtain financing?

Whether or not this alternative proposal will accomplish the stated goal of “by making all future nonagricultural growth and development subject to the planned development regulations, the County Board will be better able to achieve the goals of the DeKalb County Unified Comprehensive Plan of controlling growth and preventing sprawl,” is questionable. The County is trying to funnel all development, especially residential, to the municipalities subject to annexation. The two municipalities best equipped to handle residential growth, DeKalb and Sycamore, have unofficial but effective moratoriums in place on residential annexations that has created opportunity for the smaller communities like Cortland, Kirkland and Waterman.

Each community in DeKalb County can expand its incorporated borders by a mile-and-a-half through annexation. Some would suggest that the shut down of residential growth in DeKalb and Sycamore is creating a sprawling community in Cortland.

The DeKalb County Board should be commended for listening to the public on this issue. The alternative proposal is evidence that they are responding to public concerns. Does it properly address all those concerns? That’s why there is another public hearing.

“The public hearing will be re-opened by the Zoning Hearing Officer on Thursday, February 24, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the DeKalb County Health Department, Multi-Purpose Room, 2550 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb, IL, 60115. All interested persons are encouraged to attend and be heard, as this will be the only opportunity for public input on this zoning application. The petition, DC-04-32, is available for inspection at the DeKalb County Planning Department, 110 East Sycamore Street, Sycamore, IL 60178 (815) 895-7188. The text of the proposed changes to the titles and purposes of the various zoning districts may be viewed at the DeKalb County website, under "Hot Topics.”"

Newly Elected Board Members

LARRY A. ANDERSON- District 1
(Republican)
815-825-2134

ANITA JO TURNER District 4
(Democrat)
(815) 895-7507

JEFF WHELAN District 9
(Democrat)
(815) 758-4664

Marlene D. Allen Home: 815-786-2069	12/R
Sally DeFauw Home: 815-758-0369 e-mail:	7/D
Eileen Dubin Home: 815-756-9103 e-mail:	8/D
Stephen M. Faivre Home: 815-784-4239 e-mail:	2/D
Vince R. Faivre Home: 815-758-5301 email:	11/R
Julia L. Fauci Home: 815 -758-4195 e-mail:	9/D
Julia Fullerton Home: 815-756-7876 e-mail:	8/R
John Gudmunson Home: 815 -498-2280 e-mail:	11/R
Eric J. Johnson Work: 815-753-0483 e-mail:	6/R
Patricia LaVigne Work: 815-758-8282 e-mail:	10/R
Sue Leifheit Home: 815-895-4051 Work: 815-756-2504 e-mail:	4/R
Howard J. Lyle Work: 815-784-2271 Home: 815-784-5854 email:	2/R
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Jeffery Metzger Home: 815-786-1591 Work: 630-786-1591 e-mail:	12/R
Richard Osborne Home: 815-754-9650 e-mail:	5/D
Robert Rosemier Home: 815-758-7317 e-mail:	5/D
Dennis Sands Home: 815-824-2290 e-mail: or	1/R
Stephen A. Slack Home: 815-895-2741 e-mail:	3/D
Roger Steimel Home/Work: 815-756-5092 e-mail:	3/R
Ruth Anne Tobias Work: 815-753-0922 Home: 815-766-2707 e-mail:	6/D
Franklin D. Van Buer 815-756-8677 e-mail:	7/D
Patricia S. Vary 815-787-2502 e-mail:	10/D
Joseph M. Wiegand Home: 815-522-3801 e-mail:	1/R
John A. Wilson Home/Work: 815-895-3018 Cell - 815-739-3040 e-mail:	4/R