Clifford Cross, Belleville's director of Planning and Zoning | City of Belleville
Clifford Cross, Belleville's director of Planning and Zoning | City of Belleville
Belleville City Council considered and voted on several different zoning ordinances that dealt with proposed development across the city during its March 6 meeting.
One issue council members discussed was a request for a liquor license for the Shell Gas station at 9618 West Main St. The zoning board recommended approving the license, along with a handful of residents. The residents said there weren't any other options for liquor in the neighborhood and it would increase the area's economic strength. Some were worried about safety in the area, but Police Chief Matthew Eiskant spoke about some of the measures officers could take should any issues arise.
Clifford Cross, Belleville's director of Planning and Zoning explained the difference between a convenience store or grocery classification.
"We were very careful to say, what are you defining this as - a convenience store or a grocery store?" Cross said. "What I got out of it ultimately was that it was a convenience store. In a convenience store, if you have a liquor license you can't have gaming. To Chief Matthew Eiskant's point, there's some extra control with it being a convenience store as opposed to a grocery store."
Council voted to approve the request, but there are still more steps to take in the process.
Another item council considered was for a mixed-use development building located at 7 North High St. It would have office spaces on the first two floors with co-living residential areas on the third and fourth floor. Council debated the issue, since there was a shared bathroom between the units. The issue also didn't come with any recommendations or comments from the zoning board. Council opted to send it back to zoning for further discussion.
Residents spoke out against a proposed low-income housing apartment complex on Devonshire Road. Most of the people who live in the area were against the project, citing major flooding issues the neighborhood already has to deal with. Some residents spoke about how they had to regularly pump out their basements and backyards, and spent thousands of dollars in repairs. Others were worried about the impact the housing development would have on the community. Council unanimously denied the request based on public comments and a review of the project's design plans.
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