Commercial subdivision wins final approval from city    

Car dealership ready to build

[SEPT. 8, 2004]  Legal representation for the proposed Arthur's Park subdivision fielded questions from the Lincoln City Council at a public hearing Tuesday evening. Coy Hutchcraft of C & S Real Estate Properties Inc. was also present, but there were no other interested parties at the meeting. C&S has requested annexation into city limits and rezoning of property between Kroger and Crossroads Motel on Woodlawn Road-Route 10.

Coy's Car Corner, with the motto "Offering late model pre-owned cars," will be the major occupant of the new subdivision. The business is currently located at 1909 N. Kickapoo St.

Detailed discussion at the public hearing focused on the distance, costs and responsibility of the sewer extension. Preliminary plans for the subdivision were first presented on June 8. The project was next presented to the council as a whole during the city's last workshop session, on Aug. 24.

The original preliminary plans that were approved included a request for the city to run the sewer line at $40 per foot for approximately 1,000 feet. According to plat maps it appears that the sewer line would run 500 feet to the property line and 875 feet in total to the proposed business building.

During the last workshop, sewer plant manager Grant Eaton said that he thought the per-foot estimate too low. When you have to go around utilities, that can jack the price up as high as $100 per foot. Eaton was not able to be at last night's meeting to hear new information.

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Alderman Benny Huskins questioned the appropriateness of running the sewer line all the way to the business. "In the past we've never went past the property line," he said. He cited the Monroe Street subdivision that went in a few years ago, where the sewer went only to the property line. He said, "Down the road we might have somebody saying, 'You did this, now do this.'"

The discussion took a couple of turns. "If the city put in an industrial park, it would be up to us to put in the sewer," Alderman Buzz Busby said. This is a commercial subdivision that is under consideration, not a residential subdivision.

Additionally, Jay Miller, who is representing the developer, pointed out that his client proceeded with plans to develop the property following the June meeting, when the original plans included the sewer running to the business and the costs of 1,000 feet at $40 per foot totaled $40,000. He pointed out that there were no comments about it at the June meeting and it was approved.

He added that the developer has secured a bid for that from a reliable local contractor with known excellent experience to do the entire 825 feet at only $23,000. The contractor has laid a design that angles away from utilities. City attorney Bill Bates confirmed that he has seen the bid and it is from someone reliable.

Tipping the scales of the deal, past average sales figures predict that the auto business is expected to generate a $45,000 sales tax return to the city next year and more in the future. The annexation agreement asks that the city rebate sales tax over $45,000 up to $75,000 to the developer. Any additional sales tax over $75,000 will again go to the city.

One other request in the agreement is that city foot the bill if the Illinois Department of Transportation decides at any time in the future that the intersection needs a traffic light.

The rezoning of the property to C-2 (commercial) and a small back portion to I-1 (industrial) were approved unanimously.

The annexation into city limits was also approved unanimously.

"We think this will be a great thing for Lincoln and its citizens," Miller said.

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