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 County Highway Engineer Bret Aukamp said he has begun talking
with the Illinois Soybean Association about a Bridge Assessment
Study, which the commission discussed at their February meeting. In
the study, they do a cost analysis of how much it costs to repair a
bridge and the impact to the population.
Aukamp said 35 out of 206 bridges across the county are considered
structurally deficient, but are still safe to travel on. Many of the
bridges were built in the 1950s and are at an age where they need
work. Aukamp said, “I do not have enough funding to keep ahead of
the curve” and “there is federal money to help with repairs,” but
“it is still not enough.”
Aukamp said most problems are on high traffic bridges and several
bridges are scheduled for repair in the next few years. He will have
the Soybean Association look at 22 bridges not yet “programmed” for
repair and use their criteria to help prioritize which bridges need
to be replaced and which bridges are a lower priority.
Aukamp said the study will provide "tools for decision" and "backup
my reasoning for not repairing" some bridges at this time.
 Aukamp said it will cost $10,000 for the Soybean Association to do a
study and the Association would like a local match of $5,000 from
the Commission.
Many Commission members thought the costs would be well worth it.
Aukamp said the study could begin in the next few months, so he
would have results by the end of the year. He is looking five years
into the future at what may need repairs.
Fred Finchum motioned that the Regional Planning Commission allocate
$5,000 to assist with the survey and all approved.
Future project
Other projects discussed in February were a Logan County East Side
Bypass and possible consolidation of Township Road Districts, and
Aukamp said he has looked into these projects.
Aukamp said in researching the possibility of an East Side Bypass,
he found the Illinois Department of Transportation has not done
anything on the section of 121 between Lincoln and Decatur. He said
with nothing to go, it would take some work to get a project going.
Commission Chairman Bill Graff said that in talking to people from
Decatur, he has discovered much of the focus has been on roads
heading south.
Commission member Martha “Marty” Neitzel asked if the bypass was a
high priority, and Aukamp said it depends on how much of a long
range vision the group wants to have. In the short term, it may not
be that important.
Neitzel said she thought the commission should wait to do more
planning on the bypass after the state gets involved. Aukamp said
the commission could get the ball rolling and the state could pick
it up from there.
Potential Township Road District consolidation
Aukamp said he had not had much response from those in the seventeen
road districts in county about the possibility of consolidation.
Commission member Dave Schonauer said the state is also looking into
consolidating road districts, so consolidation may be a good idea.
Graff said Aukamp should talk further with the road districts about
at least sharing equipment and resources.
Aukamp will be meeting with Logan County road commissioners soon
and will see if there is any interest in consolidation or whether
they would rather just share resources for now. Many road
commissioners will be up for re-election in 2017 and several will be
retiring.
Discussion of proposed zoning amendments
Zoning Officer Will D’Andrea gave commission members a document
showing proposed language to be added in three zoning amendments to
be brought before the Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday. D’Andrea
has been working on these changes with help from the Logan County
Planning and Zoning Committee the past couple of months.
D’Andrea said in the dwellings ordinance, a definition of a
recreational vehicle has been added to make it clear recreational
vehicles are not considered permanent dwellings.
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A recreational vehicle will be defined as “a vehicular type portable structure
without permanent foundation, which can be towed, hauled, or driven and
primarily designed as temporary living accommodation for recreational camping
and travel use.”
D’Andrea said RVs will be allowed as temporary dwellings “when constructing a
new dwelling or when a fire or natural disaster renders a dwelling unfit for
habitation” if several provisions are met. Provisions include a request for the
use of the RV when applying for the permit to build, and locating the RV at
least ten feet from the dwelling unit.
In addition, “the Zoning Officer shall require appropriate health departments
permits for water supply and sewage disposal” before a permit is issued.
The RV may no longer be used for “permanent habitation” once construction,
rehabilitation of, reconstruction of the dwelling unit” is completed.
The RV may be used as a dwelling for up to one year, and time will only be
extended by the Planning and Zoning Committee if a “need for such continuance is
demonstrated.”
The Regional Planning Commission recommended the Zoning Board of Appeals approve
both ordinances relating to Recreational Vehicles.
Lot sizes
D'Andrea said the final amendment the ZBA will consider relates to minimum lot
size. In recent meetings, the Logan County Planning and Zoning Committee
discussed dropping the five acre minimum down to two acres.
In March, that committee decided to leave the five acre minimum with three
exceptions:
One exception allows owners of existing farmsteads to carve out a piece of
property as small as one acre on their land.
A second exception allows farming operations on less than five acres as long as
it is not used for a home site.
The third exception would allow for lots less than five acres approved through a
Conditional Use Procedure. Previously, the ordinance said the lot would be on a
parcel “not well suited for agriculture,” but the Planning and Zoning Committee
wants to change the language to say the parcel “will not adversely affect
adjoining agricultural uses.” D’Andrea said even land zoned agriculturally
“would be eligible for this provision” and it would allow for lots as small as
one acre.
Commission members had questions about the advantages of these changes and how
it would affect land development.
Graff said people have called him to say the Board needs to define “farms” and
said agricultural people feel the change is “on a fast track.” Some would like
further research on the issue.
D’Andrea said some feel allowing fewer acres opens up economic development and
smaller lots would allow more flexibility. Both Graff and Neitzel said they feel
it could actually hurt economic development.
The Regional Planning Commission recommended the language in the minimum lot
size ordinance not be changed.
Commission members present were Bill Graff, Jeff Hoinacki, Jim Vipond, Fred
Finchum, Martha "Marty" Neitzel, Dave Schonauer, and newly appointed member Bob
Farmer, who is filling Andy Anderson’s place. County Highway engineer Bret
Aukamp, and Zoning Officer Will D’Andrea were also present.
[Angela Reiners]
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