Plan Commission - Regular Meeting

Alright. We're now called to order our land use and economic development committee meeting today, Wednesday, January 21 at 03:30PM in the City Hall Council Chambers, and we'll begin with roll call.

Councilwoman Ibarra? Here. Councilman Mudrin?

Here.

Councilman Cardenas?

Here. Alright. Then we're gonna start with can we get an approval of the minutes from twelveseventeentwenty twenty five?

So moved. Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye. Aye. So moved. So we have our approval of the minutes. Next, we will be opening up to citizens to be heard on agenda items. Would anyone like to speak on an agenda item? You go up to them.

Well, hello. My name is Trista Brown. I'm the founder of SpeakUp. If I talk really loud, it's because I really am loud. But I'm calling on the agenda of Reverend Larry Ellis. And I'm proud to be here that he rest in peace, Reverend Larry Ellis. He was proud to speak up. And I I thought it just so imperative to to tell you a little bit about this man. Now, he was a quiet, but yet a dynamite. He did he was from the South Side Of Joliet, a veteran.

He also was very active in the Brothers of Soul, as well as the veterans, and on the South Side Of Joliet. He stood up a lot for our community. And inside of Joliet, there when there was issues to be done, he didn't wait for anyone to do it. He did it. He he was involved in cleaning up the area in Joliet. He also was involved in to making sure that street names and things and people who were important to be identified that. So he also was a member of Saint Mark's Baptist Church. And being in Baptist Church, he's opened the doors for other organizations. He was a very, I would say, humble man. And being so humble, he was doing things in back of the in back of the scene.

And prior before his passing, they wanted him to be the south side chairman of the South Side Of Joliet. I think it's important that his name be remembered and heard because he didn't have to be out there so but he was there in the back of the scenes making sure things were getting done. He spoke a lot about community. He talked about unity. He was involved in so many things that brought people together.

I thought it's very that we should honor this man and legacy of having a street name for him. His family is also here, and we have someone also that wanted to speak on behalf of Reverend Larry. Oh yeah, he's a good dresser too, just so you know. So everybody would have shoes shot because he wasn't planning about your shoe. But I just wanted to also bring Doreen, bring you up here so that you can also speak on behalf. Hello.

My name is Dorothy Arrington. And I am the sister of Reverend Larry Ellis. And I wish I could speak like she does, but I can't. So I have mine all written out so that I don't take up too much of your time. I just want you to know what I think about my brother.

Don't worry about the time we have all night.

Our next meeting is not till six.

It brings me great pleasure to come before you all today to show and share my support for the Reverend Larry Ellis as preparations are being made for the honorary street naming of the 300 block of South Joliet Street. I'm honored to share for just a few minutes why I support such a phenomenal celebration of this sort. First of all, it's only by the grace of God that this has become an item of discussion on the city of Joliet's agenda. I'm grateful for the Speak Up organization, for even considering the placement of Reverend Larry's name for such an honor as this. Had it not been for Reverend Larry being surrounded by his loving parents and family and friends, I'm not sure that we would now be at this particular hour.

He was always reminded to love ye one another as I have loved you. Do unto others as I have done unto you, as you would have them do unto you. Once Larry, Reverend Larry, found the Lord in the early 2000s, He never let go. Seeing how God had turned his life around, he chose to try to do the same in his community. He was a sincere community activist, seeking to change for the betterment of anyone he ran into, with the help of God, of course.

Larry made a great difference in the area of the 300 block of South Joliet Street. If he felt anything was out of order, he always contacted whomever necessary at the city of Joliet. Some of the neighbors were sometimes not happy about his animacy to keep the neighborhood safe, but he did whatever he felt to be right. I imagine City of Joliet may not have been too happy with him sometimes, because he made lots of calls to the City of Joliet just to make sure that everything was nice and safe in his area. Larry loved the City of Joliet.

And he and the Speak Up organizations were always involved in activities to help make the City Of Joliet a better place to live in. I'd like to thank the Speak Up Committee or agency. I might not have that quite right, but I'd like to thank you all for just the submission of Reverend Larry's name for an honor such as this. I really appreciate it. And also, I want to thank the Land Use Committee for even having this meeting today.

I appreciate you. And we pray that we shall see the fruition of this matter occur very soon. Thank you very much, and God bless you.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Sandy Costa and I'm a member of Speak Up. The Reverend Larry was one of my favorite human beings. One of the things I love the most about him was that he cared so much about how we did our programs and what we worked on and that we did it to make the world a better place for everyone who lived here is the way he would listen. Because he would kinda stand there. He'd look down at you a little bit, and he would wait until you're finished with your explanation. And then he'd

tell you what

was good about it and what didn't work. And it was the best thing to keep an organization together. We started every meeting with a prayer from Larry. And one of what was going to be a major program for us is something he was working on just before he died, which was the Fishers program. It was Fishers of Men, but we were still working on an inclusive title where we would teach children literally to go fishing and teach them how to do a skill.

And attached to that also was classes in sewing and things like that, that we still want to make happen for the city of Joliet. Thank you for considering renaming that part of the street for Larry. He's worth so much more than that.

I just wanna say one thing in conclusion. Susanna. Susanna knew Larry. I mean, we have we have videos of them both showing what need to be done in our in the neighborhood. And, I mean, she could really tell you how we would have close relationship with him, the things and when she said calling the city of Joliet, he did that. And he did it in a way that was so charismatic. I mean, he wasn't howling. He wasn't screaming. But he didn't wait for anyone to do anything. He did it himself.

And we actually it was her, myself, I think Janet a lot of people just went when he showed us. He marked he likes to display everything. He wasn't a person he did his research. Like, this man did his research of the street. He will show you exactly what happened. He he did that. And I remember he did leave a message to her before he passed away. And what I'm saying is, he was a man of maybe few words, but a man of a lot of action. And I think it's so important. Some people we just don't acknowledge because he's in the background.

But there's a lot of people in the background doing a lot of work. So I want to thank Susannah for really being there, opening up some doors with St. Mark's, being involved in everything that he asked. She really was the catalyst for a lot of stuff that we have been doing. And I thank you for your district because a lot of people in our district that are there, they don't have to be in organizations. Just giving your love and caring about your community is what I believe that this council board and anyone emphasize for each other. So I just wanted to make sure that I mention that because Suzanne would tell you, like, Larry is a person who should be honored. And that's what I do want to confound. Thank you again.

Thank you.

Chairman?

Mhmm.

Can I speak on this?

Absolutely.

I was not gonna cry tonight. This I really I was bound and determined, but I was up late last night. So I guess you got me. He literally was everywhere, like dandelions. Everywhere I went, he was there.

Like, I can't even think of one auspicious or good event or even halfway decent event that he wasn't at or he wasn't calling me for. I did over 365 citizens' views, which are complaints in the first three years of being elected here, and he contributed to at least half of them. Because when he would call and I would go with him, it wasn't like one or two things. It was like we are taking a tour of the entire South End, and not just this side, both sides, and we're stopping at every place of everything, and I was never mad. It was actually very entertaining.

It was never an arduous task. It was always like fun. Like, Trista was standing on the corner singing while I was doing videos of some things that are pictures that needed to be some things that needed to be done. But, yes, he was very involved in community. He wasn't up front yelling and screaming. He was in the back helping everyone and making sure things got done. So I'm I wrote a letter in support of this. I'm a thousand percent in favor of this. I wish we could do more than this, but this is what we can do as a city. He was very important very important to my district thank you

okay no one else like to speak everybody So then moving forward and we can do a motion to

So move.

I'll second that motion.

Alright. We have a motion and a second to approve the honorary street name designation for Reverend Larry Ellis Way Wallace Street between Joliet Street and Ottawa to move to the full council with our support. Thank you. Moving on to the next resolution TMP 9,451 resolution conveying 12 properties to the Will County Habitat for Humanity Inc.

Congratulations to the family. And thank you so much. Speak up.

Have a good one. Thank you.

So the City of Joliet owns hundreds of parcels, many for a myriad of reasons. Perhaps they were rights of way acquired. Perhaps they were bought in anticipation of a eventual potential public works need or utility need. Some were tax purchases and demolitions. So we have a pretty large inventory, trying to divest ourselves strategically of some of that inventory where it makes sense.

We've partnered with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat has gone through and worked with us and identified eight parcels that they find to be readily buildable. Those are on the map that I handed out and will be on a council exhibit at the meeting that this lands on in February. What we would like to do is have a resolution that will allow us to convey those parcels at no cost to Will County Habitat for Humanity so that they construct construct housing on these lots.

So Dustin, there was some conversation when we started first listing these, this is for you, and some other individuals thought they should get a chance to bid on these. Are we doing any of that?

So we're not doing that right now. In that description of properties that we own, I should have also described that some of those properties that we own are in the residential zoning district and are potentially not buildable by right because to build a structure requires a series of variations because of setbacks and side yards and things like that. So you're right. Prior to my arrival, it's my understanding that we did have a list of surplus properties. People would buy it.

As we geared up for the comprehensive plan and thinking more strategically about the assets that we have, and knowing that housing was one of the study areas that the comprehensive plan would have a working group examine, the thought was that perhaps we should temporarily halt those sales of side yards and small lots. Because mostly what people did was they just bought them and parked their cars on them. They didn't make an addition or do anything productive with it that would generate economic activity or liveliness or vibrancy to the neighborhood or the city, it is one to put a couple extra cars. And I get it. If I couldn't place all the cars I wanted on my property and I had a chance to, I'd probably do that.

It's not saying it's a bad decision, but that's what was going on, by and large. As we're working through this comprehensive planning process, we're having conversations about what would it look like if we allowed a little bit more flexibility with residential housing. Now, this is all going to come to you, both at the land use committees, the plan commission, to council. These are just ideas, right? But one of those ideas is what if you allowed people to have an accessory dwelling unit or a detached accessory dwelling unit on a single family detached parcel?

You'd want a little extra space. So maybe what we do is we hold some of these parcels back. Because this is a resource, right? We were just selling it for cheap for car storage. What if we held this back? And then we incented people to actually build housing for people with a program as yet defined or designed in the future. Think that's why we paused. It was my recommendation. I'll own that. That we just take a beat, look at what we have, view it as a resource, and perhaps leverage that resource for an outcome that I've heard this council and the mayor say they want, which is increased housing and increased population.

Thank you. Anybody? You good? Alright. And do we have any other questions? Yeah. No. I think it's

Oh, I almost forgot. What would you say would be the value of all of them together? Or maybe do you have an estimated value?

We didn't appraise these. It's not clear that we have to right now. If we have to, then we will. I can tell you that appraisals that the city has received for other vacant properties have been pretty modest, like in the 7,000 to $8,000 range. So we're talking like probably between 50,000 and $100,000

I total literally would not be opposed to having a few of them to be used as community gardens. I just want us to put that out there because I don't think there's enough green space. And I think it would be nice to have a few of a couple of them, but I'm willing to go along with what everybody wants.

I got great news because we have many, many, many lots.

Okay. Okay. That's good. Thank you.

Dustin, my understanding is correct that Habitat has looked at all these vacant lots.

These are vacant lots that are buildable by right. Yep. That they can put a house. They don't have to come to the zoning board of appeals to get a variance. They don't have to go to the planning commission or come to counsel. Just like any other homeowner or builder, they have a lot. They're going to put a house that fits on that lot. They're going to pull building permits, and they're to construct housing.

So eight houses has to span a few years? I mean they can't build eight houses in a year? No,

they can't. I don't know their capacity at this I don't want to speculate on record but it's certainly not eight

in a year.

No thank you. Think being able to see the potential of know Wood County Habitat does a lot of amazing work and when it comes to housing and the houses that they built so it's exciting to see that there's at least a plan moving forward especially in the subject of housing and knowing that these at least for now eight lots have some type of a future. That's great, good to hear. We had a motion to.

So moved. So moved.

I'll second that motion.

All in favor?

Aye.

Alright so motion resolution conveying 12 properties of Wilcox Habitat is going move forward to the council with our full support. Thank you. Any new or old business not for final action or recommendation?

None.

Public comments? Our public has left. Yes. And a motion to adjourn?

So moved. Seconded.

All in favor? Aye. Motion to read. Thank you.