Planning & Zoning Commission

Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Agenda October 6, 2025 - 5:30 PM City Council Chambers, City Hall, 3rd Floor, 1528 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Public Comment 4. Minutes a. Approval of the September 3, 2025 Meeting Minutes RC Roll Call vote is needed. 5. Old Business 6. Public Hearings a. 2025-25: Public hearing request from Camille Smith to consider a variance from the Rock Island Zoning Ordinance for property at 3704 9th Street in an R-2 (one-and-two unit residential) district. RC Roll Call vote is needed. 7. Other Business/New Business 8. Adjourn This agenda may be obtained in accessible formats by qualified persons with a disability by making appropriate arrangements from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, by contacting the City Clerk's Office at (309) 732-2010 or visiting in person at: 1528 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201. Page 1 of 13  Rock Island Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes Council Chambers, City Hall, 3rd Floor 1528 3rd Avenue September 3, 2025 5:30 PM Voting Members Present Mike Creger Sarah Wright Tanja Whitten Maureen Riggs Samuel Odeyemi Norm Moline Reshanda Johnson Bill Sowards Voting Members Absent Don Mewes Staff Present Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager Call to Order and Roll Call Chair Riggs called the meeting to order at 5:31 PM and read the roll call. Public Comment No members of the public wished to comment so the meeting continued. Approval of the Previous Meeting Minutes Whitten moved to approve the minutes for July 7, 2025. Sowards seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0. Public Hearings 2025-20 Public hearing: Request from Barry Reuther to consider a variance from the Rock Island Zoning Ordinance for property at 2951 9th Street in an R-2 (one-and-two unit residential) district. Amissah-Mensah read the staff report with the recommendation for denial of the request. Barry Reuther, property owner spoke on the request. Mr. Reuther explained that he has invested heavily in improving the property over the past three years. He said that he extended the deck to the garage to close a gap and address a safety concern. -1- Page 2 of 13 Phil Dingeldein, whose family owned the property for over a century, spoke in support, praising the improvements. Commissioners expressed sympathy for Mr. Reuther’s situation, noting that he had attempted to follow city procedures. Chair Riggs added that a unique circumstance existed due to the safety issue addressed by closing the gap with the deck and concluded that, Mr. Reuther met two of the three conditions necessary to authorize the variance. As there were no other questions or members of the public wishing to speak, Chair Riggs called for a motion. Decision for Case 2025-20 Riggs made a motion to approve the variance. Whitten seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0 (Riggs, Creger, Whitten, Wright, Odeyemi, Moline, Sowards and Johnson) 2025-21 Public hearing: Request from Patrick Young to consider a variance from the Rock Island Zoning Ordinance for property at 2112 28th Street in an R-1 (one-unit residential) district. Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager, noted that he recused himself from the staff report due to a potential conflict of interest, as he lives near the property. He exited the room during the public hearing and discussion. Amissah-Mensah read the staff report with the recommendation for denial of the variance request. Patrick Young spoke on the request. Mr. Young explained that the project is not just about parking, but about necessary storage and restoring indoor access to the garage, which was lost 52 years ago during a kitchen renovation. Commissioners expressed support for the variance. Commissioner Whitten stated that the addition would not be visually intrusive, would enhance the home’s value, and would positively impact the neighborhood. Commissioner Moline noted that the street behind the property functions similarly to an alley and that the proposed attached garage would be consistent with neighboring detached garages. As there were no other questions or members of the public wishing to speak, Chair Riggs called for a motion. Decision for Case 2025-21 Whitten made a motion to approve the variance. Johnson seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0 (Riggs, Creger, Whitten, Wright, Odeyemi, Moline, Sowards and Johnson) -2- Page 3 of 13 2025-22 Public hearing: Request from Bonnie and Jason Tanamor to consider a rezoning from O-1 (small office) district to B-3 (community business) district for properties at 608 & 616 20th Street. Amissah-Mensah read the staff report with the recommendation for approval of the request. Bonnie Tanamor spoke on the request and concurred with staff’s analysis. She discussed the plans for the business. As there were no other questions or members of the public wishing to speak, Chair Riggs called for a motion. Decision for Case 2025-22 Creger made a motion to recommend approval of the variance to the City Council. Odeyemi seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0 (Riggs, Creger, Whitten, Wright, Odeyemi, Moline, Sowards and Johnson) 2025-23 Public hearing: Request from David Decap to consider a rezoning from R-3 & B-3 districts to B-2 district for properties at 520 1/2 20th Street, 526 20th Street, 523 19th Street, and 527 19th Street. Amissah-Mensah read the staff report with the recommendation for approval of the request. David Decap spoke on the request and concurred with the staff analysis. He discussed the plans for the business. As there were no other questions or members of the public wishing to speak, Chair Riggs called for a motion. Decision for Case 2025-23 Moline made a motion to recommend approval of the request to the City Council. Creger seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0 (Riggs, Creger, Whitten, Wright, Odeyemi, Moline, Sowards and Johnson) 2025-24 Public hearing: Request from Gilbert Galindo to consider a Special Use Permit in a C-1 (park conservation) district to operate a food truck at the property, Southwest corner 14th Avenue & 37th Street. Staff recommended postponing the request as they are working with the applicant to get more information on what they plan to do at the property. Decision for Case 2025-24 -3- Page 4 of 13 Moline made a motion to postpone the request for the October 6 meeting. Whitten seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0 (Riggs, Creger, Whitten, Wright, Odeyemi, Moline, Sowards and Johnson) Public hearing: Request from the Community Development Department regarding amendments to the City's Zoning Ordinance for Accessory Buildings and Dwellings in Residence Districts. Amissah-Mensah read the staff report. Decision for Accessory Buildings and Dwellings in Residence Districts Sowards made a motion to recommend approval of the amendment for accessory buildings and dwelling to the City Council. Wright seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0 (Riggs, Creger, Whitten, Wright, Odeyemi, Moline, Sowards and Johnson) Public hearing: Request from the Community Development Department regarding amendments to the City's Zoning Ordinance for retail tobacco businesses. Osing read the staff report. He presented an amendment to align the zoning ordinance definition of “retail tobacco business” with the recently updated city tobacco ordinance. Decision for Amendments to the City's Zoning Ordinance for retail tobacco businesses. Whitten made a motion to recommend approval of the amendments for retail tobacco business to the City Council. Moline seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 8 to 0 (Riggs, Creger, Whitten, Wright, Odeyemi, Moline, Sowards and Johnson) Other Business None Adjournment Chair Riggs adjourned the meeting at 6:40PM. Minutes submitted by Eunice Amissah-Mensah. -4- Page 5 of 13 Memorandum To: Rock Island Planning & Zoning Commission From: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner, Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager Subject: 2025-25: Public hearing request from Camille Smith to consider a variance from the Rock Island Zoning Ordinance for property at 3704 9th Street in an R-2 (one-and-two unit residential) district. RC Roll Call vote is needed. Date: October 6, 2025 Introduction and Background Information: Applicant: Camille Smith Location: 3704 9th Street Size of Property: The property measures approximately 13,200 sqft with about 80 feet of frontage along 9th Street and 165 feet of frontage along 37th Avenue. Topography: The property slopes from west to east by approximately 2 feet and sits slightly above street level. Zoning History: • 1975: A request to rezone the property from residential to industrial was denied. Existing Land Use & Zoning: The property is zoned R-2 (one and two unit residential) district. To the north and south are properties zoned R-2 (one and two-unit residential), to the west are properties zoned I-1 (light industrial), and to the east are properties zoned R-4 (multi-unit residential) and B-4 (highway business) districts. Project Details: The applicant requests to maintain a six (6) foot tall chain-link fence with barbed wire along 37th Avenue and 9th Street. The property was historically zoned residential before being rezoned to business. In 2020, as part of a comprehensive zoning update, the property was rezoned to residential. The property is currently a community hall for Positive Brothers United, a non-profit that aims to help at-risk youth. Requested Action and Affected Requirements: Page 6 of 13 Table 1 Variance Requested Action Affected Zoning Requirements (1) Maintain a six (6) foot tall Fences located in a yard adjacent to a public street of chain-link along 37th residential zoned property be no more than 4 feet in height (Article XI, Section 13A). Avenue and 9th Street. (2) Maintain barbed wire on a The use of barbed wire materials is prohibited in 6-foot-tall fence. residential zoning districts (Article XI, Section 13J). Conditions to Authorize Variances & Staff Analysis: Variances shall only be authorized if two (2) of the three (3) conditions as provided in Chapter 8, Section 6-A of the Zoning Ordinance are found. The Commission will make the final decision regarding this request. Table 2 includes the conditions to authorize variances with the corresponding staff analysis and conclusion of if the condition is met. Table 2 Conditions to Authorize Staff Analysis Meets Condition Variance (Yes/No) The property in question Staff reason that the property can cannot yield a reasonable yield a reasonable return without the • No - for return if permitted to be barbed wire and fence height barbed wire used only under the variance. Alternative measures could and fence conditions allowed by the be explored to address any security or height regulations in that zone; privacy concerns. and The plight of the owner is Staff contend that there is no unique due to unique circumstance that necessitates the • No - for circumstances. There are use of the barbed wire as many other barbed wire exceptional or extraordinary nearby properties have similar • Yes - for circumstances or conditions circumstances without using it. Even fence height applying to the property in with the prior business zoning question as to the intended designation, barbed wire would not use of the property that do have been allowed. Page 7 of 13  not apply generally to other The property's zoning history, with properties or classes of intermittent commercial uses, creates uses in the same zoning a different situation than nearby district; and properties. This circumstance is unique to the property and not a broad condition shared by all properties in the district. Staff reason that this is a unique circumstance with regards to the fence height. The variance, if granted, will The visual impact of barbed wire on a not alter the essential 6-foot-tall fence creates an • No - for character of the locality. unwelcoming aesthetic that is not in barbed wire Such variance is necessary keeping with the character of the • Yes - for for the preservation and nearby properties. Staff contend that fence height enjoyment of a substantial the barbed wire alters the character of property right-of-way the neighborhood. possessed by other The 6-foot-tall chain link fence allows properties in the same for security for the property and zoning district and in the visibility on the corner for both vicinity. pedestrians and vehicles. Staff believe that the fence height does not alter the character of the neighborhood. Previous Council Action (if any): NA Budget Impact: NA Additional Information as applicable (i.e. provide alternative options, community or staff input, staffing impact; resident impact; etc.): NA Council Goal (if applicable): NA Recommendation: The Community Development Department recommends that the Commission deny the variance for the barbed wire as the property can yield a reasonable return without the variance, there is no unique circumstance and the fence with barbed wire alters the character of the neighborhood. Page 8 of 13 The Community Development Department recommends that the Commission approve the variance for a 6-foot-tall fence. Staff find that there is a unique circumstance and the fence does not alter the character of the neighborhood. Staff further recommend that approval be subject to the following stipulation: • The fence, particularly along the corner of 9th Street and 31st Avenue, must maintain a minimum of 50% visibility at all times. Submitted by: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner Approved by: Page 9 of 13  Variance for Fence Height & Barbed Wire at 3704 9th Street I1 R2 PZC Case 2025-25 Subject Property Parcels Zoning District Building R4 6 Ft Fence with 37TH AVE Barbed 37TH AV Wire 9TH ST Building 0 20 40 80 120 160 Feet I1 City of Rock Island R2 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT B4 Page 10 of 13  Variance for Fence Height & Barbed Wire at 3704 9th Street I1 GOLDSBERRY TRACY L GIBBS ERIC J PZC Case 2025-25 GOMEZ JOSE LONG MEGAN R2 Subject Property C/ALICIA M REED MIYA E SCHNEEKLOTH Parcels DUNCAN ESTELA G JERALD W Zoning District MUCK BRYAN CLAY PEARLEE MALONE R/DIANTHA L Building ALLY L MCNAMEE MT PROPERTY R4 INVESTMENTS LLC TAKESH 6 Ft Fence with WATCH HILL TOWER 37TH AVE Barbed 37TH AV Wire APARTMENTS LLC HOUSING PRESERVATION INC 9TH ST THE ARC OF THE QUAD SISCO SMITH CAMILLE CITIES AREA SANDRA G Building 0 20 40 80 120 160 Feet BOLT THE ARC QCA THE ARC QCA MOTORS INC I1 MCFALL AMY L CITY OF ROCK ISLAND City of Rock Island R2 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MARRON JUAN HEIM DAVID J B4 CALHOUN G MARTY BOOS JASON Page 11 of 13 Figure 1: Photo showing property from across 9th Street Page 12 of 13 Figure 2: Photo showing property from corner of 9th Street and 31st Avenue Page 13 of 13