The Cook County commissioners approved two requests for conditional use permits at the Tuesday, March 25 board meeting, one for use of an RV for storage and the other for modifications to an existing internally lit sign.
The sign request came from Paul Goettl, owner of Clearview General Store in the Clearview complex owned by Jeff Latz. Goettl’s request was to amend his existing conditional use permit (CUP) to make a change to the gas station sign on the east edge of the Clearview property, replacing the gas prices displayed below the large white Mobil sign. The request launched in-depth discussion at the Cook County Planning Commission and the county board.
The planning commission originally denied the request, which was made because according to Goettl, the pricing section of the sign was damaged and not repairable. Goettl told the planning commission that the existing base and poles and the upper Mobil sign would stay in place. The only thing to be changed is the lower section, which Goettl explained meant installing a new, more efficient, LED sign.
After discussion of whether or not it could make a decision based on the existing sign ordinance and stressing that Goettl’s request was not denied, merely suspended, the planning commission passed a motion to impose a sixmonth moratorium temporarily prohibiting the issuance of conditional use permits for internally lit LED signs in Cook County. When that recommendation came before the county board on February 25, commissioners were not sure a moratorium was necessary.
After much discussion, commissioners sent the request back to the planning commission, asking them to rehear the request.
At that time, Commissioner Bruce Martinson said, “In light of no opposition from his neighbors, I would support this request, enacting a moratorium after.” However no action was taken regarding instituting a moratorium.
The planning commissioner subsequently recommended approving Goettl’s request with the conditions that the illuminated sign be turned off when the Clearview store complex is closed for business, but no later than 10 p.m.; that the Office of Planning & Zoning review the sign during both “diurnal and nocturnal light conditions” and modify display parameters as needed and the applicant uses the lowest LED illumination levels available.
The county board followed suit at its March 25 meeting and approved the CUP amendment with those conditions.
The board asked Planning & Zoning Director Tim Nelson if he still felt there was a need for a moratorium on LED illuminated signs. Nelson said in light of the discussion, he had sent out an informal poll to other counties to see if they had ordinances addressing LED lighting. He said most counties did not and they requested feedback on what Cook County comes up with. He said he didn’t feel a moratorium was necessary, but the sign committee had begun its review of the lighting ordinance. The committee held its first meeting the day before. RV storage approved on Maple Hill
Planning and Zoning Administrator Bill Lane brought forward a request for a conditional use permit from Jean Kloster-Jezierski and Edward Kloster, seeking approval to use a recreational vehicle for storage on their property on Maple Hill. The RV belongs to Kloster- Jezierski and is situated on property owned by Edward Kloster.
The request was recommended for approval by the planning commission at its March 12 meeting with the conditions that the RV conform to all property line setbacks, conform to state and county environmental health rules and the applicant provide proof of a maintenance agreement for a “porta-potty.” Kloster-Jezierski must also pay a $300 after-the-fact fee for the unpermitted use of the RV.
The county board accepted the recommendation of the planning commission and approved the conditional use permit with the understanding that the RV not be used for habitation.
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