JG-TC.com > News > Interim city administrator: Comprehensive plan is <br />priority No. 1 in Mattoon

TODAY'S HEADLINES

SPECIAL SECTION

ONLINE POLL

ONLINE EXTRAS

Shop Smart, Shop Local

SITE TOOLS

OTHER LINKS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Monday, July 27, 2009 10:49 PM CDT
Interim city administrator: Comprehensive plan is
priority No. 1 in Mattoon

By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com

MATTOON — The interim city administrator wants to take the city’s comprehensive plan out of a decades-old holding pattern.

On Monday, John Kolata told planning commission members that one of his top priorities is to reach the next step on the city’s comprehensive plan. The city’s last complete comprehensive plan dates back to 1968 and the most recent effort to alter it goes back more than 15 years.

“The city has to start that process. It is crucial to economic development,” said Kolata, who has less than 90 days under his temporary contract to complete specifications on a new draft plan.

A comprehensive plan helps a city look to the future on infrastructure needs and economic growth. The city has worked with Coles County government officials on related issues to the countywide comprehensive plan, but specific needs of the city need to be addressed, Kolata said.

In other business, prior to Kolata’s statement, planning commission members recommended forwarding fencing ordinance amendments to the Mattoon City Council. The new rules will prohibit use of materials not designed for residential fencing, including razor ribbon wire, broken glass, corrugated metal panels, netting and electric-charged links.

The intent of the ordinance changes are to prevent use of damaged or unsafe materials for fences, according to city officials. However, Dean Willaredt, who was serving as chairman during Monday’s meeting, mentioned that some details related to fence height and other concerns are grandfathered in through past practices.

“We want to lean toward visibility on a block. But there will always be grandfathered examples no matter where you go,” Willaredt said.

The voice vote was unanimous on the recommendation to the full council with Willaredt, Gary Boske, Bob Becker, Mary Wetzel, Bill Whitworth, Janice Moritz and Judy Winn responding. The commissioners also approved a variance to a side yard setback requirement at 3320 Shelby Ave. for work on the Nathan Perry residence.

Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.

Add your comments

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login? (requires cookies)
	Forgot Your Password?

Not already registered?
Then click Here.

Comment policy:

JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.

In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.

We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.

No comment may contain:

* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.

If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.

Old Grumpy wrote on Jul 28, 2009 3:25 PM:

" Hey Mr. Kolata give 'em a break! After all it's only been a few years. This bunch does not want to put anything down in writing such as a long range plan. LOL "

kamfong wrote on Jul 29, 2009 7:00 AM:

" Grandfathered= We reserve the right to do as we see fit,regardless of public opinion. .Comprehensive plan= more boiler slag. "