HERE'S SOMETHING YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW....

At the last Board meeting, an applicant representative (attorney? realtor? Not identified to the public in the audience) spoke before the Board concerning a text amendment proposal for agritourism. This person represents a landowner in Eureka who wants to sell her property. Apparently, my surmise, there is a potential buyer who wants to be assured that he/she can do many activities on the property.

Proposed Agritourism language  Read this carefully. It includes A LOT of possibilities.

1. This text amendment , if adopted will apply across the Township. To property next to you perhaps?

2. Supervisor Pete Storlie told the representative that he "would be in favor" of the proposal.

3. Supervisor Al Novacek said he "would like to see more details," but he is in favor of the proposal also.

4. The representative had asked for the Board's opinion as to whether they would support this amendment. HOWEVER, it is very inappropriate for the Board to weigh in at that point as two members did above. They are supposed to remain neutral and not opine until AFTER the hearing and the Planning Commission recommendation! So, ask yourself, what weight will the public input at the hearing actually have? Is your Board committed to listening to you, the Eureka citizens? I believe they need to hear how unacceptable their "pre-approval" is.

5. Until I asked the Deputy Clerk where the proposed language was, it did not appear. I suggested that sending out an email to the "News and Notices" list with only the posting and the agenda attached is not sufficient. I suggested that this information needs to be posted on the website. This was done. I will applaud the resending of an email to let people know the website now had the language.

6. The submitted language is very wide-ranging. It allows "mechanized rides." A Ferris wheel is a mechanized ride. A roller coaster is a mechanized ride. Will there be Valley Fairs  coming to a properties near you? Is this the vision you have for our Township? You need to let the Planning Commission know your thoughts on the subject. Perhaps a corn maze could qualify as agritourism, but what about the rest of it? Again, read the language very carefully. It would allow many, many things...

7. A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 18TH AT 7:00 P.M. AT THE TOWN HALL.

8. The language allows "site related retail." What might that include? What does that mean?

9. The language allows "rural" activities. What does THAT include?

10. There are no performance standards such as off-site parking, hours of operation, lighting requirements, etc. That means that ultimately this comes down to a Board. two of whom have already indicated support. What conditions might they actually place on this Conditional Use Permit (CUP)? Do you know that there have been CUPs with NO CONDITIONS already in Eureka? A Board at that time did that.

11. Outside of schools and churches and possibly ag service operations (machinery repair, e.g.) the other CUPs are items such as cemeteries, signs over 50 square feet, illuminated signs, etc. Some of the CUPs are of very limited scope and impact. In the past, for churches and schools, the Planning Commission and the Board at those times were appropriately active in requiring downward facing lights to limit light pollution for neighbors, for example. They had the citizens' interests at heart.

12. See Ordinance 240 7 C for further information.     Link 240 7 C

13. Perhaps this amendment would be better addressed in a stand-alone Ordinance with performance standards and more limits.

14. The Board already discussed scheduling a special meeting to address the text amendment language AND a concurrent CUP application. Supervisor Tim Pope stated at the Board meeting that the applicant "probably wants to get this done as soon as possible." Another prejudgment? 

Remember, three is a majority vote.