UPDATE: St. James’ Revised Plan due 8-19-2011—or does a church not have to abide by deadlines?

Monday 8-22-2011  9:10 AM  I just contacted Belvidere Planning and Zoning.  Mr.Linkenheld emailed the office this morning and the written revision will now be submitted this afternoon.

 

SEE Mr. Linkenheld’s letter below. Any additional information will be presented by August 19. On Wednesday, August 17 Father Geary and the architect presented oral information at a Planning and Zoning staff meeting. Mayor Brereton was kind enough to supply an oral summary of the meeting to three concerned citizens and neighbors of the St. James project on Thursday.

As of 1:30 PM no written revised plan has been received. At 4:30 PM Mr. Linkenheld called the Planning and Zoning Department and stated that there is “just one more thing regarding parking” so he will get it to the Planning and Zoning on Monday. The aldermen will have no written information regarding the revised plan. The neighbors and concerned citizens will have little or no time to consider the changes nor have an opportunity to review the plans. Will Monday’s proceedings regarding St. James really be open and transparent when neither the city council nor the general public have an opportunity to study the revised plans?

I understand that some of the aldermen have had private discussions with the parish about the revision. Perhaps some of them have been given the new plans to study. Are all these actions as transparent and open as they should be? Will some aldermen have information which is not available to the public?

The following appears to be the procedure which the city will follow on the revision (subject to change by the city council). On this Monday, August 22, Mr. Linkenheld will present the revised plan at city council. The aldermen may then ask questions even though aldermen may not have had the opportunity to study the written proposal. The public then can ask questions. The written revision may or may not have ever been available to the public. The St. James zoning request then would be voted at the next meeting—Tuesday--September 6. The public can talk to the aldermen individually or possibly at the Tuesday meeting before the vote. However there will no further opportunity to pose questions to Mr. Linkenheld and St. James. Basically the public’s questions will be unanswered unless they are present at the August 22 meeting and the public is smart enough and quick enough to pose the questions at the August 22 meeting.

 

Click on the following to see more of the possible revised plans:  http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/st-james-revised-plan-are-due-today8-19.html

Start your reading on the black text.