After nearly an hour of discussion and 3 votes, the Taylorville City Council Tuesday night defeated a proposed change in zoning for the former West School Property south of West Spresser Street. The property was purchased from the Taylorville School District by local realtor Bernie Curvey, who along with his son Joe are looking to develop the building and land for small business.

Bill Harryman, representing the Taylorville Zoning and Planning Commission, brought a recommendation from that body, to the Council for approval Tuesday night. Harryman asked that an 8-acre tract including the former school, be re-zoned from residential to commercial.

After considerable discussion on such items as what streets would be used to get in and out of the property, and what type of sound barrier would be built between commercial and residential zoned property, the Council’s first vote on the Zoning Commission’s recommendation was defeated 8 to one, with Mayor Greg Brotherton also voting no. Alderman Ernie Dorchinez was the lone “yes” vote.

Alderman Bruce Jones brought up a 2nd motion, adding that the Curvey’s deed a portion of Poplar Street that they ended up with in the initial purchase, back to the city. The street would then be closed. That motion was defeated 6 to 3, with aldermen Dorchinez, Bruce Jones, and Earl Walters voting yes. Mayor Greg Brotherton also voted no.

A third motion was made to allow the re-zoning of the former West School from residential to commercial, and to barricade Poplar Street immediately. That motion passed with 5 Council members voting yes—Dorchinez, Jones, Ray Koonce, Martin Vota, and Walters—and 3 no votes. Mayor Greg Brotherton voted no as well, for a final vote of 5 to 4. The motion failed because it needed 2-thirds of the Council and mayor’s votes, to overturn the Zoning Commission’s recommendation.

As a result, the issue is back to square one, according to Mayor Greg Brotherton.

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The re-zoning issue must now go thru the process all over again.

Taylorville aldermen met Tuesday night due to the Martin Luther King holiday, and voted to allow the expansion of Gowin Parc’s Alzheimer’s unit with the construction of another building. The addition, called Phase 2, will be built next to their existing building on Taylorville’s northeast side. The vote, which was 8 to nothing, was after a recommendation by the Taylorville Planning and Zoning Commission.

Mayor Greg Brotherton told Council members Tuesday night, that he continues to work with Ahlstrom Filteration on further abatement of the noise created by EPA-mandated equipment being installed at the paper plant on Taylorville’s northeast side. The Mayor also appointed Jim Hahn to the Fire and Police Commission Board, he appointed Jim Altman to the Planning Commission, and recognized Kevin Stich for his 32 years of service on the Taylorville Fire and Police Commission Board.

Taylorville Council members Tuesday night acted on a number of motions brought before it, in their nearly 2 hour meeting. Aldermen OK’s several water annexation agreements, they amended the city code regarding public works construction contracts, they added language in city code regarding special events requirements, and prohibited “Bring Your Own Beer” liquor licenses in the city limits. They OK’d 3 payments to their general contractor on the Lake Shore Drive project totaling near 60-thousand dollars, and OK’d hiring temporary help in the Taylorville City Treasurer’s office.

A number of motions were approved by Taylorville aldermen Tuesday night. Council members approved awarding the auditing bid for the next 4 years to Lively, Mathias, Hooper and Noblet; they directed Mayor Greg Brotherton to negotiate a repayment plan for the Transportation Enhancement Grant with the Illinois Department of Transportation; they OK’d waiving various city water fees for the Community Garden at Davis Memorial Christian Church; and they tabled further discussion on adjusting the Village of Owaneco’s water rates with more study to take place as the city nears bonding its new water plant project.

Taylorville City Council members approved a motion Tuesday night that will affect lake lot lease holders. Aldermen voted unanimously that city code be changed to allow a name on the waiting list for a lake lot only one time, and if that person already has a Lake Lot or Campground site in their name, they may lease another only if they give up the current lease. The changes also state that city residents will be given priority on lake lot and campground waiting lists. And, storage shed sizes will now be changed on lake lot and campground leases, to mirror what’s in existing City Code.