DeKALB – The approved zoning plans for a 130-acre property at the northeast corner of Peace Road and E. Gurler Road projects the possibility for more large manufacturers in DeKalb.
The proposed development by developer, Steven Goldin, would rezone a property next to the current largest manufacturers in DeKalb, including Kraft-Heinz and Meta-Facebook, and build four warehouses, totaling 1.6 million square feet, intended for manufacturing and distribution.
With no current end user or purchaser for the warehouses, public comment from citizens disagreed with the hasty zoning approvals to occur in a single meeting. However, 5th ward Alderman Scott McAdams explained the precedence for the plans.
“The entire time that we have not waived second reading, we have waited until the next meeting, the imagined uprising of the residents against the growth has never materialized,” McAdams said. “So it doesn’t seem like there’s a valid reason to wait if we know that growth is generally accepted and generally wanted by the community.”
City Manager Bill Nicklas supported a majority of the board’s approval by reiterating the financial gain the city would see, comparing the property’s potential with the recent introduction of two of the city’s newest manufacturing plants.
“Our EAV (equalized assessed value) in our community has gone up 70% in 40 years, from $585 million to a projected $998 million and, probably, very likely, I’d say a billion dollars – a billion dollars which is going to help everyone’s taxes,” Nicklas said.
The proposed property would be east of Peace Road and be adjacent to the developing Kraft-Heinz Distribution Center and north of the Meta-Facebook property, according to city documents.
COMMEMORATING DEKALB’S LOCAL HISTORIAN
The board also officially commemorated DeKalb resident Stephan J. Bigolin for his devotion to the city of DeKalb by naming Sept. 22, 2023 as “Stephan J. Bigolin Day.”
Bigolin is a known devoted citizen of DeKalb from his dedication to DeKalb as a local historian and tour guide of the city and as a former docent of the Ellwood House.
He also earned the Board of Trustees Award of Excellence in 1992 and has served on the DeKalb Landmark Commission and the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council.
In addition to the local holiday, the board agreed to the purchase of a 2023 Ford Police Interceptor at the minimum price of $42,556 to replace the former model that had been extensively damaged in a collision.
DeKalb City Council’s next meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 25 at the DeKalb Public Library.
