City Council’s public hearing on the Irongate subdivision development ended with a table vote and an agreement to revise the submitted plans for the project during a meeting Monday.

David Patzelt spoke on behalf of ShoDeen Inc., the development group looking to build the subdivision. Patzelt said the development plan has been adjusted to be more pleasing to the council and DeKalb citizens, as it no longer includes any apartments, and only 11.8 percent of the residences are to be townhouses.

The subdivision would be built in the northwest corridor of DeKalb along Bethany Road. The council previously said if the subdivision is to be built, apartments must be excluded, no more than 10 percent of the homes should be townhouses and there must be an extension of Normal Road to Bethany Road.

The plan presented by Patzelt did not meet the 10 percent criteria for townhouses or include the extension of Normal Road.

ShoDeen is the developer responsible for the Pearl Street development project, which is now considered a blighted area, said fourth ward alderman Brendon Gallagher. Several citizens and multiple council members voiced concerns with the possible development’s specifications along with the potential for ShoDeen to create another blighted area in DeKalb.

“You keep saying the Pearl Street development isn’t what we’re talking about but in the minds of the community, they are tied together,” said third ward alderman Kristen Lash. “The same name is on both of them.”

Gallagher, who did not explicitly say which way he intended to vote on annexing the land needed for the development, expanded on Lash’s point. He said ShoDeen needs to comply with the council’s requirements, specifically the townhouse percentage, if it wishes to move forward with the Irongate project.

“When it comes back, there will be no more compromise,” Gallagher said. “We’ve put down some hard numbers.”

After the council heard input from various citizens and city staff members, Mayor Kris Povlsen said he wanted to know if the council was open to approving the development at all and how Patzelt wanted to move forward.

“If there is no increase in impact fees, they put in bike paths, pay for all of Normal Road, if they bring town homes down to 10 percent, is there enough support here to move forward, period?” Povlsen said.

Lash and seventh ward alderman Monica O’Leary said they would not approve the development.

“I have to go with what I see in the community and that’s why I just can’t support this,” Lash said.

O’Leary said she didn’t foresee enough growth in DeKalb to warrant a large development, and she does not want the Irongate subdivision to become an empty development due to a lack of buyers.

First ward alderman David Jacobson did not say he would not approve the annexation, but he said he still had concerns about the number of townhouses in the plan and the exclusion of the extension of Normal Road from the plan.

“If this project wants to get done, it needs to include development of Normal Road,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson also said he had concerns about the future of the annexation and the possibility that ShoDeen would allow it to become blighted property should the plan be approved.

“I can guarantee you nobody wants boarded-up buildings in downtown,” Jacobson said. “I can guarantee what citizens want is not what you’re supplying.”

The council was also asked to approve a change in the construction of the new police department’s communications tower. T.J. Moore, director of public works, said the change would allow for the tower to be 190 feet tall instead of 160 feet.

This change would allow a cellular provider to pay to use the tower as a cellular tower, and it would cost around $40,000, according to a report presented to the council by Moore. Some council members said they had concern with the costs involved. Moore said the department has been working hard to save money in the construction of the new police department.

“There’s an analogy I’ve been using lately,” Moore said. “We’ve been pinching every penny until Lincoln complains.”

The council did not vote on the amendment, and the issue will be discussed at the next meeting.

City manager Mark Biernacki presented some information about two of the TIF districts in DeKalb. The revenue from the TIF’s was around $1 million, which was higher than the expected amount of $400,000.

“Out of 410 blocks in the TIF’s, 150 could be improved with this dollar amount,” Biernacki said.

The council also approved the purchase of two signs for the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport. The total cost of the two signs will be $61,385, which will funded by the airport’s budget.