The DeKalb City Council approved a resolution to bring Kohl’s to DeKalb.

The council voted 6-1 in favor of a development plan be made with DeKalb County, with two specifications.

One specification is that the city pledges a maximum of $775,000 for infrastructure improvements. It also agreed to extend revenue sharing with the county for 10 years longer than the previously 40-year agreement for Market Square.

The issue did not face much discussion from the council. Third Ward Alderman Steve Kapitan cast the only negative vote, commenting that he was against the incentive package.

“I appreciate First Rockford for taking the initiative in bringing Kohl’s to DeKalb,” 1st Ward Alderman Andy Small said.

The resolution states that Mayor Greg Sparrow may enter an agreement with the County to develop Lot 12 in Market Square, near Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse.

In order to be in compliance for the upcoming elections, the council approved the redistricting of the wards. Some of the changes to the wards include ward five losing the Knolls on Annie Glidden Road to ward six. In addition, ward one is gaining University Plaza, 900 Crane Drive, and some residential spots in that area.

The council also discussed the development of 2031 Sycamore Road. Castle Bank is interested in building a 20,000 square-foot, two-story facility on the property that currently is zoned general commercial. This development requires a special use permit. Castle’s request was granted with a vote of 5-2 after lengthy discussion.

“I think that it appears that the plan the city worked out back in 1994 could be applied today,” Kapitan said. “It should at least have been considered but it wasn’t even shown as an overlay over the bank’s plan. I don’t like to make a decision without sufficient information.”

Kapitan, however, was in favor of the 1994 plan because “it aligned intersections and maintained the curves to slow traffic, but it softened the curves to make the road safer to drive on.”

Even after his numerous comments, he said that “I have not looked at this site enough to know.”

This frustrated many of those involved including Mayor Sparrow. Sparrow questioned why Kapitan had not brought these concerns to the engineers prior to the meeting in order to give them fair time to prepare answers.

Another ordinance that also was passed restricting street parking on Garden Road, Hillcrest and Kimberly drives and Fox Hollow.

Garden Road will have no parking from 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. All other roads affected will have no parking except for residents from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In an attempt to get answers to the questions that had been asked of him, Small directed several concerns to DeKalb Police Chief Bill Feithen.

Feithen explained that all residents on those streets would receive parking passes for guests and that tickets would be administered only to those without passes. Vehicles parked in those restricted areas will receive a $10 fine.

“Everybody who has contacted me is in favor of this,” Small said.