Scrap Metal in the Horizon and Lip Service to Public Education: Carroll County Board Notes

By Mick Parsons For The Prairie Advocate News

MOUNT CARROLL – The first official meeting of the new Carroll County Board started off relatively normal, in spite of the suspicious lack of chairs. They’re an elected body of fifteen people, and yet, there’s still not enough chairs in spite of Chairman Rod Fritz’s position looking down on the board from the judge’s seat. And with new members Joe Payette and Gary Imel, as well as returning county board member Don Mantzke, all jockeying for chairs – though Mantzke had jockeyed less than the truly freshmen members of the board – it makes for interesting pre-meeting discussion. And after the meeting was called to order, the Allegiance swore and the Invocation given, the meeting still managed an air of relative ease – until the Zoning Board Report, which was bumped up in the agenda after a motion by Fritz and seconded by Paul Hartman.

The focus of the discussion surrounded the application of T & T Iron and Metals, owned by Joe Culbertson, for a special use permit. They intend to put a scrapping and recycling business there. The 3.88 acre property, currently owned by Jerry Gendreau, is zoned C-1 and is clearly visible along the scenic Rt. 84; although C-1 zoning allows for a recycling business as long as it’s not visible “from public roadways or from nearby residential or commercial areas,” T & T needs a special permit because the property at the corner of Marten Road and Illinois Route 84 is visible from the Great River Road Scenic Byway. The application passed the Zoning Board with a 5-0 vote – which more often than not means a rubber stamp by the county board.

According to Carroll County Zoning Administrator Julie Yuswak, the business intends to store and stage recycled scrap metal for transport it to its facility in East Dubuque for processing. Shawn Picolotti asked why the business didn’t locate at the Army Depot, where there’s more land that’s not visible to anyone other than residents who are accustomed to the heavy traffic, and where there are already two buildings, which would alleviate the need to build or to erect a fence. Kurt Dreger added that the Army Depot is about 12 miles closer to East Dubuque than the proposed location on Illinois 84.

When making the request, Culbertson stated his intention to build a 50 x 100 building and erect a 6 foot fence around the property. The business will also employ anywhere from ten to fifteen people.

While issues related to the possible environmental impacts were not discussed – such as the possible effect seepage might have on the surrounding residential neighborhood – Shawn Picolotti pointed out that there might be issues with the DOT in changing the use of Martens road to include heavy truck traffic. He added that the road wasn’t really designed for semis. Carroll County Engineer Kevin Vandendooren, who attended the board meeting, pointed out that the IDOT did have the authority to make T & T make changes to the entrance way onto Illinois 84 if Martens Road wasn’t designed for heavy trucks and semis. Annette Rahn, who vice chairs the Highway Committee, registered concerns about the impact of heavy trucks on Martens Road and whether T & T was aware that they would be responsible for helping maintain the subdivision road. Yuswak pointed out that since Martens Road is a privately owned road, Culbertson and T & T are aware that they are partly responsible for maintaining the safety of the road.

Mantzke, who is also on the Highway Committee, asked who would be responsible for making sure the six foot fence was actually installed. Yuswak pointed out that her office would be responsible for ensuring that T &T complied with all aspects of the Special Zoning Permit.

Picolotti added another concern. “This is the Great River Road,” he said, “and I’m not sure that’s what we need at that end. I think something like that would be better out at the old Army Depot. That’s what that area is supposed to be used for.” Gerald Bork added that “A six foot fence isn’t very high.” Dreger said that the scrap yard would “be an eye sore.”

Yuswak, in defending her committee’s recommendation, pointed out that the fence would be a privacy fence and that nothing would be obstructed from view – ie, it won’t create any blind spots and there is nothing there to stop and look at.

The board voted to allow the special permit at a vote of 11-4. Board members Dreger, Picolotti, Hartman, and Bork all voted against allowing the special permit.

In other business related to how land in Carroll County is used, the first Agricultural Area in the county was created outside of Millegeville, pursuant to the 1980 Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act. All this really means, though, according to Fritz is “If people want to come out her from Chicago and build, they’ll know that the farms were there first.” The acreage, which must constitute “not less than 350 acres” or “100 acres in counties with a population of 600,000 or less” will keep this designation for 10 years.

Prior to adjourning into Executive Session to discuss union contracts, the county board signed off on allowing the one cent sales tax initiative proposed by the West Carroll School District on the April ballot as a referendum. County Administrator Doty pointed out that the board was more or less bound by law to allow it on the ballot, which was met with jeers and head shakes from several members of the board. Doty also pointed out, quite candidly, that the vote in no way meant the the board as a collective or as individual members supported the referendum. If the referendum is passed by the voters in April, the actual tax levy would then be set by the county board in quarter percent increments; this means that the sales tax, in theory, could range from 0% to 1%. In fact, the board could elect not to set the levy at all, even if voters like the idea. Fritz added that he hoped it would be “an interesting and spirited debate.”