Proposals to install a digital billboard to the Washington Plaza shopping center sign and bring a new church to Washington each cleared a hurdle this week.
First readings were held at this week's Washington City Council meeting for a variance request to add a billboard on the shopping center sign along Washington Road, and rezoning and special use requests to convert a building at 640 N. Cummings Lane into a church.
Council votes on the requests are scheduled for July 20.
The city's Planning and Zoning Commission earlier this month recommended approval of each request. The votes were 4-3 for the billboard and unanimous for the church.
Jon Oliphant, the city's planning and development director, said the commissioners who cast "no" votes on the billboard did so mainly because they'd like to see the city finish its work on a revision of billboard regulations.
East Peoria-based Civic Digital Displays wants to install a 7-by-21-foot digital billboard on the lower half of the Washington Plaza sign.
The billboard would replace 10 individual tenant panels and increase the size of the sign from about 325 square feet to about 425 square feet.
Information about businesses inside and outside the plaza, upcoming improvements at the shopping center, and community announcements would be posted on the billboard.
Alderperson Bobby Martin III, chair of the city's Economic Development Commission, said the commission supports the billboard installation.
"We don't want to do all this work [at the plaza] and have a very, very old sign," he said.
The church would be located in a building situated on a nearly five-acre property that's currently zoned for light industrial.
A C-2 general retail rezoning and special use for a church were requested by Tazewell County Board member Greg Longfellow and his wife Heather on behalf of Two or Three Are Gathered LLC.
The building was home to Washington Landscaping from 1979-2006, then sat vacant until 2023, when Mosquito Joe started using it as office and storage space.
Sewer project examined
A Rosemont engineering firm has been hired by the city to do an independent third-party analysis of previous engineering studies done regarding the in-limbo Farm Creek sewer interceptor project.
Christopher B. Burke Engineering will do the analysis for a not-to-exceed cost of $25,000 over no more than 120 days. The city council unanimously approved the contract.
"To ensure independence, I looked for an engineering company that did not have an office in this area or has ever done work around here," said City Administrator Jeff Fiegenschuh. "I will be their only point of contact while they're doing their analysis here."
Where to place the interceptor has been a point of contention and source of controversy since at least 2013.
The idea to hire a third-party engineering firm before proceeding with route selection, property acquisition, permitting and construction came out of a recent meeting with city representatives and affected families.
"The meeting was productive, respectful and solution-oriented," Fiegenschuh said. "This step is an important milestone in the project and reflects our commitment to transparency, collaboration and restoring trust throughout the decision-making process.
"The community has waited long enough. It's time to complete this critical infrastructure investment in a manner that is technically sound, fiscally responsible, and worthy of the public's trust."
Store gets $50K grant
Among other news from the meeting, including department heads' reports:
- The council approved a business improvement grant payment of $50,000 to Frank and Lucianne Bray for their new Ben Franklin store on Washington Road. The grant will help cover the cost of a nearly $102,000 exterior improvement project.
- The owner of Washington Plaza has signed a development agreement with the city that includes the installation of a park. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has approved an extension of the plaza's sanitary sewer.
- Bondurant Street next to Washington Community High School will be closed to through traffic during the installation of a new water main.
- A $1,000 city tourism grant was awarded to the organizers of the Food Truck Frenzy and Custom Car and Bike Show, which will be held Aug. 22 at the Connect Center on Washington Road. The grant will go towards the purchase of show awards.
- Because of a new state law that went into effect July 1, the city can no longer regulate or prohibit the off-premise delivery of alcoholic beverages. The licensee for delivery must be compliant with state law. City retailers are on equal footing with out-of-city vendors.
- City crews used almost 1,740 tons of asphalt at a cost of nearly $160,000 for in-house paving projects. The budget for the work was $182,000.
- The city will soon issue a request for qualifications [RFQ] for companies that are interested in providing engineering design services for a project to reconstruct the two Main Street bridges. The design work will take place over the next two years. Main Street will be closed during the bridge reconstruction.
