Galesburg City Council will vote on a loading zone on South Seminary Street but the business adjacent to where the zone would go is protesting at Monday night’s meeting.
Dick Lindstrom, owner of Lindstrom’s TV and Appliances voiced his opposition to axing the street’s eastside right turn lane in favor of a loading zone, at a meeting two weeks ago.
Lindstrom told the council that since the loading zone will be available for use by anyone, he’s concerned trucks could block what he considers Lindstrom’s front door and most used port for loading.
The zone would be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and would allow for two additional parking spaces during off hours.
Aldermen can also approve a lease to allow for the development of a community solar garden at Logistics Park.
Following approval in June of Community Power Group installing a 2.0-megawatt solar array on two 17 acre sites at the industrial park, state law has since changed to allow for 4.0-megawatt arrays.
So now the company wants to lease an additional 17 acres, just west of the previously leased location to install a 4.0-megawatt array.
The state will announce the first round of approved proposals for their Adjustable Block Grant created by the Future Energy Jobs Act in January.
While only 10 percent of projects are expected to be funded in this first round, additional sites will be chosen in the next two years.
Council also has their 2018 property tax levy on first reading.
The administration is proposing a levy that’s a 1.52 percent increase over 2017, which City Manager Todd Thompson says will likely cost the average $50,000 homeowner another $5 annually.
Council documents show that 50 percent of last year’s levy was marked for police and fire pensions and it’s up a tick to 51 percent in 2018.
Council will also vote on amending the zoning for a property at 320 N. Kellogg Street, on its corner with North Street.
The property was once home to the Salvation Army and has sat vacant but an individual bought the property months ago and wishes to use it as a single-family residence.
Currently, the building is under the Institutional zoning designation, which is for buildings that have public use like a church, school or library.
If the zoning map is amended 320 N. Kellogg would be designated R1A, which is for “low-density, detached single-family residential development”.
