City moves ahead on annexing land for YMCA
By Michael Farrell
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mfarrell@morrisdailyherald.com
The city of Morris will proceed with the steps necessary to annex a parcel of about 77 acres, which would include the site of a future YMCA.
The Joliet YMCA has expressed an interest in building a facility in Morris and already offers some programs here.
Receiving a site for the building is the first step. Any actual construction will depend on raising the money needed to pay for the building.
Members of the city council's Parks and Annexation Committee met Wednesday morning and agreed to proceed with the annexation. The full council could vote on the annexation agreement at the Dec. 7 meeting.
Public hearings on an amendment to the zoning ordinance and zoning changes were set for the Dec. 2 Morris Planning Commission meeting.
The land to be annexed is part of a larger parcel owned by the Ron Evenson and Mark Jorstad families, located on the north side of U.S. 6, between Saratoga and Pioneer roads.
A parcel designated for a future YMCA, totaling 13.68 acres, is located along U.S. 6, about 1,300 feet west of Saratoga Road.
On the west side of the YMCA lot will be a commercial lot of 13.48 acres.
Directly north, on the south side of Interstate 80, plans show a 22.27-acre lot, which is to be zoned for three- and four-unit townhouses (R-3A).
In between are two parcels of 11.29 acres each, one designated as a future park and the other as a school site for Nettle Creek District 24C.
Under city ordinances, developers can pay school and park site fees or donate land to be used for a future park and by the school district.
Plans call for a new road to be constructed extending west between Saratoga and Pioneer roads, on the north side of the YMCA and the commercial lots.
A short road could also be constructed, extending north from U.S. 6, between the YMCA lot and the commercial lot and between the park site and the school site lots.
City Attorney Scott Belt said the proposal would include amending the zoning ordinance to allow a YMCA as a permitted use in a commercial district (B-3). To amend the zoning ordinance requires a public hearing before the planning commission.
Land annexed into the city is automatically zoned for single-family residential (R-1) use.
Therefore, the planning commission will hold another public hearing on the request to rezone the YMCA and commercial parcel to B-3 and the townhouse parcel to R-3A.
Once a YMCA building has been designed, it will have to be approved by the Morris Development Review Committee.
The city also has one year to extend water and sewer to the southeast corner of the property, from the time it receives a notice of need. Currently water and sewer extends to the Rockwell Inn property.
It was agreed the one-year notice would occur when the YMCA has developed plans for a building which can be presented to the Development Review Committee.
"The capital campaign will set the time table (for construction)," Jorstad said.
Under the tentative annexation agreement, the owners agree to pay all fees, including water and sewer assessments of $3,500 per acre, a total of $269,500; a sewer frontage fee of $24.31 per foot; and a water frontage fee of $19.45 per foot, for 1,328 feet.
Once the land is annexed, the city will abate property taxes until development occurs and final plats are recorded.
Committee members Duane Wolfe and Ken Sereno, along with Mayor Richard Kopczick, attended the meeting. Alderman Drew Muffler was absent.
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