Why Lombard could extend project notification radius
The proposed site of two billboards along I-355 is several hundred feet from the nearest homeowners - that's part of why village officials say the location for advertising is worth considering.
It's also why no nearby residents were given a direct mailing notifying them of a plan commission hearing about the billboard proposal in July.
But one trustee said he wants to change that by considering an update to notification rules within the municipal code.
"I feel like 250 feet for the most part is not enough, and sometimes, it's too much," Trustee Reid Foltyniewicz said about the radius in which neighbor notification is required for zoning hearings. "It all depends on what the scenario is."
Foltyniewicz said he wants to review Lombard's code to ensure residents near major projects are given notice, even if they live farther away than the 250-foot mark.
"I'm very big on communication," Foltyniewicz said, "because there's nothing to hide."
Lombard Community Development Director Bill Heniff said it's appropriate to review code issues such as notification rules from time to time if the board so chooses. But, however notification is done, it must remain consistent.
"We follow the statutes in the code," Heniff said.
In the case of the billboard issue, that meant posting a sign on the property, publishing newspaper notices, posting agenda items, mailing notification to property owners within 250 feet and, although not required by law, sharing information about the topic on the village's website.
Residents on Vance Street, who are some of the closest to the proposed billboards at 625 W. Glen Oak Road, say they weren't aware of the potential signs until late in the game.
John Behrendt, who is mobilizing his neighbors to hand out flyers and display a large banner opposing the billboards, said he didn't find out until Aug. 24 - well after the plan commission's July 31 special meeting.
Those on Vance Street know they live outside of the required notification radius, but still wish they would have known sooner.
"The notification seems to hit the letter of the law," Vance Street resident Austin O'Malley said. "But not the spirit of the law."