HANDS > Zoning History

A Brief Look at Macomb's Zoning History

This information gathered with the wonderful help of the people who work in the Archives/Special Collections area of the Western Illinois University Library. Thank you!

Items with an *asterisk denote special provision for planning, surveillance, or enforcement methods.

Year	Action/Event
1957	City hires planning consultant firm Scruggs & Hammond, Peoria, IL., to *investigate and develop the cities first 'Comprehensive Plan'. Plan published on June 29, 1956, entitled "A Comprehensive Plan for the City of Macomb". Of note- 65% of housing units in Macomb are owner occupied. July 15- The code was adopted by the city.
1963	Municipal code successfully challeged in court. Court finds against the city code because it was 'not properly published'. City council votes to amend city code & publish it.
1964	New municipal code adopted. Again revised, compiled, and edited by Edwin Harris, Attorney at Law. *City establishes requirement of building permits (surveillance and planning) & board of appeals (enforcement).
1965	*City hires planning consultant firm Scruggs & Hammond, Peoria, IL., to investigate and develop a 'Comprehensive Plan'. Plan finished, with recommendations, in October and published. Entitled "Plans for the Future; A Comprehensive Plan for the City of Macomb". Of note- "One of the basic objectives of the Planning Commission and Council in guiding future developments should be the preservation of community neighborhoods"... a recurring theme in all subsequent plans to date.
1966	Revised zoning ordinances amended to fit planning recommendations and adopted.
1972	Municipal code amended, adopted, and published on April 5, 1972 by the Municipal Code Corporation, Tallahassee, Florida.
1973	*Analysis of city plan and administration. Revision of Comprehensive Long Term Plan by James H. Garver, General Planning & Resource Consultants. "Suggested Plan Administration Program". p. 15- "Far too many actions are taken with reference to municipal developments, studies, & other matters which are not referred to the planning commission for review & recommendations as to their effect upon the comprehensive plan".
1974	City rezones N. Lafayette St. to allow Savings & Loan building to be developed. Substantial opposition from neighbors noted. Owner promises to keep good landscaping to block noise; prevent traffic from entry/exit into the alley; enforce traffic/parking regulations; keep dust down. *2000- every one of the promises made by that owner broken and all fears expressed by neighbors have come to pass.
1976	City redefines some zoning definitions.
1980	City discusses stricter zoning. "[planning] Commission member Alan Laflin drew the attention of [sic] at the meeting to the 'deterioration' of West Adams Street, which is now mostly rental properties occupied by Western Illinois University students". Macomb Daily Journal, September 25, 1980. "City Attorney Bruce Biagini noted that homes in this area were once zoned single-family, but are now zoned muliple-family, permitting landlords to rent the homes out to more people than they were designed to accomodate. Furthermore, the city is not allowed to 'down-zone' this ares after it is already being used for multiple-family purposes, Biagini said. One option to prevent the spread of such housing would be to down-zone areas which are still used as single-family dwellings from multiple-family to single-family, before the properties are used for student housing, Biagini continued". Macomb Daily Journal, September 25, 1980. We could find no action (other than discussion) taken on these topics.
1989	*Comprehenive Plan reviewed and revised by the Institute for Regional & Community Studies, Western Illinois University, January, 1989. This plan is the most recent plan adopted by the city. p. 17- Owner occupied housing at the time of this plans adoption was 53.3%, while renter occupied housing (excluding all WIU housing) was occupied by 46.7% of the units.
1994	*Macomb planning voted to hire consulting firm "Camiros of Chicago" to help update the unified development ordinance to minimize or eliminate ambiguity or possible misinterpretation. "Anytime you have an ordinance that an individual has to interpret, the city leaves itself open to criticisms, lawsuits, or whatever" -Gary Ziegler. Quoted from "City Takes Steps On Unified Ordinance", Oct. 28, 1994 Macomb Daily Journal.
1998	Extended the zoning authority 1.5 miles outside of city of Macomb to "protect area against non-neighborhood compatable development". Protests from landowners, other groups noted.
2001	Rental units account for 51% of all housing in our city (not including any WIU owned rentals, and numerous other rentals which are not registered). A comparison to other cities Galesburg 37% Monmouth 35% Canton 33% Quincy 36% Source- Gary Ziegler, Speech to Macomb Chapter League of Women Voters, "Rental Inspection Program", July 13, 2001. City passes change number of unrelated individuals allowed to reside in R1-R2 housing. Begins rental inspection program.