The Urbana City Council will discuss an ordinance requesting the rezoning of the block on Lincoln Avenue between Church and Hill streets from residential housing to neighborhood business zoning during its Tuesday meeting.

Howard Wakeland, owner of Advantage Properties, owns nine of the 11 properties on the block, seven of which hold single-family houses and four of which are vacant. The two other properties are owned and occupied by families who, unlike their neighbors, have declined offers to sell their homes to Wakeland.

Wakeland first tried in May 2008 to rezone the properties, located two blocks north of University Avenue, to a general business zone but withdrew his application after facing opposition at a public hearing that month. The meeting minutes show Wakeland wanted to rezone in order to “turn a rundown area into something that would bring the city more tax revenue.”

Wakeland submitted an application for rezoning for the second time last fall, this time for neighborhood business zoning, which is more restrictive than general business zoning in the types of businesses it allows.

Between October and December 2012, city plan commission members discussed the issue and on Dec. 20 voted unanimously to recommend that the city council approve the properties for neighborhood business zoning.

Wakeland could not be reached for comment despite several attempts.

Tyler Fitch, member of the Plan Commission, said that when the application came in four years ago, he was not in support of the rezoning, but as the area has changed so has his vote.

“I changed my mind because of some changes in the neighborhood,” he said. “Carle has expanded to the north … (and) the street has been widened and is a high-traffic corridor.”

Fitch said he thinks eventually the west side of Lincoln Avenue will become commercial.

Some council members, however, think that because residents still live in the proposed rezoning area, now is not the time to commercialize the block.

Alderman Dennis Roberts, Ward 5, said that while Wakeland’s long-range plans might be in accord with the city for the future, the city is not currently ready for this rezoning.

“If we were to rezone, we would be acting as an agent to force the current homeowners to have to consider selling out the property at a devaluation of their homes,” he said.

Alderman Eric Jakobsson, Ward 2, is also concerned about the current residents who are surrounded by Wakeland’s properties but wish to continue living in a residential area.

“There’s always this tension between quality of life in residential neighborhoods and densities that will maximize a commercial profit,” he said. “The government’s job is to find that right balance.” 

Alderman Charlie Smyth, Ward 1, said that balance may be achieved through planned unit development, a collaborative process that brings together the developer, city council and neighborhood to plan redevelopment of the area.

“This lets you bring in a design and specific things, so when you build, you work with the neighborhood and build something that fits with the other uses of that neighborhood,” he said. “It lets you do a lot of give and take.”

If planned unit development were used, the properties would remain as residential zoning, but Wakeland would still have the opportunity to develop businesses so long as the community approves of the redevelopment.

The Urbana City Council will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the city building, 400 S. Vine St.

Corinne can be reached at [email protected].