Take care when approving variances

The Mattoon Planning Commission recently approved a variance to the City Sign Ordinance. The variance was to allow for a 30-foot sign at KC Summers Buick. The ordinance limits the height to 25 feet in town.

The sign ordinance was passed several years ago after several large billboards were placed throughout town. The ordinance was patterned from one from another town. And most of the restrictions came from the pattern ordinance.

When considering variance, the review boards should be considering if the characteristics of the subject property differ from others in the area. Do the restrictions in the ordinance place a hardship on that property that is different than the other properties in the area?

Does the restriction interfere with the use of the property? Or will business not be affected by the restriction? Is the restriction on the property necessary in order to satisfy the purpose of the ordinance, or can relief be granted to this property without frustrating the purpose of the ordinance? Would the granting of the variance create a private or public nuisance?

If all of these conditions are met, then the variance can be granted. The board should be considering if the property meets the criteria for the variance, not if no harm would be done if the variance were granted.

They also should consider their argument if the variance gets challenged. Can their reasons for choosing not to follow the approved code stand up in court? And who bears the cost of correcting matters if it doesn’t? More than likely, the taxpayers.

In August of 2002, a sign variance was granted to Home Depot for increased surface area on their sign near Interstate 57. In December of 2003, a sign variance was granted to Comer Mazda for distance and height restrictions. In November of 2004, a sign variance was granted to American Financial Choice along Lake Land Boulevard. In August of 2005 a sign variance was granted to Dannie Gordon for a business at 520 N. 19th Street. Now a variance to KC Summers has been approved for additional height in Midtown Mattoon.

To my knowledge, no variance to the Mattoon Sign Ordinance applied for has ever been denied. The only people affected by the ordinance are those who don’t apply for a variance.

I don’t have much of a problem with any of the variances granted above. But with so many inconsistencies with the ordinance approved, one must question if the ordinance is achieving its goals. The ordinance should be followed, repealed, or amended to standards that the City feels is fair to its citizens.

Remember why we observe Memorial Day

The last Monday in May, we celebrate Memorial Day. It is a celebration of remembrance of service of men and women who gave their lives for their country. Originally, Memorial Day honored those who had died in the Civil War. Now, it honors those who died in all military conflicts.

Many communities lay claim to the first Memorial Day. But in 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y. as the birthplace of this holiday. The people of Waterloo proclaimed May 5, 1866 to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War. They closed their businesses and placed flowers and flags on the graves of their soldiers. Flags were flown at half-mast.

General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed Memorial Day on May 5, 1868. It was first observed on May 30 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971. It is celebrated on the last Monday in May to ensure a three-day weekend for Federal holidays.

In 1915, Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon in the Canadian Military, authored the poem In Flanders Field. It expressed McCrae's grief over the "row on row" of graves of soldiers who had died on Flanders' battlefields of World War I. The poem presented a striking image of the bright red flowers blooming among the rows of white crosses and became a rallying cry to all who fought in the First World War.

Moina Michael was inspired by the poem to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.

Madam Guerin from France learned of this new custom and made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women in France. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1922, the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.

Traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. Many no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. Few know the story behind the poppies. There are no local parades honoring the Day.

So while you’re at your cookout, or at the campground, or beach, this weekend, take a minute to remember why it is you have the day off. Take a moment to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our safety and freedom.

In Flanders Fields
By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
between the crosses, row on row,
that mark our place; and in the sky
the larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
we shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

What are the plans for those building sites?

Well, its building demolition time again. It just doesn’t feel right if there is not a building coming down somewhere in town. On tap next is the 1700 block of Broadway. If you remember, the demolition of this block was proposed in the 2005 redevelopment plan for downtown Mattoon.

We were told demolition was necessary to meet the goals of the plan; increase parking, increase green space, and create a sense of place for downtown Mattoon. Seemed most believed that since it was on the plan, it had to be a good idea.

Private investors bought up the block and existing businesses were forced out. Some were able to relocate in town, some moved out of town, some closed altogether. After almost nine months of vacancy, demolition has finally begun.

We learned recently that there are no definate plans for the site. The private developer has made it clear there is no long term plans for the property. And the City of Mattoon is not involved with the property. So business was disrupted and buildings are being razed for no reason.

This is not the first time in recent years this phenomenon has occurred in town. When it was theorized that the Central School site was to be developed into a strip mall and low rent housing, the School District answered back that the property was not for sale yet. The building has been razed and there are no plans for the site.

In December of 2004, Sullen and Son’s building was torn down to increase visibility to “The Bank”. Bank officials stated at that time, there were no definitive plans for that site. Another building razed with no future plans in mind. Two buildings were also razed across from County Market along 20th Street. That site is still empty.

The Lincoln School site is being used for building trades, and the Bennett site was purchased by Lytle Park, but the Washington and Columbian sites are vacant.

Tearing down buildings with no plans is nothing new in town. In 2001, Red’s Tavern was razed. In 1990, Frosty’s Tavern at 19th and Broadway, and Wade’s Corner at 19th and Western were razed. Those sites are all still vacant today. K & S Transfer across from the YMCA was razed in 2000. Icenogle’s was torn down in 1996. That site was vacant for 10 years until recently. The list goes on and on.

These sites were not cleared for new growth. They were not even cleared to increase parking. They were cleared with no solid plans for future improvements. Now they sit empty, awaiting development. Lets hope the 1700 block of Broadway doesn’t become an empty site for years to come.

Keep funding for the East Central Illinois Drug Task Force

The proposed federal budget for 2007 proposes the elimination of the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, which is used to fund the East Central Illinois Drug Task Force (ECIDTF). Funding for the Task Force was cut by more than 50% for 2006 and will be eliminated in 2007 if this budget passes.

According to the White House budget:
The President’s Budget reduces or eliminates a number of programs that do not have a record of producing results, including: General purpose State and local law enforcement programs, such as the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, which are not able to demonstrate an impact on reducing crime. A 2005 PART assessment of the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants also found the program’s lack of long-term goals and measures inhibited targeting of resources to address real crime needs, notwithstanding funding of $542 million in 2005 and $327 million in 2006. Eliminating this program will save $327 million a year. (source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/justice.html)

Contrary to the above statement, the Byrne Grant has had an enormous impact on reducing crime. In 2004, task forces funded in part by JAG were responsible for busting more than 5,600 meth labs, and seizing more than 54,000 weapons and large quantities of powder cocaine, crack, heroin, meth and marijuana. In Illinois cops made over 1,200 meth-related arrests and seize nearly 350,000 grams of meth.

Locally, from 2001-05, 431 meth labs have been processed, and over the past two years, there have been 189 meth arrests. During the same period, there have been 70 cocaine arrests and 49 cannabis arrests by the ECIDTF.

Recently, 15 people from Coles, Douglas and Moultrie counties were arrested on drug-related charges involving methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. Agents from the East Central Drug Task Force agents and officers from nine local or state law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation.

This proposed cut has not gone unnoticed. The Attorneys General of 51 states, territories and the District of Columbia sent a letter to leaders of both parties in the U.S. House and Senate and to high-ranking members of the appropriations committees in both bodies asking to restore funding to the program.
The National Criminal Justice Association, the National Narcotics Officers Association, the National Sheriffs' Association, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Counties and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have all asked Congress to protect funding for state and local law enforcement efforts

Congress is hearing the noises these groups are making. Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Jim Nussle restored $900 million in Justice Assistance Grant funding in the federal budget currently moving through Congress.

30 Senators wrote U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, to include $900 million in federal funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program when it crafts the fiscal year 2007 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Bill. Illinois Senator Barack Obama was among them. "It's one thing to cut a program that's wasteful or doesn't work," said Obama. "But Byrne Grants have made a real difference.”

Proposing the elimination of the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program may turn out to be the best thing for it. It has brought attention to the program and in turn, wide bipartisan support for fully funding it. But the fight isn’t over yet. Hold your elected representatives feet to the fire; don’t let them back down. The East Central Illinois Drug Task Force a valuable tool for fighting crime in this area. And without this funding, they will more than likely be disbanded.