Danville mayor Rickey Williams, Jr has confirmed that last Friday, June 23rd, a judge declared a default against Bresee Towner owner C.A. Collins Enterprises. Corporation Counsel James Simon explained during Tuesday evening’s (June 27th) City Council Public Services committee meeting that the default was granted because the ownership had not hired legal representation.
Simon further explained that Chris Collins now has a period of time from Friday’s ruling to have a complete inspection done on the building, and then time after that to decide what to do. Mayor Williams explained further.
AUDIO: They are required within 14 days to have a full inspection of the building, interior and exterior, from top to bottom. Within seven days after that, they’re supposed to submit a plan to us.
Mayor Williams says if CA Collins Enterprises does not meet those requirements, the city can seek a judgement to be able to begin work on legally having Bresee Tower, along with the neighboring Vermilion County Court Annex Building, torn down for good. The Danville Historic Preservation Commission has already given approval for the tear down to occur. Mayor Williams says, there would be work to do, but then the tear down could proceed before the end of this calendar year.
AUDIO: So we would have to finalize our intergovernmental agreement with the county to demolish that and the wraparound courthouse annex; and then select a contract.
The next court date for C.A. Collins Enterprises is July 18th.
Danville City Council Public Services Committee at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Meanwhile, it was decided during Tuesday evening’s Public Services Committee meeting that Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk will indeed have his department look over the current zoning rules for cannabis dispensaries. After a recent applicant was turned down by the Planning and Zoning Commission to be the possible third dispensary along Lynch Road, there has been talk of changing the city ordinance to allow such dispensaries in other places besides the Lynch Road Corridor.
But as was pointed out during the meeting, by both Mayor Williams and Logan Cronk; so far, pretty much every state license holder wanting to build a dispensary in Danville has preferred the Lynch Road location off I-74 near the Indiana border, and nowhere else; at least for now.
AUDIO: Even when we’ve given them the option; and said, “Look, we can work with the Council to consider change this ordinance so it can be allowed other places;” even with that option they’ve all said “We want to be on Lynch Road.”
AUDIO: That’s what we’re seeing at this point and time. But we do see that evolving as more licenses are released to the State of Illinois in the future.
Logan Cronk asked during the meeting if he should also look into changing the zoning laws for cannabis growth enters as well. The answer was yes. Committee member and Alderman Rick Strebing emphasized that answer by saying, “If you open up the can of worms, you might as well look at all of it.”
