In a packed but rather brief meeting on Tuesday evening (Oct 20), the Danville City Council gave final approval to a deal keeping the Greenhouse Megastore in town. With the previous owner George family, known for Royal Donut and Mad Goat Coffee, reacquiring the store’s assets at a bankruptcy auction after parent company BFG Supply Company filed; a reimbursement of $125,000 to help with the reacquisition was passed, along with a ten year 50% sales tax abatement worth up to $125,000.
Ben George recalled that during his family’s previous ownership, the store had about 70 employees. Upon BFG’s filing it had about 35, and the George family intends to keep the business right at 70 Eastgate Drive, on the west side of Lynch Road.
AUDIO: Our family has deep roots here in Danville, and broadly in Vermilion County. So our intention is to reestablish those roots at Greenhouse Megastore, and to keep it here for a long time; and hopefully grow it. We supply a full assortment of professional gardening supplies; including fertilizers and soils, and flower pots and equipment, and even the greenhouse structures.
Ben George talks about the George family’s reacquisition of the Greenhouse Megastore.
A special use permit for Pivot Energy to build a solar farm on the south side of West Newell Road just east of Menards was passed. Land owner Larry Dennison stated during public comment that the land is zoned for agriculture, but not productive; and that this was a move he wanted to make. Mayoral candidates Aldermen Doug Ahrens and Tricia Teague took alternate views on this; with Teague saying since the land is already zoned for Ag, and just needing the Special Use Permit, this is a good way to find use for the land on a timely basis. Ahrens, meanwhile, was one of two “no” votes, saying the land should be preserved for possible commercial development down the road. Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk spoke afterwards; saying the solar facility would be about 300 feet off the road, and a couple hundred feet from Menards.
Land owner Larry Dennison (1st Picture) and Pivot Energy’s Elan McMillan (2nd Picture) talk about the proposed solar energy farm for east of Menards, on the south side of West Newell Road.
AUDIO: I saw Alderman Ahrens’ and Alderwoman Teague’s points. Our future land use map has this zoned as Commercial. But I also see Alderman Teague’s point that this hasn’t developed in decades and decades and decades, and when is it going to, right? They do not have to go through the building permit process. A reminder, this property is out of the actual corporate limits of the City of Danville, but it’s within our zoning jurisdiction. So, we still have the zoning right here.
Meanwhile, the proposed new Danville budget and tax levy were unveiled by Comptroller Alyssa Sweeten; coming in as a $94 million budget when fund transfers are figured in, with the general funds portion checking in at $42.7 million. Total sales tax revenue comes in at $36 million; with state funding covering much of the rest of the budget. The rumbling in the background debate of “should the budget and levy once again be done at the same time” did not come up; but as mayor Rickey Williams, Jr pointed out, there will be plenty of time to talk about all this at upcoming committee and full council meetings.
AUDIO: I think it’s really important for the public to understand, though, that the reason the budget is so big is because we are finally going to be using a substantial amount of the sewer reserve that we had built up over the last few years to do some major rehabilitation sewer projects. Our actual budget, as you can see, is nowhere near that $90-some million; except that we’re using reserve funds to do major projects to improve sewer infrastructure throughout the city.
The new Danville fiscal year begins next May, but the city is required to have a tax levy turned in to the county by January 1st. Hence, both have been passed together in recent years. Stay tuned.
DeAndre Day (1st Picture) and the Reverend Ken McRae (3rd PIcture) talk about events scheduled for Thursday, November 5th. Day spoke about the Black College Fair at DHS from 4:30 to 6:30 PM; while McRae spoke about the planned mayoral forum at 6 PM at the Fischer Theatre.
