SUBLETTE — Following the recommendation from the Sublette Planning Commission, the Sublette Village Board denied a zoning request for a special use permit to build a self-storage facility north of the village.

The Sublette Village Board met on April 12 in the Ellice Dinges Center. All members were present except Jeff Myers.

Tim Hayden, a real estate broker from Rochelle, and owner of five self-storage facilities in northern Illinois, approached the board about requesting a special use permit to rezone from AG1, for the northeast corner of U.S. Route 52 and Green Wing Road.

The area of the special use permit is not in the village limits, but within the one-mile radius of the village.

Hayden told the board the self-storage facilities are low traffic use. He added that the facility would be gated and each tenant would have its own code to access the facility. This facility, he continued, would not be a 24-hour facility. Tenants would only have access to the facility during business hours. He said this facility would have a full-time maintenance person who goes around and makes sure everything is clean, adding there would be no outside storage and no inoperable vehicles allowed. He added that there also would not be garage on site, and no garage sales, no flea markets.

Hayden said the plan is to start with 100 units, building more through three phases, ending with 300 units.

Acting Sublette Village President John Stenzel said that the village’s planning commission reviewed the village’s long-range plan and have prepared a recommendation to give to the village board. Stenzel said the planning commission voted 3-0 to recommend denying the special use permit. He added that the reasons given by the planning commission included: request does not fit the long-range plan, good fertile land for crops, will overwhelm the drainage ditch, and the facility would add more traffic to Green Wing and U.S. Route 52 than there already is.

Sublette Village Trustee Julie Kessel made a motion to deny the zoning request change. Sublette Village Trustee Robert Bulfer seconded the motion. The motion to deny the request was approved 5-0.

Stenzel said the Lee County Board still has the final say in the matter.

In other board news:

• The annual village clean-up will be held beginning at 8 a.m. sharp on Saturday, May 15. Stenzel said sign-up sheets are available at the Sublette Post Office, Bonnell’s General Store and Sublette BP. He added that this clean-up is for residents of Sublette only.
• Don Dinges reported that planning has begun on outside events in Sublette, and that they are cautiously optimistic about being able to have the events. Events being planned include: a car cruise in May, Memorial Day ceremony, tractor ride in August and car show in September.
• The board decided to continue the stay on booking rentals inside of the Ellice Dinges Center. They decided to look at this again next month during the monthly meeting.
• The board will hold its year end meeting at 7 p.m., on Thursday, April 29. During this meeting, the newly-elected officials will also be sworn in.
• The board took a moment of silence in honor of Gerald Leffelman, who was a long-time Village of Sublette Trustee, and who passed away on March 12, 2021.

The next regularly scheduled Sublette Village Board meeting will be held at 7 p.m., on Monday, May 10, in the Ellice Dinges Center.