Issue date: 6/25/09 Section: News

The property on 400 block of Polk Ave will be discussed tonight at the zoning hearing at City Hall. The issue of whether or not the building will include 34 units rather than 17 units is the main issue of concern for owner Chad Phillips. (Jeff Jurinek/The Daily Eastern News)

The property on the corner of 4th and Polk will be an issue at hand during the zoning hearing tonight at City Hall.

The property, co-owned by Chad Phillips, is located at 403 and 407 Polk Ave.

During the hearing tonight at 7 p.m., Phillips is hoping to see his new building layout approved for the apartments he has plans to construct.

"We are wanting to put in 34 units with one or two bedrooms instead of the 17 original units with three to four bedrooms," Phillips said.

Phillips said he thinks this will eliminate some of the noise and party atmosphere that tends to come with the units with more bedrooms.

Deborah Muller, the Charleston City Clerk, seems to think that this may or may not help the noise level.

"If those one or two people have a couple people spend the night, then the noise level is back up to a high with only a couple guests," Muller said.

Phillips said the same amount of people will be able to live in the complex but the separation into smaller units is the key to keeping the noise levels down.

"I really don't know how they will react to this change, chances are you will have opposition on the building itself, not the issue at hand," Phillips said. "The opposition is going to be there regardless, but the question is, wouldn't they rather have one and two's to cut the noise and the unruliness out?"

The other property going before the board tonight will be the Livingston Lord Property located at 838 Seventh St.

This property is owned by Thomas and Salisa Olmsted from Painted Lady Properties, Inc. They are hoping to open a bed and breakfast establishment. Muller said though both of these properties are on the agenda, the board may not be able to make quorum.

"I have had three of the seven confirm they will be there, and I am still waiting to here from one," Muller said. "If four members are present both issues will go straight to continuance."

If the board cannot reach quorum, they will meet again on July 16.

Kayleigh Zyskowski can be reached at 581-7943 or at kzyskowski@eiu.edu.

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