The village of Brookfield has extended a moratorium on accepting any special use applications for the Eight Corners or Station Area zoning districts while village staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission continue to examine just what uses they wish to permit in those commercial and mixed-use districts.
Initially imposed for six months back in April, the moratorium was extended another four months by village trustees in a unanimous vote on Oct. 8.
Village President Kit Ketchmark said that with Village Manager Timothy Wiberg starting in that position on Sept. 24, “We’re trying to give him a chance to get up to speed on this.”
In August, the Planning and Zoning Commission put off a vote on a staff recommendation that would have made wholesale changes to the land use table in the C3 zoning district, which encompasses Eight Corners.
The proposed changes would have permitted only restaurants, bars, prepared food businesses, multifamily and mixed-use buildings, financial services businesses, healthcare offices, personal improvement services (such as hair and nail salons) and pet-grooming businesses by right.
But planning and zoning commissioners were uncomfortable with prohibiting other uses that would encourage public assembly, such as entertainment venues, like video arcades, for example.
The moratorium was imposed in the wake of the village board granting a special use permit for religious assembly for two hours each Sunday to the owner of the Compassion Factory art gallery and studio at 9210 Broadway Ave.
Some residents and business owners feared such a decision would lead to a church at Eight Corners, a district the village envisions as a pedestrian-oriented commercial district.
Planning and zoning commissioners felt that the focus on limiting the ability of someone erecting a church at Eight Corners might have unintended consequences by eliminating businesses that would be desirable at Eight Corners.
The Planning and Zoning Commission likely will resume its discussion of the proposed changes to the C3 land use table in November. The village board will have the final say on any changes that are made.
