By Ben Rodgers
Staff Writer

HOBART – The Hobart Village Board continued to work on a proposed weapons discharge amendment at its Tuesday, Jan. 2 meeting.

Aaron Kramer, village administrator brought the board a process through the Planning and Zoning Commission for residents to request an exemption from the current weapons discharge overlay map districting.

“After considerable discussion the village board asked the staff to come back with a different proposal that would basically incorporate state statue with our local ordinance, based in part with the ordinance that’s in effect in Lawrence about carving out certain areas of the village that are more developed which would be bow hunting only, ” Kramer said after the meeting.

Essentially with the proposed changes gun hunting would be allowed in season in rural Hobart but state laws would still apply, including restrictions on hunting near schools, churches, playgrounds and residential areas, where bow hunting may be allowed.

“I imagine this discussion will go on for at least a couple more months,” Kramer said.

He also welcomed public input at future meetings.

“I don’t want people thinking we’re going to show the board something and they’re going to approve it,” Kramer said. “We’re going to want some public input.”

An ordinance regarding heating appliances in residential areas was also discussed on Jan. 2.

The first reading went over what types of heating appliances not contained within the primary or principal structure on a parcel are allowed in all districts, excluding agricultural, according to Allyn Dannhoff, director of neighborhood services.

“In short the typical outdoor wood boiler, the general manner in which they are operated where they’re loaded up with wood and kind of dampered down to get a long burn out of it, has been expressed by residents over the years to be undesirable in various neighborhoods just due to the long hanging smoke that type of operation creates,” Dannhoff said.

He said while the technology has gotten better, the operation is not conducive to developed areas of the village.

“We’re anticipating action on Jan. 16, however if through the public hearing process we find there is a cause to consider significant modifications through the proposal, it is possible the village board would defer action to the first meeting in February,” he said.

The village board also approved a change to the stormwater utility management ordinance, which will help some developments.

The changes will affect large industrial and commercial developments and have no effect on residential.

“We’re just trying to make it more responsive to larger projects that take a little longer to build, so that they don’t have to pay the full stormwater fee before they are built out or completed,” Kramer said.

The village board also had a lengthy closed session with only one item requiring action once it reconvened.

“After its closed session, the board approved the sale of a parcel, which is slightly more than one acre in size, in TIF District No. 1 to Centennial Centre Marketplace, LLC.” Kramer said. “Per their development agreement, the developer had the option to purchase one of two lots at a pre-determined price of $40,000 per acre.”

As per reaching an agreement with developer Tom Juza on a residential development called The Yard at Hobart Crossing nothing has been finalized.

“Negotiations are continuing but are rapidly coming to a conclusion,” Kramer said.