PEORIA, Ill. — Despite loud opposition from local residents this week, Peoria city council members have approved special permitting for a new Air-BnB style short term rental property in Peoria’s upscale Grandview Drive neighborhood.
Before the final vote Tuesday, one local resident after another came forward pleading with council to reject the proposed permit.
Resident Gary Newhouse told Council there remain concerns with increased vehicle traffic and safety but, “also there’s just the thought that we would lose the quiet enjoyment of our property.”
District 3 Councilman Timothy Riggenbach argued in favor of approving the business.
“I think there’s an unfair assumption about who is actually going to be living in there. We have not had any follow up complaints to our code enforcement or to our police department, since we’ve started this, about trouble,” said Riggenbach.
He encouraged local residents to embrace those who use the property and show them how welcoming Peorians can be.
The opposition expressed Tuesday night was enough, though, to sway three council members into voting “no” during the meeting, but it wasn’t enough to stop the special permit from being approved.
The final vote was 7 to 3 in favor of the special use.
Council members voting against it were District 1 Councilor Denise Jackson, District 2’s Chuck Grayeb and At-Large Councilwoman Elizabeth Jensen.
Over the past 12 to 18 months, City Council has conducted case-by-case reviews of each specific short term rental, approving most of them without much noticeable opposition.
WAIT REDUCED FOR VIDEO GAMING TERMINALS
Also on Tuesday, as part of their consent agenda, Peoria City Council members quickly approved an updated proposal to shorten the wait time for businesses seeking to add video gambling terminals.
Initially, a proposal would have reduced the wait time from 24 months to 12, but the updated recommendation from Peoria’s corporation counsel was for the wait to be reduced to just six months.
The updated proposal gained unanimous approval Tuesday.
Video gaming has become enormously profitable for local establishments, gaming terminal operators and taxing authorities alike, raking in more than $90,000 in tax revenue for Peoria in just one month this year.
