Huntley Board of Trustees unanimously passes 180-day moratorium on future ‘pop-up’ COVID-19 testing sites

HUNTLEY – At the Jan. 27 Huntley Village Board meeting, Village Manager Dave Johnson presented to the trustees the reason behind why village staff was requesting a 180-day moratorium, or a temporary prohibition, on zoning applications or issuances of building permits or certificates of occupancy for “pop-up” COVID-19 testing centers.

In a previous news article, My Huntley News reported that the Jan. 27 Village Board meeting agenda packet listed five COVID-19 testing sites being operational in Huntley. Johnson told trustees that that staff report was outdated.

“So, there are currently three temporary pop-up COVID testing centers located within the village. We obviously know that the facility in front of Union Special is closed and also we believe the facility on Vine Street is closed,” Johnson explained to trustees.

Village staff hopes that the 180-day moratorium would address the fact that the current Huntley Zoning Ordinance doesn’t have any language that specifically addresses testing centers as a land use within the village or specify the zoning districts in which these centers may be located.

“Based on the emerging trends regarding the establishment and operation of these testing centers in the village and other communities, and the village’s initial experience with these [centers], staff is recommending reviewing various aspects of the Zoning Ordinance and considering whether they should be amended to more specifically and appropriately address potential impacts of these testing centers on public health, safety, and welfare, and to reflect the village’s land-use policies and long-range planning goals,” said Johnson.

Johnson added that the 180-day moratorium will allow for the Plan Commission to undertake a review of potential amendments to the Zoning Ordinance regarding testing centers and thereafter make recommendations to the Village Board.

Following Johnson’s presentation, Trustee Harry Leopold asked how the remaining Huntley-area pop-up COVID-19 testing centers obtained the ability to operate within the village.

“Our review of that has been that they were permitted use under [the] medical office category or under those zoning classifications as a medical office. So, what we are identifying is exactly what you’re stating. We believe that [testing centers] are other uses that probably deserve and need to have some additional review and scrutiny before we could just issue an occupancy permit for them,” responded Johnson.

As for the fate of the Center for COVID Control’s mobile office trailer that was located at the Union Special Plaza parking lot, Johnson had told My Huntley News via email that the trailer was expected to be removed from the property within two weeks from Jan. 24.

Huntley trustees voted unanimously to pass the 180-day moratorium relating to the development of COVID-19 or infectious disease testing centers.