Owensville Aldermen on Monday held two brief public hearings on rezoning request and later granted both by ordinance.

Aldermen also approved an ordinance allowing a previously tabled rezoning request.

Dale Gruenloh’s plan to construct a pair of quad-plex units or one six-plex between 103 and 109 Kosark Road. The proposed building site is adjacent to, but separate, from his Gruenloh Estates subdivision which is bordered by Kosark, Schuenemeyer and Kuhne roads.

Each unit is expected to provide 900 square feet of living space in a two-bedroom configuration. The development which will sit on 1.5 acres of ground will face Kosark, the public was told.

Travis Hernandez, the city’s contracted engineer with Archer-Elgin, read an email into the record which he received from Charlie Reed, a resident in the area.

Reed pointed out the neighborhood was primarily zone R-1 for single family dwellings and their property value was based on this. Gruenloh’s request was for the R-1 site to become usable for multi-family (R-3) housing.

Gruenloh said he planned to sell of the units when they are finished in response to a question from Ward 1 Alderman Kevin McFadden. He plans to start construction in the summer of 2024.

In the second hearing, Robert Thomas sought approval for a rezoning from R-1 (single family residential) to R-3 (multi-family) to build a two-story duplex at 1008 North Cedar. An old single-family dwelling was removed from the site which adjoins an alley.

Hernandez informed the board and public the site will require a variance from the Board of Adjustments since there would be limited set-backs available on the “odd-shaped” lot which is long and narrow. Each of the duplex units are expected to have 1,300 square feet of living space. He plans to live in one of them.

A property owner on Cedar asked if building a duplex would affect property values in the neighborhood.

“That’s a question I can’t answer,” Hernandez replied.

Mayor John Kamler pointed out, “we’re not real estate agents or assessors.”

Aldermen would vote unanimously on roll-call votes to grant both rezoning requests. Gruenloh’s request was formally approved with passage of Ordinance No. 1433. The Thomas request was approved through Ordinance No. 1434.

Tabled previously, the rezoning request by Jim Moritz for a planned development of duplexes between West Monroe and West Franklin came up for a vote, Cathy Lahmeyer inquired about previous questions posed by aldermen when they first considered an ordinance in November regarding the rezoning from R-1 to R-4 (multi-family).

Hernandez noted the plan calls for one access off of West Monroe and said concerns about water drainage will be addressed in the design stage of the property. He did not offer any mention of a concern posed by McFadden last month when he asked if Moritz planned to build and rent the duplexes or sell off the development.

McFadden then introduced the ordinance which was read three times by title and lead paragraph and approved 4-0 by roll-call vote.