New Elburn property owners on Main Street request zoning change for business

A new look for the building at 412 N. Main St. in Elburn will follow a new zoning change, according to the new owners of the property.

The building, south of the former Deaconry and directly across Route 47 from the Elburn and Countryside Community Center, is a single-family house that was converted into two apartments.

Owners Molly Jo and Mark Nyman attended the Sept. 18 Elburn Village Board meeting where the change in zoning from residential (R-1) to office/service district (B-3) was granted by the board.

“The two apartments will remain for the foreseeable future,” Molly Jo Nyman said. “It will be five to 10 years before we put a business there.”

Village Administrator John Nevenhoven said B-3 is an “overlay” district, which provides for the conversion of dwellings and the construction of new buildings along Route 47 to office and business service uses. The village has encouraged the repurposing of older buildings along Route 47 from the Deaconry property south to Steltzer Street for business use. Properties that have made this change include Amazing Grace, Tom’s Dentistry, Sadie’s on Main, Conley Funeral Home and Conley Outreach.

According to the zoning ordinance, the use of designation of B-3 is “intended to stabilize and enhance property values by encouraging renovation, restoration and rehabilitation of existing buildings in the vicinity of the downtown without the loss of landmark buildings and residential character typical of Elburn.”

The Nymans said renovation of the interior and exterior in the near term will significantly improve the look of the home. For the future, they will work with the village to determine a good use for the property, as well as for new construction on the adjacent property. They said they have an open mind for mixed uses, including professional offices, retail and/or residential.