The City Council will consider updates to the city’s comprehensive plan, Unified Development Code and zoning map during its regular meeting today at City Hall.

Some updates have been long-waited, mainly the zoning map, which has not been updated since its adoption in 1969.

“This was a big change,” said Mayor John Inyart of the zoning map.

Inyart assembled a committee three years ago to review all three items and propose changes.

Inyart said the proposed update to the zoning map was needed because areas in Charleston have changed its makeup since 40 years ago.

He said the committee examined every piece of property in Charleston, examined how the zoning changed and tried to predict how the area could change in the future based off current trends.

City Planner Steve Pamperin said the changes to the map include a new governmental district and a removal of a multi-family residential district.

Inyart said the Unified Development Code, which was adopted in 2003, contains all the zoning ordinances. He said the comprehensive plan deals with long-range plans for the city.

Pamperin said the proposed update to the plan includes changes to the city’s goals and objectives. He said many goals have been achieved since the plan was adopted in 1999.

The Zoning Board has conducted public hearings over the past two months about the proposed updates to the three items. Changes were recommended during the hearings and reflected in the proposed updates, Inyart said.

The council will also discuss a zoning and variance issue with the development of a Heritage Woods retirement home along Polk Avenue and Cougill Drive.

Inyart said the developers want to divide a large parcel of land that would allow them to build a new retirement home, which the council has to endorse. An existing retirement home from the same developer already exists on the parcel.

If the parcel is divided, the council then has to decide on a variance request to allow Heritage Woods to build a larger retirement home.

Inyart said zoning only allows for a 10,000-square-foot building to be built on that particular piece of land. Developers want to build a 28,000 square-foot building.

Inyart said the retirement home would be located in a residential and small business district.

The council will also consider entering into two annual contracts with Coles County Regional Planning.

One contract is for $20,100 to allow the group to administer funds that help local businesses that are retaining or increasing jobs, Inyart said.

The other contract should not exceed $7,000 for the year. It allows the group to assist the city when applying for grants and administering home loan grants.

Inyart said the contract is less defined because the group’s service with applying for grants varies each year.

Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or at sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.