Resident protests highway committee's verbal restriction

Benton Street resident Tadd Nelson claims the county made a discriminatory decision on his request for a double culvert system on his two-acre lot. Nelson told the Grundy County Board during the regular monthly meeting Tuesday evening there are no written restrictions in the county regarding double culvert drainage systems. However, he said the five-member County Highway Committee verbally denied his request to install the system on his property. Nelson said he was told the verbal restriction has been in place the past 15 years. Had he known the committee would deny his request, Nelson said he would not have purchased the two-acre lot south of the Illinois River. He said after the committee denied his request, he found five other properties in the county with double culvert systems. Nelson said he approached the County Highway Department a second time with his findings, but that his request was again denied. “I feel all landowners should be treated equally,” he told the county board. Nelson said he believes verbal zoning restrictions should be forbidden. He said his property would not be used for commercial purposes. He also noted more than 50 properties in the county have multiple culvert drainage. Nelson protested the fact only requests that are OK'd by the appropriate committee come before the full county board for its approval. “Three or four committee members shouldn't have the final decision when you have 18 members on the full board,” he said. “It's unfair for the board to hold me to a provision that's not even written down.”

Veteran saluted Ben Kelly of Morris was recognized by the board as the Grundy County military veteran of the month. The World War II Air Force enlistee was introduced by board member Ken Iverson, who quoted the lead and end paragraphs from Kelly's writing of his experience. “It makes me feel so good to realize our later generations haven't forgotten the military personnel who served our nation during World War II, which resulted in eventual surrender of the German Third Reich and the Japanese Imperial forces,” Iverson read. “It is truly amazing how a war can reshape one's destiny, but if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing except eliminate the war.” In thanking the board for the recognition, Kelly said he stayed stateside during the war because of a vision issue, and did not see combat.