SHADOW EFFECT: Will the city council be shown the shadow effect on all of the property affected by St. James’ cathedral?

All of last week I attempted to have Arc Design Resources (Jeff Lickenheld) provide a shadow analysis of the properties on Caswell Street (535 and 545 Caswell).  I call Mayor Brereton four times and as it stands now Arc Design will provide shadow analysis for these two properties at or before tonight’s council meeting.  We will see if that comes true.  At this time I wish to provide a brief history of this issue.

The initial report from Belvidere Zoning Depart staff discussed shadow effects and may have been a major reason for staff’s recommendation of a 50 feet height limit on the new St. James Church.  Testimony at the commission hearing indicated that Arc Design did do shadow analysis but it did not provide the analysis to the staff or public.  Mr. Mike Mattus, 320 Church Street , provided me shadow analysis of his home which I posted at:  http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/07/7-29-new-st-james-church-many-questions.html  Mr. Mattus stated that Father Geary gave him these drawings when Father stopped by and requested that Mike consider selling his home to the parish.

Mr. Linkenheld’s revised application of August 22 supplies December shadow analysis for Mr. Mattus home and the other house on Church Street  but does not show the afternoon effects on the two homes on Caswell. (SEE: pages 11 thru 21 of the 54 page PDF  file on:  http://www.boonecountyil.org/sites/default/files/St.%20James%20revised%20submittal.pdf)  This is also posted in brief form at:  http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/st-james-revised-plans.html

There is a progression as shown by the shadow diagrams that were supplied on August 22.  Shadows move in a clockwise directions and are shortest at 12 noon. The shadow at 12:00 is in the crosswalk between Mr. Mattus’ house and the old St. James Church. Those shadows will grow longer and move across  Caswell Street and in the afternoon will touch the two Caswell Street homes.  The length of those shadows will be quite long because ground elevation is four feet lower on Caswell compared to the 64 foot height used for the analysis of the Church Street properties.

 

 

Yes—and what about the afternoon (1PM, 2PM, 3PM etc.) and the two houses on Caswell Street? The shortest shadow is at 12 Noon.