Council approves expansion of car dealership lot, plan for chief replacement
Published 8:42 pm Monday, May 18, 2026
QUINCY — Over the objection of neighbors, the Quincy City Council approved the expansion of a paved parking lot for a long-standing Quincy business.
Neighbors raised objections to the expansion of the paved portion of the Ron Snider Auto Sales lot to the east based on an agreement reached in 1971.
Jason Parrott, the city’s director of planning, said the lot in question was given a special designation in the 1971 agreement, splitting the 75-foot lot with 42 feet west of the current pavement end being zoned for commercial use while the 33 feet eastern part of the lot, currently a grass area, is zoned for residential.
According to Parrott, if the lot was being developed as a commercial property today, there would be a requirement to have a 15-foot buffer zone with sight-proof landscaping, through the use of a fence, trees, shrubs, or other features.
Kent Snider, who inherited the business from his father, said that there are no plans to sell the business or the family-owned home neighboring the property to expand the lot further.
Neighbors raised objections to what they believe will be more business traffic even closer to the nearby homes, noting that it’s their beleif any commercial activity along State Street should be limited as much as possible to maintain the residential nature of the area.
On a vote of 10-2, the council approved the requested special-use permit to allow Ron Snider Auto Sales to expand the parking lot to the east. Ald. Tony Sassen, R-4, and Jack Holtschlag, D-7, voted against the permit, while Mike Adkins, R-3, and Jake Reed, R-6, were absent.
The council unanimously approved a proposed initial roadmap for seeking out the next Quincy police chief following Adam Yates’s announcement that he plans to retire in July.
At the recommendation of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, the city will utilize the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) to identify candidates to serve as an interim chief for a period of around 90 days following Yates’s retirement while taking steps to find the next full-time chief.
According to Mayor Linda Moore, the interim position could be filled internally, but a common occurrence is to have a retired chief or deputy chief come in to lead the department during the transition period. Based on the initial plan, Moore said, the hope would be to have a new chief in place around October of this year.
Two items were approved on the agenda to cover two expenses for city operations.
A contract for $40,000 was approved with Wireless USA of Maryland Heights, Mo. to update security at the Quincy Regional Airport.
A payment of $76,000 for the city’s portion of for the cash call to cover costs at the Quincy Landfill 2 & 3 Superfund Site. While the City of Quincy carries the largest portion of the costs, set at 38%, the costs are shared with other entities including Motorola, Gardner Denver, Harris Corporation, and Bridgestone/Firestone among others.
The $76,000 accounts for half of what the city budgeted for the purpose for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
