Central Street Neighbors Association

At the Planning and Development Committee meeting February 9, a zoning change for 912-946 Pitner was introduced. The proposed change was from Industrial to Mixed Use, thus allowing someone to live in the area. Two protagonists appeared- someone who wished to develop a commercial condo in which someone could live in a loft-type residence and a very long-time business owner who was concerned about disruption to this industrial area.

This information is from Tracy Norfleet of the Planning Division, City of Evanston:

As part of the City of Evanston's Multi Modal Transportation Plan development process, a survey has been created to collect input from community members.

A link to the survey, along with more information about the plan, can be found online at: www.cityofevanston.org/mmtp

Please take a moment to complete this survey and forward on to other interested parties.

The task of a citizen or property-owner seeking to overturn a municipal zoning or land-use decision has become a little more complicated, or a little easier, depending how you look at it, as a result of two laws passed in the last three years by the Illinois legislature.

The Building and Zoning Department of the City, after considering written evidence as to the past practices of the former White Hen store on Ewing south of Central, has required the new 7-11 management to close their doors at midnight.

Jeff Smith has asked for a summary of the meeting with neighbors and Alderman Moran regarding the 7-Eleven, held on May 6, 2008.

Neighbors had the following concerns:

• 24 hour operation
• possiblity of 7-Eleven obtaining a liquor license
• enforcement of Evanston anti-idling law
  and noise abatement laws

The following was originally prepared for presentation to the Planning & Development Committee on Mon., Mar. 17, with respect to the proposed 49-story tower at 708 Church St. (click pic at right to see larger image), which most agree would be the biggest potential change to our downtown in years.

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) on Mar. 4, 2008, will hear an application on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States to expand their parking lot at 1233 Central St. from 57 to 71 off-street spaces. The property is subject to a special use permit granted in 1972 that limited space numbers and required certain landscaping.

On January 28, 2008, the City Council unanimously passed two ordinances, 5-O-08 and 6-O-08, that, combined, change zoning in the 2-mile long "Central Street Corridor." Zoning is the City law that determines what can be built where. The passage of these important ordinances was the largest change ever applied to so long an expanse along a single thoroughfare in Evanston, and was the culmination of over a year of visioning, planning, hearings, and negotiation,

By a vote of 9-0 the City Council approved all the proposed zoning changes resulting from the Master Plan implementation process. Jeff Smith, President of CSNA, read a statement at the Council meeting Monday 1/28 immediately prior to the vote. In his statement Jeff thanked the city staff, the commission members and the council for a successful process. "In a time of cynicism, it's been an uplifting and invigorating process and it shows that citizens can make a difference"

Attendance of residents and merchants at this meeting is critical to assure enactment of the proposed zoning, which has been recommended unanimously by the Plan Commission and is the result of many hundreds of hours of work and participation in many meetings with city staff and the members of the Plan Commission and its zoning committee by the Central Street Neighbors Association.