Tuesday, February 12, 2008

We're Zoned Out


We just came across these letters received by residents living near Broadway and Wilson. Any ideas what our Alderman is up to now? We remember this area was to be downzoned from B3-3 to B3-2, back in May. And why does it take 9 months to finally get this change on Broadway rolling? What is the difference between a "neighborhood mixed used district" and a "community shopping district?"
Update: We added the other mailing received by a nearby resident. It appears that the mailing dealing with common address "4601-19 North Kenmore Ave" pertains to the vacant lot to the west of McDonald's on Wilson. See the photo below.

10 comments:

  1. A little birdie told us that Alderman Shiller originally wanted "Labor Ready" to go in the vacant spot left by "Elim Wigs" on Broadway across from the Wilson El station. That would be excellent for that stretch of Broadway, dontchathink?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You can check here:

    The B2 allows ground floor residential where a B3 won't. There are some other differences as well:

    http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_EDITORIAL/03_Business_and_Commercial_Districts.pdf

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is that why Joyce Dugan said "not on Broadway?"

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also just received a zoning notice change for "Leland to Wilson along Broadway" to change from B3-3 Community Shopping District to B3-2 Community Shopping District.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Did anyone attend the block club or community meetings pertaining to these zoning changes?

    ReplyDelete
  6. "The B2 allows ground floor residential where a B3 won't."

    residential on the ground floor is allowed, either permitted by rights or as a special use, in ALL B zonings

    see 17-3-0207 Use Table and Standards

    use group A-4

    Dwelling Units located on the ground floor

    ReplyDelete
  7. the proposal is B3-3 to B3-2

    this is no change in uses

    B3-3 & B3-2 are both B3

    so we are staying in the B3 column in the use table

    see use category V1 Day Labor Employment Agency, the dash in the table indicates it is a special use in B3

    special uses go before the Zoning Board of Appeals, not the alderman-Zoning Committee-City Council

    Review & Approval Procedures

    as a matter of fact, reading across te table, the only way Shiller could rezone to permit a day labor agency by rights would be to zone C3, which would be clearly inappropriate for this area

    ReplyDelete
  8. dash 3 to dash 2 is a density decrease

    dash 3 requires 400 square feet of land area for each residential unit

    dash 2 requires 1000 square feet of land area for each residential unit

    so Shiller is reducing the number of condos a developer could build by 60%

    see 17-3-0402 Lot Area per Unit (Density)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hugh there are two different notices shown with different addresses. One stays within B3 but the other goes from B3 to B2 (the bottom one).

    But yes you are correct that with a variance (or exception or whatever they call it now) you can have ground floor residential in any B.

    ReplyDelete