An alert reader let us know about some local zoning changes that came before the City Council today:
1. Ald. Shiller supported (and it was passed without objection):
NO. A‐7346 (46 WARD) ORDINANCE REFERRED (2‐6‐08) - To classify as B3‐2 Community Shopping District, instead of B1‐5 Neighborhood Shopping District, the area bounded by (see ordinance for specific boundaries) (Map 13‐G) West Argyle Street, North Sheridan Road.
I think she said it was to bring the parcel into conformity with surrounding zoning.
2. Ald. Shiller was there on this ordinance, but it was delayed so it could go through something at a Planning Dept. I assume this is the Truman College parking improvements and/or Wilson Yards. It was kind of confusing, and quickly deferred from the schedule.
NO. 16572 (46TH WARD) ORDINANCE REFERRED (3‐12‐08) - To classify as RM‐5 Residential Multi‐Unit District, instead of C2‐3 Motor Vehicle Related Commercial District, the area bounded by (see ordinance for specific boundaries) and to classify as Institutional Planned Development No. 120, as amended, instead of RM‐5 Residential Multi‐Unit District, the area bounded by (see ordinance for specific boundaries) (Map 11‐G) West Wilson Avenue; North Racine Avenue.
3. Alderman Smith supported a zoning change with a letter (I think) for the new building up on Broadway, so that a "nightclub/lounge" could go in the basement. Nothing said about who or what will operate it. Passed without objection. I think it was a lawyer from the owner who spoke briefly in explanation and support before it passed.
NO. 16557 (48 WARD) ORDINANCE REFERRED (3‐12‐08) - To classify as C1‐5 Neighborhood Commercial District, instead of B1‐5 Neighborhood Shopping District, the area bounded by (legal description snipped) 4703‐4713 North Broadway
4. Alderman Smith's chief of staff, and somebody from the zoning department also showed up to support a zoning change for Wilde Pug, one of the owners was there, there were no public objections. Seemed to have something to do with getting their liquor license.
NO. 16564 (48 WARD) ORDINANCE REFERRED (3‐12‐08) - To classify as C1‐5 Neighborhood Commercial District, instead of B3‐5 Community Shopping District, the area bounded by (legal description snipped) 4810 North Broadway Avenue
No member of the public was there to object to any of them, and it all seemed pretty routine like the other dozen or so that preceded it, with the exception that the Wilde Pug guys got a pretty strong endorsement from the alderman and zoning department person.
Hugh, where are you?
ReplyDelete"Ald. Shiller was there ..."
ReplyDelete"Alderman Smith's chief of staff, and somebody from the zoning department also showed up ..."
The other sad thing to note about this meeting of the City Council's Zoning Committee is the MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE who showed: Stone and Laurino. There was no quorum. No role was taken. No votes were recorded. All the business they did yesterday was flagrantly, blatantly, in-your-face f-u mr. citizen we don't need no stinking quorum illegal under Illinois law.
I thought that Wilde Pug/Crew etc were not in the 46th ward??
ReplyDeleteRight you are, Crewdude. Items #1 and #2 reference Shiller and the 46th Ward; items #3 and #4 deal with Mary Ann Smith's 48th Ward.
ReplyDeleteI was there. There were I believe 3other alderman on the committee were there besides Alderman Stone and Laurino. There was also a stenographer there recording the entire proceedings.
ReplyDeleteHugh were you there, or just some more good old conspiracy postings?
The blantant difference in the amount of rehabbed buildings and storefronts filling up North of Leland (48th Ward) and South of Leland (46th Ward) really should be the subject of one of those Tribune feature articles. If the Uptown theatre is rehabbed and reopens and even STILL the revitalization of Broadway does not filter south into the 46th, I'm not sure what else would better showcase the effect Shiller's development policies has on the 46th. Also take a look at the difference along Broadway between the 44th and the 46th. Its tough to find any problem residential properties or many underutilied storefronts along Broadway through the 44th ward. Then once you get a couple blocks into the 46th, again retail activity dies down, then the infamous Hotel Chateau.
ReplyDeleteSo reading on here last couple of months, Schiller is vocal and pushed through rezoning for things such as a Day Labor center in a highly inappropriate area of a retail district, near a school and boys and girls club while Mary Ann Smith encourages zoning/permits for what will be a very nice bar/restaurant to open.
"There were I believe 3other alderman on the committee were there besides Alderman Stone and Laurino."
ReplyDeletewho did you notice? admittedly the well was so thick with lobbyists it was hard to pick out the actual Representatives of the People, I might have missed one or two
in any case, 5 is no more a quorum than 2, I'm afraid
Rule 39
"One-half (1/2) of the total number of members of each standing committee ... shall constitute a quorum"
Zoning has 14 members
"There was also a stenographer there recording the entire proceedings."
ReplyDeleteyes, and if you can read steno, or are willing to pay to have the steno notes transcribed into English, you too can have a transcript, mr. citizen taxpayer
Hugh, my question stands - were you there or are you just going off other's reports?
ReplyDeleteHugh? "crickets"...
ReplyDelete#2
ReplyDeletePlanned Development 120 is Truman College
(you can look up PDs on the zoning map on the City's website, drill down thru Zoning dept)
a number of zoning changes were deferred because they required Plan Commission action and had not yet been heard before the Plan Commission
so how did this get on the Zoning committee agenda for last Thurs?
are the aldermen and their staffs unaware of processes in Chicago?
no, scheduling the public hearing on this zoning change for last Thurs and then canceling it is an important part of that process, from their point of view
because now they are in the 12-month Notification Free Zone the aldermen and the developers who sponsor their careers built into our zoning laws
Shiller can call up the zoning change for the parking garage at any time in the next 12 months, without any written or posted (re-)notification to neighbors
(if a public hearing on the item is not held for more than 12 months, they are supposed to re-notify)
dear neighbors,
it is a blatant, flagrant, in-your-face f-u mr. citizen we don't need no notice attempt to deprive you of your right to participate in community planning
#1 Argyle & Sheridan
ReplyDeleteB1-5 to B3-2
B1 to B3 is a major relaxation on the allowable uses (the current zoning B1 is our most restrictive retail zoning and B3 is our most permissive)
B3 permits BY RIGHTS bars, clubs, and liquor stores (no variance, no special use, no Zoning Board of Appeals or any other kind of hearing)
dash-5 to dash-2 is a severe density decrease (the current dash-5 is our most dense retail zoning)
this is the block of Argyle between Kenmore & Sheridan (and a little ways around the corder N & S on the west side of Sheridan)
"I think she said it was to bring the parcel into conformity with surrounding zoning"
this explanation doesn't make sense. there is no B3-2 nearby. in fact Argyle east of the CTA and West of Sheridan is B1-5, so the area being rezoned is a part of a larger area of B1-5 (Argyle between the CTA and Kenmore is left B1-5)
also of note is that Argyle from Broadway to Sheridan is a designated "pedestrian street" which affords us some protections regarding what can be done there in terms of curb cuts and other issues
were any community or block club meetings held on this?
somebody reading this knows more about it
speculating, Shiller has been pursuing several density decreases lately, it may be set-up for condo set-aside
#1 NO. A‐7346
ReplyDeletethe "A" prefix flags this as an aldermanic initiative. when the alderman submits a zoning change, no disclosures are required, further depriving us of our right to know wtf is going on in our neighborhoods
#3 4703‐4713 North Broadway
ReplyDeleteB1‐5 to C1‐5
this is the Uptown Broadway bldg
this almost makes sense for a nighclub, with no residential units upstairs, no other bldgs on the block, but...
#4 B3‐5 to C1‐5
ReplyDeletetavern is a special use in B3 but permitted by rights in C1
a special use requires a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing
so this zoning change deprives us of an opportunity for community involvement and accountability
I live on Kenmore and Argyle. One of the neighbors in my building had mentioned they were trying to put new condo's in a space just north of Big Chicks off Sheridan. I don't have any proof, but could this be a possibility for the zoning change mentioned here? Forgive my ignorance if this is incorrect, just passing some information along - trying to help shed light on the situation.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your 9:30 post, Hugh. So does this look like Shiller is looking to circumvent any further public resistance to the Truman parking garage through this zoning maneuver?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure why she has to be so nasty and underhanded about it. It is not like we can really do anything to stop her delivering up yet another goodie to help pad Mayor Daley's budget (i.e., the $10 million should have come from a city college capital budget) or another goodie for the CTA without them delivering anything back to this community other than a small sliver a space to Truman.
It makes me want to wretch just watching how public officials are just spitting all over the checks and balances built into our system.
Why do we need more condos there?
ReplyDelete"Shiller is looking to circumvent any further public resistance to the Truman parking garage through this zoning maneuver"
ReplyDeleteyes, that's my read, it is a step toward reducing public voices
an amendment to PD 120 will still go Plan Commission -> Zoning Committee -> full City Council
(a intergovernmental agreement authorizing the TIF subsidy will go Community Development Commission -> Finance Committee -> full City Council)
but mere citizens like ourselves are not allowed to speak at City Council meetings
Shiller in effect eliminated the zoning committee as a public event to organize around
an amended PD 120 could crop up on the zoning "deferred" agenda pretty much any time in the next 12 months with only the most token notice
this week, for example, a "deferred agenda" was added to the posted zoning committee agenda as an addendum the day before the meeting (in flagrant, blatant, in-your-face f-u mr. citizen taxpayer violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, which requires 48 hours advance internet posting), making organizing testimony on any ot those items all but impossible
this is the Uptown Broadway bldg
ReplyDeletethis almost makes sense for a nighclub, with no residential units upstairs, no other bldgs on the block, but...
"but..." what?
" ... new condo's in a space just north of Big Chicks off Sheridan. I don't have any proof, but could this be a possibility for the zoning change mentioned here?"
ReplyDeletethanks for the info, but I don't think so
Big Chicks @ 5024 N Sheridan and points north are not included in this zoning change, but from just south of Big Chicks south to 4942 N on the W side of Sheridan is (as an aside, the east side of Sheridan along thru here is in the much-beleaguered Lakefront protection district)
Big Chicks is in a C1-1 "spot zone"
Once again Hugh misses some facts to stir the conspiracy pot.
ReplyDeleteOn item #4 the zoning change was required for the ability to get a tavern license. The Wilde Pug applied for and received a special use permit from the ZBA. This was back in September. The notice was posted and all neighborhood organizations were contacted.
Once the appeal was approved, the Wilde Pug still needed to get a zoning change because the zoning code does not allow a tavern within 400 ft of another tavern in the B3 zoning. Wilde Pug had to go back and file for a zoning change for the building. This was again posted and the zoning change was approved by the committee in the referenced meeting.
Hugh, had you been at the meeting, you would have heard the Zoning Administrator speak to the committee that both Wilde Pug and In Fine Spirits on Clark were caught in the same mess due to the incongruence between the municipal code and zoning. The administrator stated that they will be drafting legislation to fix that problem.
Hugh, you had your opportunity to speak at the ZBA meeting in September and at the zoning committee meeting of the city council on Thursday. You declined and sat at your computer instead.
"Once again Hugh misses some facts ... "
ReplyDeleteyou are right
I missed the fact that the recipient of the zoning change was a campaign contributor
the zoning for Big Chicks and Wilde Pub are similar in that they are 'spot zonings," single-lot islands of a particular zoning, changing the zoning of ONE property to accommodate a property owner
ReplyDelete(drill down to Big Chicks on the city's zoning map to see an example)
spot zoning is always controversial on the face of it because it kinda pulls the rug out of the fundamental idea of zoning, to facilitate compatible uses so we can all live together
of course any perceived or real inconvenience in our zoning laws can be addressed if zoning on a lot-by-lot basis is endorsed
spot zoning exposes the lack of a community plan
pls note this issue is independent of what you think of a particular business
How far does Shiller go up on Sheridan anyway? I thought ward 48 used to start at Lawrence but that she was give a bit more when the Borders came in. Does she go as far as Big Chicks on Sheridan?? I didn't think so.
ReplyDeleteyou can display ward boundaries on the zoning map
ReplyDeleteBig Chicks/Tweet is already the Mother of all Spot Zoning examples because of Larry McKeon's actions at the state level to allow it to be the only bar in Illinois to have a liquor license physically adjacent to a church.
ReplyDelete