A member of the Lakeside Neighbors block club attended the city hearings this week regarding the layout of the proposed hospital going in at Clarendon and Lakeside and let us know the very pleasant results:
"Alderman Shiller attended Thursday's Chicago Plan Commission hearing and Friday's Zoning Board of Appeals hearing regarding plans for a private-pay children's psychiatric hospital in the never-occupied structure at the corner of Lakeside and Clarendon. The condo association directly across from the proposed facility and its local block club, Lakeside Neighbors, objected to several aspects of the proposed alterations including:
- building an ambulance bay / loading dock on Lakeside, which is otherwise a residential street;
- eliminating a number of residential parking spots along both sides of Lakeside to accommodate the ambulance and receiving dock activities;
- paving over a side yard, which was to remain a garden under the earlier planned development agreement.
The developers have conceded that they will now need to change to rear alley access for the facility. In addition, they have agreed to expand the width of the landscaped, green space which will separate the psychiatric hospital from the residential building abutting its property.
Many thanks to the neighbors who participated in this process, to Chicago Lakeshore Hospital for accommodating a change in plans, and most importantly to Alderman Helen Shiller for her intervention. This exercise of aldermanic influence will be long remembered."
Did I just start reading a different blog or something? I am so confused.
ReplyDeleteNah, you're in the right place.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few times when Helen's warranted a pat on the back, and most folks are happy to set their issues down long enough to give her one.
This is one of those times.
Well done, alderman.
I hope people don't start singing her praise for this. It's called doing your job!
ReplyDeleteAs much (often well-deserved) flak as Shiller takes for various things, she is almost always consistent in her methodology: when you have the option, take the side of the little guy.
ReplyDeleteThis has been the story of her reign both in our ward and in city council. She was a huge thorn in Daley's side until she finally had to do a deal with him to get re-elected. As a result you get the bad (divisive class warfare) with the good (residents vs. a corporation with ridiculous building plans).
While I certainly deplore her leadership style and think her mantra leaves her blind to many crucial issues (e.g., public safety), I don't think she is nearly as evil as people make her out to be. She's just being consistent... good or ill. And in this case, justice prevailed.
Great...more ambulances screaming down the street at 3 in the morning.
ReplyDeleteWill, are you negative about absolutely everything in real life or just on the blog?
ReplyDeleteIf you'd been paying attention to this subject, you would know that (1) this hospital is simply an extension of Chicago Lakeshore Hospital a couple blocks away. They are moving some of their patient beds to a new location and (2) it is a psychiatric hospital, so there are no medical emergencies brought by ambulance, and therefore no sirens.
But keep on being Eeyore because it just makes you so much fun!