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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2007NJ Planning do Development Committee Mantes of January %2007 Council Cbambera — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, F. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne SiaffPresent: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, J. Burke, C. Brzezinski, K. Cox, R. Dahal, W. Hallen, H. Hill, D. Jennings, V. Jones, D. Marino, C. Ruiz, R. Russell, D. Spicuzza, J. Brownlee Presidia= Official: Alderman Jean -Baptiste DECLARATION OF QUORUM Chair Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. - -" APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF DECEM13ER 11, 2006, The minutes were approved unanimously with a vote of 9-0. ' ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (Pi) Planned Development 1700-1722 Central Street - Recommended Denial from the Plan ' Commission THIS ITEM WAS TRANSCRIBED BY COURT REPORTER, LEGRAND REPORTING do VIDEO SERVICES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE KLAEREN RULES- PLEASE REFER TO THE TRANSCRIPT. In summary: John Burke spoke on behalf of the Public Works staff memorandum dated January S, 2007 regarding the alley width. A presentation from the "Friends of Central Street and Central Street Neighbors" was given along with a handout. The representative speaker of the group was Mr. Harvey Dershin. Other members of the group that spoke were: Ms. Mary Rozinski who raised several concerns with the inconsistency in staffs zoning analysis, Mr. Richard Wright responded to staffs memorandum and opinion on the alley width. Committee deliberation followed citizen comments. Aid. Tisdahl motioned to reject the Plan Commission's recommendation, seconded by Aid. Wynm The vote was 7 in favor and 2 voting nay (Moran and Holmes). Chair Jean -Baptiste directed staff to draft an ordinance supporting the proposed project before the Committee this evening for the January 22, 2007 Pd:D Committee meeting. (PUBLIC HEARING) LPP21 Application ApMalinp the Preservation Commission's Denial of Certificate of Annrouriateness for the Demolition of the Evanston Landmark at 1722 Central Street 17re attorney for the applicant, Mr. Gregg Graines of DLA Piper Law Firm, requested an extension of 45-days to coincide with the planned development proposal. Aid. Wynne motioned Planning & Development Committet Minutes orianuary 8, 2007 Council Chambers -- 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center A1dermati Prrseiet:' 'S. Bemstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E, Moran; A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, lN. Wynne " StAlfPresent:: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, J. Burite, C. Btzezittsld, K. ' (Cox, R. Dahal, W. Hallen, H. Hill, D. Jennings, V. Jones; D. Marino, C. Ruiz, R. Russell, D. Spicuzza, J. Brownlee Prestdiag Official: Alderman Jean-Baptiste�;-- DECLARATION OFOUORUM Chair Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. -i r APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF DECEMBER t 1.2006 The minutes were approved unanimously with a vote of 9-0. IT MS FOR CONSiDERATION (Pl) Planned Development 1700-1722 Central Street - Recommended Denial from the Platt Commission THIS ITEM WAS TRANSCRIBED BY COURT REPORTER, LEGRAND REPORTING & VIDEO SERVICES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE KLAEREN RULES. PLEASE REFER TO THE TRANSCRIPT. In summary: John Burke spoke on behalf of the Public Works staff memorandum dated January 9, 2007 regarding the alley width. A presentation from the "Friends of Central Street and Central Street Neighbors" was given along with a handout. the representative speaker of the group was Mr. Harvey Dershin. Other members of the group that spoke were: Ms. Mary Rozinski who raised several concerns with the inconsistency in staffs zoning analysis, Mr. Richard Wright responded to staffs memorandum and opinion on the alley width. Committee deliberation followed citizen comments. Aid. T-isdahl motioned to reject the Plan Commission's recommendation, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote was 7 in favor and 2 voting nay (Moran and Holmes). Chair Jean -Baptiste directed staff to draft an ordinance supporting the proposed project before the Committee this evening for the January 22, 2007 P&D Committee meeting. (PUBLIC HEARING) (P2) Anolicatinn Aumaline the Preservation Commission's Denial of Certificate of Aaarooriateness for the Demolition of the Evanston Landmark at 1722 Central Street The attorney for the applicant, Mr. Gregg Graines of DLA Piper Law Firm, requested an + extension of45-days to coincide with the planned development proposal. Aid. Wynne motioned P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of January 8.2007 Page 2 to grant the request for a 45-day extension, seconded by Aid. Wollin. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. 0 (P3) Ordinance 117-0-06 — Amendment to the Preservation Ordinance Mr. Wolinski explained that this is a staff recommendation to amend the appropriate section of the Preservation Ordinance to make the Planning and Development Committee the receiving and final decision -making body on applications to Appeal denials of Certificates of Appropriateness by the Preservation Commission. Aid. Wollin noted that one of the concerns of the Preservation Commission is that City Council could change from presently being all nine aldermen to a decreasing number in the future. Therefore Aid. Wollin motioned to amend the ordinance to state with all nine aldermen being present on the Planning and Development Committee. Aid. Wynne seconded the motion to amend the ordinance and the vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. Aid. Wollin moved to approve Ordinance 117-0-06 as amended, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P4) Plat of Subdivision — 1408 Brown Avenue Mr. Wolinski explained to the Committee that this subdivision request is from the owner, Mr. Chuck Pettius. He noted that the subdivided lots meets and exceeds the allowable square footage. Staff recommends approval of this request. Aid. Wynne moved Approval, seconded by Aid. Holmes. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION (PD11 Community Development h Permit Process Re -en ing_. erintt Assistant City Manager, his. Judy Aiello summarized the Community Development Department Reorganization sins: the Virchow, Krause and Company (VK) evaluation of the City's development and permit process. The VK report recommendation were threefold. 1. Virchow Krause Recommendation, which outlines their proposal for m-engineering the permit process with project management and improving the effectiveness between reviewing bodies and staff, 2. the recommendation for technology improvement which brought on the proposed ACCELA sofh%we upgrade that is under review for implementation. VK's third recommendation was for a Organization Restructuring which would result in a more seamless Community Development Department. Mr. Wolinski walled the P&D Committee through the Organization Chart. He pointed out that Community Development previously consisted of four divisions and will now be reorganized into three divisions. The new division being the combination of the Building and Zoning divisions which will be headed by Ms. Carol)m Brzezinski. He said VK's recommendation for reorganization was to form a "I -stop shop" process for each application and planned development. He noted that the Zoning Division was split up where the Zoning Officers report directly to the Project Manager's. The Project Team Manager will be Mr. Walter Hallen (introduced to the Committee), the second Project Manager will be ?ds. Jill Chambers (currently working on the ACCELA team), and third Project Manager being Mr. Dean Mosca. The Zoning Planner will manage all the Planned Developments and Zoning Board of Appeals. Aid. Wynne asked how the Legal Department will interact into all of this. Mr. Wolinski responded that the Zoning Planner will still work closely and coordinate with the Department's attorney, Mr. Ken Cox. Ald. Rainey stated that she feels the map of the application process is more important and not exactly the reorganization of the department. She noted that the biggest complaint and delay is going through the Plan Commission and Zoning Board process with the customary inclusion of P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of January 8, 2007 • Page 3 the Preservation Commission review as well. She feets that this is not specifically a staff problem however she does see a real need to consider a new structure for the Commission and Board process. Ms. Aiello assured her that staff has taken this situation seriously into consideration and have reviewed this v6ith the VK representatives as well and will be included in the next phase. She informed the Committee that staff is expecting to come back before the Committee with the next phase for presentation in February. Ms. Ann Dienner made a suggestion that the problem with communication bcmvcn Committee's and Boards be reviewed as well because there is constant overlapping that could be avoided. The City Manager acknowledged his. Dienner's request. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjot med at 8:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jacqu 'ne E. rownlee C] 0 ' Plauning do Development Committee Minutes of Jantmry 22, 2007 Council Chambers - 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne t ; StiffPresiat:- t ! -` t '; . J: . Wolinsk-4 J. Burke, C: > - Brtedriski, i [ K f I C xel' R. Dahal, D. Jennings, V. Jones, C. Ruiz,' J: Brownlee- to k ? t i i Presiding Official: Alderman Jean -Baptiste rt 7I?'.Iw DECLARATION OF QUORUM Chair Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 6:54 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE I►1EEI'ING MINI TES OF JANUARY• 8. 2007 Aid. %V)mne moved approval of the January S. 2007 minutes, seconded by Aid. Holmes. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. ,ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Chair Jean -Baptiste changed the order of the agenda to hear the case that will take less 'deliberation than the others. is (P4) Ordinance 08-0-07 - Srecial Use Recumi for a Retail Services Establishment at 1908 Greenwood Aid. Wynne motioned approval of Ordinance 0840-07 to operate a .dog daycare and training center at this location. Aid. Tisdahl seconded the motion and the vote was 9-0 in favor. (P5) Planned Development Time Extension - 645 Custer Avenue Mr. Wolinski explained that this was a planned development that was passed on July 25. 2005 and was to be built within a one-year time limit. The developer then request a six-month extension in 7-006 and now the applicant's attorney, Mr. James Murray is here tonight asking for an additional six-month extension. Ald. Bernstein noted that it has already been one and a half years and questioned what the reason is for an additional time extension. In his opinion, the permits should have been applied for by this time. Aid. Wallin moved approval, seconded by Aid. `loran. The vote was 8 in favor of the motion and I voting nay (Aid. Bemstela). (PG) Ordinance 09-0-07 - hiaior Variation Reauest for 800 Brummell142-I44 Elmwood Chair Jean -Baptiste noted that the major variation request in the case is for three parking spaces. Mr. Wolinski explained that there are no parking spaces to the best of his knowledge on this site. Staff's recommendation is that this is a workable plan where the applicant proposes to locate the parking spaces and any time they can get cars off of the street especially in a crowded multi- family district such as 800 Brummel, staff would suggest approval. 4D Aid. Wynne moved approval of Ordinance 094M7, seconded by Aid. Holmes. Aid. Rainey said this project is in her ward and she can assure that for the 20 years she has been familiar with this building, the three parking spaces off the alley behind the building have always been parking spaces. She encourages the Council's to support this. Also she noted that this is the first 'building south of the tracks to have balconies, which she is very excited about. The neighbors are all in support of this project as well. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. (PI) Planned De%-clooment 1700-1722 Central Street - Recommended Denial from the Plan Commission THIS ITEM WAS TRANSCRIBED BY COURT REPORTER, LEGRAND REPORTING & VIDEO SERVICES. PLEASE REFER TO THE TRANSCRIPT. In summary: This item was Introduced and referred back to Committee on February 12, 2007 meeting. (PUBLIC HEARfNG) (P2) Armlication Annealine the Preservation Commission's Denial of Certificate of Annroariateness for the Demolition of the Evanston Landmark at 1722 Central Street This item was held in Committee for hearing as February 12, 2007. This item is still within the 45-day waiver requested by the applicant on January 8, 2007. (P3) West Side Ma-ster Plan for Sub Areas 1. 2 and 3 Due to lack to time and in consideration of accommodating the consultants to make their presentations And also the allowanceof efficient time for citizen comments and questions, a special meeting was scheduled to hear this item. After some discussion, the Committee came to a consensus to hold the special meeting on Aionday, January 29, 2007 at 6:15 p.m. in Room 2200 before the Human Services Committee meeting. 'ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jacqu line''. Brownlee a�� • Joint 5feeting of Planning & Development Committee, Evanston Plan Commission, Economic Development Committee And Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting dotes of January 24, 2007 Evanston Civic Center, Roam 2404 — 7:00 p.m. Planning & Development Committee Members Present: S. Bexnstein, D. Holmes, L Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wallin. M. Wyn= Plan Commission Members Present: S. Bovde, C. Burrus, D. GaUouay, A. Hunter. L. Widmayer, J. Woods (Chair) Economic Development Committee Members Present: R. Creamer, E. Moran, A. Rainey, M. Wynne (Chair), L. Jean -Baptiste, M. Juliar, M. \orkett, E. T--mlahl Zoning Board or Appeals Members Present: R. Creamer (Chait). M. Ro,-ers, L. Summers, D. Wilson Staff Present: J. Woiinski, J. Aiello, C. Brxezinski, J. Carroll. K. Cox, A. Jackson, V. Jones, D. Marino, T. \o&eet, M. Robinson, J. Brownlee Presiding Official: Alderman Jean -Baptiste CALL TO ORDER Chair Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order az 7:14 p.m. and had everyone in attendance introduce them self. (List of attendees attached) PURPOSE OF THE MEETING Mr. Woiinski thanked everyone for corning out this evening and stated that this meeting is for the purpose of an open and joint discussion between gossrning bodies regarding issue that are critical not only for development in Evwision but also the dervelopment process. SUMMARY OF CO�iMt —N ICATIO'NS Mr. Wolinski summarized over the communications attached to the agenda; three memorandums from Tracy \ortieet regarding the Plan Commission Status and scheduleltimeline for planned developments and zoning issues, a comparison tabb: of Plan Commission recommendations and P&D,Council d:cisions for Planned Developments &arm 2002 to present (bringing attention to the impressive number of 25 planned development proposals). He went into further detail the contents of the memorandum. Also included is a re-.zsion to the Plan Commission Procedures for Public Hearings_ The specific rc%ision is to Ar6--le XI. Section (0) to streamline the public hearing process but add flexibility at the Chair's disc—etion for controversial cases. Also there is a Joint hitg. w1 P&D Comm., ZRA Plan Comm., & U)C January 24, 2007 page 2 copy of the Rules of Procedure for the Planning & Development Committee of the City Council for Consideration of Recommendations from the Zoning Board of Appeals, Plan Commission, and Preservation Commission, and Cermin Appeals. Mr. Wolinski said that one of the issues of concern for discussion this evening is to gather a consensus and opinion of how satisfied everyone is with the concept of the mandatory planned development If the majority is satisfied then there would be no need to change the pro%-ess at this time. This process does give the City Council the ultimate control on development in this community and it also gives Council the right to request public benefits through the planned development (PD) process. He also pointed out, however, to a certain point it undermines the underling zoning and it creates a process where all of the PD's must go through the Plan Commission then subsequently before City Council, which many have voiced concerns about taking three or five months to get through the process. Chair lean -Baptiste asked if there were any questions from the Committce's/Board on the Rules of Procedure. He noted that the City is no longer under the Klaeren Rules, which has burdened the process since its commencement. Mr. Wolinski brought to attention that the ZBA will be updating their Rules as well to rid themselves of any Klaercn rulings. Mr. Creamer agreed and responded that the ZBA is general happy with their rules other than that point. Mr. Woods said that for the Plan Commission obviously in their view a big thing that held them back from being able to deal with projects in an efficient manner was the Klacren Rules. The RuIts created mounds of repetition in terms of questions and answers, presentations, etc. He said the fact that the City is back to operating the process without Klaeren Rules he believes will make for a far better process_ Mr. Creamer responded that the ZBA's Rules that existed prior to Klaerea Ruling, for the most part were compliant with Klacren in the first place. REPORT BY EACH COhi\1ITTEFICO\IMISSIO`/80ARD A. Planning and Development Committee Current WorkIa3d. nroiection for 2007 Chair Jean -Baptiste reported that the general consensus of the Committee is that their agenda workload is goL-rg to become morn tr. na-g=ble since 2006's workload. He noted that the Central Street project is before PSD now with other planned developments in the expected to come before them in the near future, however none that would burden the Committee's schedule at this time. Issues of Conc:rn in 2006 Chair lean -Baptiste said that the Committee received many cases from the Plan Commission and Zoning Board. 5eeral of which were very extended. lengthy and burdensome on C%eryone's schedule and their agenda's. Them was the need for many special meetings to be heduled throughout 2005 because of the several large planned developments and projects. B. Plan Commission Current WorkIeod. nroiection for 2007 Mr. Woods said currently ZBA has one case, 1001 Chicago Avenue, that has been on their last few agenda's, which the will finish up within the next few meetings. ZBA has two projects that Joint Mtg. w•1 P&D Comm, ZBA Plant Comm., & EDC January 24, 2007 page 3 have been noticed for February 10, 1 M Maple and 1200 Davis. He said the only other case that they know of that has been in the 'pipeline" in SPA -ARC is 510 Sheridan Road, however this case has not yet filed their Planned Development application. Mr. Woods informed that there are a number of zoning issues the Plan Commission is looking at including the MUE district review, a number of text amendments, the issue of substandard lot developments, west Evanston zoning issues. He noted a couple of other issues are with regards to special uses that should questionably rim with the land and he believes the solar panel issue will be returning back to the Commission as well. Mr. Woods said a few future zoning issues to come is the upcoming downtown plan and some technical zoning issues that need to be addressed Their is also the Downtown Planning Process that will be on -going and the Commission will eventually need to address the Central Street planning issues. Issues of Concern in 2006 Mr. Woods said the Plan Commission's biggest issue of concern last year was the Klaeren Rules in terms of slowing down processes with hearings. He further noted there are three issues of concern they arc facing with 2007: l) technical zoning types of issues, 2) speeding up the Dov6mtow-n PIanning Process as they have been requested to do, and 3) will have four (4) y-acancics that are coming up this year. Aid. Moran recalled a past reference to the PIan Commission to resiew the R5 districts adjacent to RI zoning and requested that this be considered for review sometime this year. Also Ald. Tisdahl's reference to review the Bla zoning district, which she understands has been delayed until after the Central Street Planning. Sis. Aiello conformed that the zoning issues will be reviewed upon acceptance of the Central Street Plan to be consistent. her. Wolinski also noted that one of the issues that the Plan Commission faces is lack of time to deal with the "smaller' Zoning Ordinance issues because their agenda's are totally full with planned developments/projects. He said that perhaps once the planned developments slow down this year, although it does not seem likely at this time, then the Commission will have more time. He mentioned that the Plan Commission did very well last year with trying to make accommodations by scheduling many special and extra meetings. One thing the Commission has been doing is scheduling 2-3 cases per meeting and giving each case a feu- hours so as to keep things flowing. Ald. Bernstein said historically, the City had a Zoning Amendment Committee which largely responsible for the "smaller" zoning issues that are being referred to here. He questions if it rrigitt be advantageous at this time to ;o back to h2-.ing such a Committee with the Plan Commission's constant workload at t.�tis time. Ms. Carroll stated that she would like to see the ❑Owr.:owrr Plan done first before looking into =%iew of any Zoning Ordinance rues. She agreed that looking into forming a separate Committee to handle Zoning Ordinance amendments would be probably be beneficial, however at this time Council needs to let staff --ad advisory boands, knww what they Would like prioritized. Ms. Aiello added that it would be helpful to look at ninahborho-ods and get input as to what the "--immunity would like to see in th= %rctnity. Th:s tnr::t could be blended into the text amendments rather •dean just creating a zoning change a:nd bc:ng out of context. She said this is one of the reasons the Zoning Amemiment Committee calla} -J into the Plan Commission so that zoning could be looked at within the context of what's changing or developing in a certain area. Ms. Aiello said that staff has been looking at some of then: technical issues that they believe could really be handled administratively. fir. Hater informed that the Neighborhood Subcommittee of the Plan Commission is currently worUng with the Neighborhood Planner, Sue Guderley, who is beginning a rc%icw of neighborhoods Ms. Marino explained that within the Joint .%Itg. w/ P&D Comm., ZDA Phn Comm., R EDC January 24, 2007 page 4 downtown area, they are releasing Request for Proposals by the end of this week that essentially request proposals to do a pilot project for downtown. The focus is on the three traditional areas that the Plan Commission has designated within the downtown and also two core downtown blocks and one transitional area. Mr. Hunter continued that the Plan Commission will eventually in the future set to all the neighborhoods and will keep the Alderman of the Ward informed. He explained in further detail the aspects of the studies. Ald. Bernstein stated that the mandatory PD process is in lieu of Binding Appearance Review and he questions whether this has really been successful or if it has helped to provide more pleasing projects with allowing more Committee involvement. Ms. Summers responded that part of the Lack of successfulness is that the PD hears from three different places, three different opinions and requirements. She said this Iack of consensus does not allow the developer to grasp a clear picture of what is expected of them. He asked how others felt on this matter. Members of the Plan Commission felt extremely overworked in 2006 from all the Planned Developments they heard Discussion and comments on the PLumed Development process followed. Mr. Wolinski toted that out of the 25 projects since 2002 that most would have qualified as planned developments anyways but the fact of them now being mandatory has certainly added to the burden of the Plan Commission. Aid. Trsdahl raised a question for those that have been on the Committee and advisory boards longer than she has if making projects PD's has made developers come in with a request for more x-ariances than they would if PD's were not mandatory. The majority response was yes. Mr. Widmayer (?) responded that from a real estate aspect the answer is yes, in part because of the assumption for some negotiation. At other times they have given the opportunity to justify and to explain why something exceeds the zoning is worthy. He noted that the Plan Commission look at projects not only at the moment they are being built but what kinds of impact will the project have 20-25 years or more in the future. On the other hand. Mr. Widmayer said that if the City did not have the PD process they would be limiting themselves in what is offered to the community. N1r. Hunter feels that there is a nerd for more demand for public contributions from these PD developers. He said that developers should view their building here as a privilege not a right to proceed in Evanston. Ald. Wynne agreed with Mr. Hunter's point on demanding more public benefits, especially when misty developers view extra tax revenue as a major public benefit. Binding Appearance Review discussion ensued. Nls. Brzezinski explained to the group what a general meeting is typically for SPAARC and their commentary often is based on sound architectural principals, which are exemplified in the Design Guidelines. She noted that SPAARC's commentary and recommendations are not binding but is a collaborative effort instead to make the project better. She said in terms of having Binding Appearance Review or the mandatory PD process. in her opinion communities that do have BAR do not have any better designs or projects than Evanston. Ald. Rainey complimented the work done by SPAARC and takes their recommendations and opinions very seriously with each project. The consensus from the members of the Plan Commission 6% as that they are satisfied with the communication and minutes from SPAARC and take their r—c ommendation as a pro forma given. The consensus from the members of the ZBA's -ems that the majority of time SPAARC's recommendations are followed and adhered to. Members from the Plan Commission asked what Planning & Development Committee needs from them. Currently the P&D Committee receives the transcript and findings of fact. For the Central Street case, a side letter was sent that reflected the thoughts on this project from the Plan Joint Mtg. w•/ P&D Comm., ZBA Plan Comm., & EDC January 24.2007 page 5 Commission. Would P&D Committee prefer a report concept versus a vote; would this be a vehicle that would allow the Committee to make a more informed decision on projects. Aid. Bernstein referred to the Virchow Krause Report and noted that Evanston is one of the few communities where staff' is not more involved throughout the entire process from application to final outcome. He said the VK Report refers to staff being a "Shepard" through the process ,giving leadership and guidance to developers from the inception until applying for permits if approved. He supports this process and feels it would be eery helpful in avoiding situations like what happen with the Ferris Development as mentioned by Aid. Woitin where they were given different directions from difi=nt advisory boards and committers. Aid. Rainey responded that she would like to continue to receive a recommendation from the Plan Commission versus just a report because the deliberations and hearings and outcome of vote she finds very informative. She also agrees that there is a need to look at public benefits as they rslate to different areas of Evanston and what would benefit that neighborhood most. C. Economic Development Committee Current Workload. Proiection for 2007 Mr. Marino took the lead at the request of the Chair, Aid. Wynne. Mr. Marino said there are three particular issues of irnpor=ce that the Economic Development Committee (EDC) started in 2006 and will focus on in 2007. 1) The Downtown Planning Process and wanting to accelerate on this along with the Plan Commission. EDC would Iike to a-orlt though this within the next seven months versus the anticipated twelve months. In additicm. EDC will provide periodic reports as recommendations emerge rather than waiting until the end of the process. He stated the idea here is that this would help the P&D Committee and other bodies as they consider any future developments. 2) Revitalization of West Evanston and establishment of the TIF approximately 1 % years ago and now the West Evanston Plsnrting Process which is almost completed. 3) A continuing focus on Howard Stint which began Iong before the est:1blishments of the Howard Street TIF. Nir. Marino noted the EDC and Plan Commission Were Loth involved in stimulating much of the neighborhood planning processes that occurred there but most recently the EDC has made recommendations to Council to establish a TIF District back in 2005. EDC then worked through the Bristol Project in terms its development agreements relating to the TIF. Therefore. as they look at 2007, the revitalization of Howard Street, including the &-velopment of the Bristol project, is a priority to EDC but also continuing revitalization of How_,i Street to the west. Mr. :Marino added that continued business retention and attraction continue to be priorities of EDC as well as staff. In addition. they also wort: very closeI}- with E%-\!_aRK- Chamber of Commerce. and Evanston Adventures in terms of partnership opportunities :nd &,cn new issues that emerge from those relationships. AId. Jean -Baptiste said that he would :ssune that work on the Nest Side Plan will probably go beyond the next year especially in &.c southwest designated area. Mr. Marino agreed. Ald. Rainey brought up the area west on O:1-ton for future development proposals and also the'_ :00 Main Street project and working titmuch the development process of this site with the developer. fir. Marino also concurred and no;_d the long history with EDC in working with the developer of 2400 Hain Streit. and on Oakton esst.tially the redevelopment agreement with Home Depot project and Rustoleutn site. He sand they also want to stimulate other attractive development; Tong that corridor. Issues of Concern in 2006 Mr. Marino said the main issue of concern expressed by EDC members was expediting the downtown Planning Process and he believes they have taken action to do this in 2007 in a timelier manner. Joint %ttg.. w/ P&D Comm., ZHA Plan Comte, & EDC January 24,2007 D. Zoning Board of Appeals page 6 Current Work -load. Proiection for 2007 ,fr. Creamer stated that the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has two kinds of cases that come before them. 1) Cases where they are the recommending body to City Council. These cases include Special Uses primarily as well as off-street parking variations. He noted that special uses cases. for example frequent type 2 restaurants, account for approximately 20% of the ZBA's workload in an average year. 2) Cases when the ZBA is the determining body. These cases include request for major variations and appeals from the Zoning Administrator. He said these particular cases account for the approximate 80% remaining ZBA caseload. He informed that between 2003 and 2005 the ZBA averaged approximately 67 cases per year and in 2006 they had 74 cases. therefore the trend appears to be upward in Evanston's business. However, Mr. Creamer proudly informed tall that with ZBA's current calendar, they have no cases scheduled for February 6, 2007. Issues of Concern in 2006 Mr. Creamer felt the ZBA's most problematic issue in 2006 was Board attendance. By statute the ZBA needs four members present to have a qualifying vote. He noted that with 19 meetings, the ZBA had to cancel 4 meetings due to lack of quorutm. The reason for lack of quorum was an unusually large turnover in members reaching the end of their term However, the mayor and Council gave the BA re-enforcements in a timely manner and their attendance issue since July 2006 has been resolved for the most part. NIT. Creamer commended the two new members who are present. ifs. Lori Summers and Mr. Don Wilson whose attendance has been over 90% since their appointment. Mr. Creamer said that ZBA's second area of concern is with special uses and the Boards position as a recommending body for these cases. He stated that the ZBA members generally feel their recommendations for several cases have been challenged even though the make their findings as required by the standards that are listed in the Zoning Ordinance. He stated that in consideration of the fact that the ZBA is bound by and closely follow the rules that they are governed by with the Zoning Ordinance standards, he strongly feels it would be very helpful to have some feedback and guidance from Council on whatever it is to azcommodate their needs and priorities. Another area ZBA ,%ould appreciate Council guidance is with the issue of affordable housing. Mr. Creamer informed that several applicants for major variations in the past year and a half have claimed affordable housing as justification for seeking truly significant variations, usually asking for more units or too much density. This raises to o concerns for the ZBA: 1) they believe as a matter of policy that the ZBA is not the appropriate body to deal with the affordable housing policy and 2) He feels that this is an irrelevant issue that comes before ZBA for deliberation and reiterates, tha: it is not appropriate in dealing weft zoning. Lengthy discussion followed, the majority agree-; with fir. Creamer and that the ZBA should not iu-%c to deal with commerce issues. Aid. B:rnstein stated that the ZBA's job is to interpret the Zoning Ordinance, which they are bound bti. and forward their findings and then pass onto City Council for any further deliberations. Aid. Rainey rr.:ntioned the cumulative negative effect is a very important issue with restaurant special uses and being a large impact on the surrounding area Mr. Creamer agreed and also feels that special use running with the land is another big concern that needs to be addressed. Mr. Wolinski said the issue staff has asked the Plan Commission to look at is with the special use Joint Mig. w•! P&D Comm., ZBA Plan Comm., dt EDC January 24, 2007 page 7 running with the land, however if the special use is abandoned for a period of time, a new owner come in and open the same type of establishment. The question staff raises is if the City wants to continue this practice or whether the abandonment of the special use extinguishes initiating the owner to come in for a new special use. Ms. Summers pointed out that sometimes when the ZBA is considering things they have to consider the fact that the special use could approve or allow other operations that they might not care for at that particular location. Also, on the idea of terminating the special use after abandonment, this could result in change in the special use that might even be significant. rid. Bernstein said a way to address this is by adding conditions, which is the City's responsibility under the special use ordinance, therefore the future type and use of a special use if abandoned, can be controlled. He recalled in the past there were many different types of special use categories; does the City want to go back to having these options? Ms. Summers responded that more definitions is not necessary. but maybe the necessity to come back for review any time a change in ownership is made to evaluate the new use and what is involved. STREANILI\ING PROCESS Chair Jean -Baptiste stated that it appears that the Plan Commission is the most burdened and challenged and the members for their feedback on ideas for streamlining the process. Mr. Woods responded that the rule changes will be very helpful with the exclusion of the Kiaercn Rules. The Comrnissione:s also feel that more documentation presented to them with stipulations defined from staff would be helpful for review before hearings, for example: traffic and parking issues, loading berths, civil engineering issues, etc. that should be documented in some type of staff report. This would avoid much unnecessary testimony. Mr. Hunter suggested that a set of Rules for Developrn would help, especially in terms of expectations from the City of Evanston as a whole including Council, staff, etc. Mr. t1'olitsski revisited his pretiious question regarding the Mandatory Planned Development and if there is a consensus that this conceptlproccss is working. After some discussion, the general viewpoint expressed involved around time factor concerns and public benefits. Aid. Wynne suggested that unless they become bogged down again by the process, which she envisions to start casing LT, they could rr%isit the issue as it occurs. Aid. Holmes asked if staff has any recommendations regarding the Planned Development process. Ms. Brzczinski responded that she would [Ac to rind a way to eliminate repeat testimony- and recommendations from different bodies to the developer. She _:Nest considering joint meetings in the future for any of the larger planned deve!opment applications. Staff agrees with all the comments made earlier regarding the elimination of the Klaeren Rul:; will ease a lot of frustration and time consuming testimony. In closing. Chair Jean -Baptist_ felt this was a very successful meeting with valuable dialogue amongst the ?SD Committee. Plan Commission. ZBA and EDC. He would like to meet again in the near fury and fccls there is a need to continue these meetings on a periodic basis. All in attendance awed. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9.15 p.m. Respectfully- submitted, Jacqueline E. Brownlee Joint Lttg. w l PSD Comm., ZBA Ptan Comm., & EDC January 24. 2007 Others in Attendance: Bill Smith, Evanston Round Table Steve Freidland, Evanston Citizen Ann Diener, Preservation Commission Sue Caldwell, League of Women Voters - Member from Hinman/Grove Neighbors Jeanne Lindw-all, Northwestern Neighbors Judith Treadway, NAACP Anna Smith, Citizen Jonathan Pcrman, Evanston Chamber of Commerce Barbara Dershin. Central Street Neighbors Assoc. Marge Anderson, Central Street Neighbors Assoc. Margaret Hughes, Central Street Neighbors Assoc. :Member from 6" Ward Neighborhood Assoc. Mary Rosinski, Central Street Neighbors Assoc. Neighborhood Watch Coordinator for McCullough Park Neighborhood loan Stafford, Church Street Neighbors Margaret Williams, Evanston Citizen Roo Fleckman, Evanston Developer D. G=ison, Evanston Citizen page 8 Special Meeting Planning & Development Committee Minutes of January 29. 2007 Room 2200 -- 7:00 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, E_ Jcan-Baptiste, E. Moran, A. Rainey, C. Wollin, M. Wynne Alderman Absent: E, Tisdahl Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. AieIlo, J. Carroll, K.Cox, S. Guderley, D. Jennings, D. Marino, R. Russell, J. Brownlee Presiding Official: Alderman Jean -Baptiste DECLARATION OF 01`01111M Chair Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 6:30 pmL ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Nest Side Master PIan for Sub -Areas 1. 2 and 3 ,\ir. Wolinski stated that the presentation will be headed by Dennis Marino, Asst. Director of Planning Division, and Sue Guderley, Neighborhood Plattner, who has been the Project Manager. Also he recognized the two consulting firms of Parr Associates and JJR who will be making their separate presentations this evening as \yell. .Mr. Marino care an overview of the West Side Plan. The Plan is the product of a lot of work done by numerous stake holders in West Evanston including residents, property owners, developers, City Officials, and several representatives from institutions, also City staff and the consultants. He said this is an ongoing dynamic process which is continuous. The purpose of the Plan is to shape and promote high quality new developments in this area and the process has been lead by the consultants. He introduced 'pis. Leslie Oberholtzer representing Farr Associates and Mr. Brad Winick representing JJR and also recognized their team members who have assisted them through this project. Mr. Marino stated that tonight they r--r asking the P&D Committee to consider recommending adoption of the Plan so that it can be used 3s a stance.-d for development proposals once the moratorium for this area expires on Fz'_+:usn- 10". He sa:J they are also asking for the Committee to favorably consider the Guiding Pr Zciples and dociunznts, the Development Component, the Transportation Component and the ap rocimatc density and building types described in the Plan. Mr. Marino noted Lhe zoning and mgalating aspects of this plan are currently in front of the Zoning Committee of the Plan CornmLision, which he:3 a meeting this morning. He said the entire Plan his bee:: recommended b,. the Plan Commission and staff as well. At this point he asked each of the consultant represemin-ves to Live theirpresentations. Farr Associates Prey_ -station Ms. Oberholtzer sta fed that Farr Ass,_--%-iates was responsible for Areas 1 & 2. She pointed out from the slide presentation that the limits of Sub Area l include the Mayfair Triangle from Simpson down to Emerson which the Bishop Freeman property is in and the northern portion of Sp. P&D Camrnuee Witting Minutes of January 29, 200 i Page 2 the Robinson Has Depot. The limits of Sub Area 2 originally were set from Emerson down to Church including the southern portion of the Robinson Bus Depot, the ComEd facility, the Hines Lumber propert-r- with the Church Street Village development. She noted that they subsequently revised the areas to remove the ComEd facility and also removed the Cyrus Home Church Street Development because the PUD had already been approved. The Mayfair Right-of-way runs through both sub areas. Nis. Oberholtzer said they held a series of three public meetings over a several months beginning in August, 2006. The first meeting they had an image preference survey where they showed many slides and had some discussion after the presentation. The second meeting they had a community charette where they gave a ;variety of dwelling building types as well as street and pars; spaces to place on aerials. She noted this meeting was a eery active hands-on setting. The third meeting they showed a series of options that were drawn from those charette solutions. They then rendered those solutions and set them at several different tables and the attendants gave their opinions and discussions of the pros and cons on each rendering. She noted that all three meetings had a very good turnout in attendance. Ms. Oberhoitzer stated that from those three meetings they came up with a Very clear list of guiding principals that the Master Plan is thoroughly based upon. She went over the Guiding Principles in detail from the slide presentation. In summary the following five principles are: l) Reconnect the Community — Proposed actions include: Level the grades of the former rail right-of-W-ay and remove the retaining walls in all locations, Reconnect and extend the surrounding neighborhood street grid, and develop a continuous multi -use trait through the neighborhood. 2) Maintain the Green Character of the Community — Proposed actions include: Require front yard on residential buildings, Incorporate wide parkways with street trees, and proi.7de rest pocket parks in new developments. 3) Increase the Walk ability of the Neighborhood — Proposed actions include: Provide a walkabit block pattern, Provide calmer streets. Provide continuous, Fide sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Provide interest and more interaction along streets, Improve pedestrian crossing opportunities at Emerson between Dewey and Ashland, and Provide for bicyclists as well as pedestrians. d) Provide a Life Cycle of Housing Choices — Proposed actions include: Expand upon the existing housing stock with additional types, Provide opportunities for affordable housing units, and Respond to the Real Estate mark Available. 5) Provide Feasible Neighborhood -Scaled Commercial Space — Proposed actions include: Pror•ide small nodes of commercial space. Concentrate commercial nodes along collector streets, Design the commercial spaces for maximum feasibility. Xis. Oberholtzer went over the Trans port_non Component in detail from the slide presentation. In summarY the components involve: Street Network - which shows the proposed new street grids that reconnect to the existing streets, exhibits the current major streets, alleys, proposed changes to existing narrow streets, alleys --id one-way streets and proposed new alleys. Also the street network includes intersection and crossings at new streets, on -street parking and bump -outs. streetscape improvements, and the inclusion of bicycle lanes. Sp. PSD Committee ticeting !Minutes of January 29, 2007 Page 3 2. Pedestrian Accessibility - which involved boot a Predzone Analysis of current area and Predzone Analysis of proposed development plan and covers sutetscape element improvements, especially on Emerson. 3. West Evanston Trail - which covers from Simpson/Gm-en Bay south to ;Mason Park. This trail would provide a pedestrian lint: throughout that area. 4. Bicycle and Transit Access - Which covers a proposed plan throughout the Master Plan Area. MS. Oberholtzer went over the Development Component in detail from the slide presentation. In summary this component covers: The Overall Site Plan - which includes the future development for mixed -use buildings, presening facades, trail connection throughout the area, aligning new and extended streets with existing street network. improved streetscape and crossings along. Emerson, apartment buildings in two locations, tow ahouse compromise majority with the Plan, open -space provisions, improved connections to Fleetwood Jourdain, etc. She noted the proposed estimated unit counts for each sub area. Ms. Oberholtzer went over the Zoning Recommendations. In summary. 1. Base Zoning - currently the area includes 12, R4 and B2 majority zoning. The Platt includes a series of building types that mould fit into the current zoning, however specific lots and arras would need to be rrroned to accommodate some of the new proposed residential & commercial development and parking requirements. 2. Regulating Plan for accommodation of zoning to fit the proposed townhouse developments and small lots for new single-family housing. 3. Proposed Overlay Zoning Areas_ its. Oberholtzer talked about phasing options and the possible options for the Onyx site, the Cahill site and the post office site. JJR Consultants Presentation Mr. Brad Winick introduced himself along with him from his firm, he introduced his team members Vishal Kundra and Kevin Campbell. He also acknowledged the work and shared information of tits. Valerie i:retchmer. He summarized the process in order to justify how the plan developed and what ahc=tives they looked at; also what community involvement and discourse in order to arrive the preferred plan. He explained the process has been approximately 6-8 months with three levels of community meetings including small groups, focus groups orchestrated in large pan by the City's Planning Division headed by Susan Guderley. also Aid. Holmes and Ald. Jean -Baptiste. Mr. Winick stated that meetings were held in both the 2" and S" wards during the process and also %, ent before the PL:.n Commission several times. Mr. Winick acknowledged the numerous kev stale. -holder concerns and the community has indicated that this area is in important one and it is their home and rant to build upon their strengths, maintain the chrracter and continue to be a community marked by diversity of all types, buildings, people, lard uses that are important to the residents of this area. He said that community has also indicated their desire to keep this plan balanced and to incorporate important elements of the community into the neighborhood plan so to redevelop from the area position of strength. fir. Winick stated that ETHS (his alma rnaier) was an active participant. His firm met with ETHS representatives and they presented the Plan in from of the District 202 Board. which they very clearly see the importance of the school's role in this and the school's property and the Sp. P&D Committee Meeting .Minutes of January 29, 200 Page 4 Church/Dodge intersection in this Plan. He feels the Church/Dodge intersection is the center of the West Evanston PLtn District and neighborhood. His firm's responsibility was for Sub Area 3 which includes the ChurchfDodge commercial intersection, Church Street corridor extending down to Greenleaf Industrial district. Mr. Winick reiterated that there was plenty of community input throughout the plan processing phase. He showed several photos of the neighborhood meetings held and the active involvement of the attendants. He sated that from the meetings, the community expressed to create generous greenways, connections., buffers, and open space are all very important. He noted that there was a lot of discussion about how all this will be implemented. He said most of the area land is owned by a variety of private oumers and implementation will require deals to be made and cooperation between numerous entities and property owners. Also the Plan will very likely require phased implementation because it is quite a unique shaped area where certain pieces of land will need to be developed in order to facilitate development and connections of land areas. Mr. Winick said that it was agreed by all and from the beginning that a key to the project is for the Plan to work at the Church Wgc commercial intersection which is a catalytic point for Sub Area 3. The strretsc4pe needs to be people -friendly and draws residents and business to a comfortable safe setting for retail and to welcome a healthy mix of national draws and local community retailers. He said the intersection itself should be the high point in the neighborhood both figuratively and literally. Mr. Winick suggested that this is where the building height should be highest and taper down to meet with the existing community building formations. He said the community told them in no uncertain terns that the existing rail road berm should be eliminated and they Iooked at various options because it is a wall that divides the two hales of the community. He said they also looked at a number of options as what the elimination of that berm might imply or suggest far Davis and Grove. In looking at a number of options, the consensus was that they should be extended as non -vehicular pedestrian connections with the potential that if in the future things were to change, nothing would foreclose the possibility but plan wisely and keep options open. He said that it was also suggested from the community that the streetscape continue down Church Street from the Dodge intersection all the way west to the canal and down Dodge all the way south feather than the Greenleaf boundary. Mr. Winick- summed up that from a very vigorous set of conversations and analysis of the existing fabric and talkie sitlh people about their aspirations. hopes, tears, concerns, etc.; they narrowed down a feu- di:fcrertt ways to approach some of the key elements and also looked at a cumber of key strategies :t the intersection of Church and Dodge. He said they looked at how to dial with the opportunities that presented themselves with the elimination of the railroad berm and connectivity of streets and non -vehicular throughways. Ile pointed out the area of difficulty being the odd triancular irta between the berm and Dodge from Church to Lake Street. He said ti._-v looked at different m4evzlopment opportunities that might present themselves at different portions of this triangle. Mr_ Winick said they then presented a number of plans to the community w ith a comb:n--lion of mix and match scenarios which they requested feedback on preference in building ryncs. designs. and development patterns that would accommodate the tesidents'stak-eholders tha: live and utilize this neighborhood. He noted that they also looked at different options for the px:�tvon of Sub Area 3 from Lake to Green%vood and Brawn and Dodge, incorporating the potential site of the ETHS power plant if it were deemed to be outdated and become a redevelopment p: ospect. Sp. P&D Conu inee Meeting Minutes of January 29, 200 f Page 5 Upon the outcome of their analysis from the community input meetings. JJR did some configuring for retail which could go greater or lesser in this area. \fr. Winick referred to Ms. Kretchmer's analysis which recommended guidance w-as that the area could support up to 20.000 square feet of retail; consolidated within a half block of Church and Dodge commercial district and suggested not to consider pushing further retail beyond that amount. He then pointed out several density figures they worked out within the diffcrent options concluded from their analysis. He made note that the calculations would differ N%ith the inclusion of asphalt parking areas- He referred to his slide presentation, -vhich illustrate the three Plan Alternatives for development and density options_ 1. A d&-n•elopment option proposing approximately 121 units with a total of 9,300 square feet of retail and 9 dwelling units per acne. 2. A development option proposing approximately 209 units with a total of 14,300 square feet of retail and density of 16 dwelling units per acre. 3. A development option proposing approximately 235 units with a total of 18.400 square feet of retail and density of 18 dwelling units per acre. Mr. Winick stated that from these three plan alternatives they derived with a preferred plan which is truly a synthesis of several elements from all there different plans. He summarized the key turps: • Church and Dodge - incorporate some existing retail with the addition of several suggested new retail establishments that from community input would fit their neighborhood and enhance the commercial business. • Mixed use development - preferably 4-story mixed use buildings on the three comers wins a variety of residential, in every instance with parking incorporated within the footprint behind the building. • A mix of mid -rise condo buildings, no more than 3-stories. • To%%mhouse developments scattered throughout the entire area. • Strong key element preferences for gmenway connections, pedestrian crossings, a median along Dodge avenue from Church Street south to Lake or Greenwood. Mr. Winick said the consensus from the community meetings was for lots of open space. He noted the existing open space in Sub Area 93 is approximately 2.25 acres versus the preferred plan proposal of%ring 3.5 acres of open space. He pointed out from his slide presentation where those opcn-spac-, areas are and how the accumulated space in the entire area sums up. Mr. Winick sta:cd one of the major concerns expressed in the community meetings was the question on imp'.ementation of the Master Plan. He assured that the importance of phasing arras for independent projects and inter -dependent projects is very important and needs to be mariaged and planned ot:: carefully by a combined effort fro-ri City Officials and staff as development proposals come :m. Mr. 1Vinick concluded his prescntation with a brief overview of the preferred streetscape plan for Sub Area =3 with the inclusion of the median down Dodge Avenue, the chance in vchic.t lanes, inclusion of a proposed bike lane, and inclusion of a safety drop-off lane on the west side of Dodge Avenue in front of the His:h School. This concluded the consultant presentations. Mr. Marino informed the P&D Committee of the Plan Commissions process with the zoning review of the West Evanston Plan currently on the Zoning Commits.-e of the PIan Commission's agenda. Sp. P&D Comminee netting Stinutes of January 29, 2007 P2ge6 Chair lean -Baptiste recognized that fraan the beginning up-to-date of this process, the planning involvement did not include some needed input from the Parks and Recreation Department that should have been integrated. He called on fir. Doug Gaynor. Director of Parks. Forestry & Recreation for his comments at this time. nr. Gaynor referred to his memorandum distributed to the Committee this evening regarding an opinion on the need for additional green park space in the West Evanston planning project. (See attached.) In summary. Mr. Gaynor felt instead of using Gilbert Park for development it should be replaced with upgraded park facilities for better utilization of the park by the neighborhood and to save this preen space. He stressed the loss of this park area and preen space is a big concern of his and he highly recommends keeping and revitalizing the park He suggested finding a way to incorporate the park area within the proposed green space walkways proposed to run through Sub areas #1 and #2. He pointed out the average park arealopen peen space in Evanston versus the national average park area/open green space for similar communities is below average. He went into further detail as stated in his memorandum on the City's responsibility to its citizens to maintain the well being of the community Which he finds preserving as much existing green space as possible very important. lie further pointed out the concerns and preferences expressed by the residents for the preservation and need for parking within the study area as one of the top priorities. Mr. Gaynor informed that ParksfFore= and Recreation staff met with Community Development staiiand the consultants to discuss the issues of concern as outlined in his memorandum. From that meeting several compromises weer discussed: Area l: Increased park Space Option A, seems to better address and meet the potential needs of the community. In the original plan, Area 1 included 43.225 square feet of park space. This compromise includes an additional 12. 615 square feet of parkland (approximately .30 acres) for a total of 55,840 square feet of park space within Arcs 1. This additional acreage will allow the City to maintain and not decrease its overall average of opealpark space. In conclusion. \it. Gaynor requested that the Committee consider the revised plan for Area 1: Increaseod park Space Option A, as the better plan for the West Ev-Anston redevelopment initiative. Citizen Comments Edwina Wesson, 2018 Wesley, stated that rumors have been heard amongst her neighbors that the City of Evanston want to tear down the three apartment buildings at 2014, 2018 and 2024 Wesley to make way for the West Evanston Plan. She expressed her concern for herself and fellow tenants on relocation if this rumor is t:ue. She also noted that the tenants of thest buildings were not notified of tonight's meeting. Chair Jean -Baptiste responded assuring that the City of Evanston has no such plans to der polish those three apartment buildings. He explained this process has been underway for over t,-months to create a vision for the West Evanston area and reassured that the consultants in the planning process did not consider tearing dawn any existing residential housing, however the plan does include proposed redevelopment of several industrial sites within the area and the presented plats does exhibit those areas. He also stressed the proposed Master Plan is a working development guideline for redevelopment proposals for the west side as well as a working guideline to follow for implementation of improved residential, retail and infrastructure improvemen:s. Ald. Rainey suggested that special provisions be trade to keep the residents of those buildings well informed and notified, by hand -delivery if necessary, throughout the planting development process. Staff concurred. Sp. P&D Conunince \letting Minutes of January 29.2007 Page 7 Bessie Collins. 2018 Weslev seconded Ms. Wesson's concerts, expressed Mary McWiIliams. 1606 Weslev read from a prepared statement (copy available in the Community Development Administrative Office). John Wertheim erAlichael Sieja, Mavfair Green Comnanv. Mr. Wertheimer spoke for both he and his partner who are currently working on a proposal project for the TAPCO property. He raised a question in regards to the guidelines presented this evening for the West Evanston Master Plan/versus the Planned Development process. He asked for clarification if any PUD's in this area would still be subject to the required procedure to go before SPAARC review and subsequent other zoning bodies if necessary before the permit review process. Chair Jean - Baptiste responded suggesting that this question wait for property response upon P&D Committee and Council opportunity to deliberate and make final decisions on any regulations and requirements for further proposed development of this area. Ron Fleckman. renresentine Cyrus Homes. He noted that his company is in the process of preparing a housing developing the Bishop Freeman site. He recognized and appreciates all the work and proposed improvements for the West Evanston Plan. However, they have presented their proposal to the City and the feedback they are receiving at the staff level is not with regards to the suggested development guidelines of the Master Plan area but more toward the existing PUD guidelines. His concern is as this Master Plan is considered and subsequently approved, the question is where will their process be Scared and what the flexibility of the process will be at that time. Chair lean -Baptiste responded and again reiterated this is another question and concern that will have to be addressed once Committee/Council deliberations have been done. Walter Kihm. Cyrus Homes. seconded Mr. Fleckman's comments and concerns. He feels somewhat relieved after hearing Aid. Jean-Baptiste's comments this evening after attending the meeting of the Zoning Committee of the Plan Commission this morning. tie noted one of the issues he saw- in this whole process is that the entire stakeholders of this community including developers, property owners and retail merchants, felt they would have more input into the resulting community plan rather than a nice finite plan for every individual piece of property. Mr_ Kihm expressed his opinion is that a real serious consideration and appropriate time has not been given for each individual piece of property in order to make a finite conclusion for the Plan and how each property really appropriately tits for redevelopment into the Plan for the betterment of the neighborhood and immediate surroundings. He feels there has not been a lot of recommendation for realistic diversity of housing for this area and that more time and considertion needs to be given before such a finite guideline plan is approved for redevelopment of this area_ Betty Sue Ester, 2114 Darrow — read from a prepared statement (see attached correspondence)_ She concluded that the plan needs to go back to the community for further study. Carliss Sutton. I821 Darrow expressed his concerns with the notification process and the many complaints of tenants and property ownm saying that they did not receive any notice of past meeting held or hearings on this matter. In his opinion, the community has not been given the opportunity for enough input into this Plan as it is presented by the consultants this evening for final approval. Mr. Sutton stated that he is deeply concerned for the loss of green space and open park areas that should have been included from the beginning of this process, as verified by the Sp. P&D Conrmincc Meeting Minutes of January 29. 2007 Page S Director of Park -Forestry and Recreation this evening. He concluded in his opinion this proposed %faster Plan is welcoming extreme gentrification of their neighborhood in the outcome. Roberta Hudson. 1941 Dew•ev said that she is appalled of the City conducting this meeting tonight without proper notice to the neighborhood residents that have to live in this community. She read from a past SPAARC reporuminutes which stated the recommendation for 20' alleys wide enough for streets and thru traffic. She assures that most of her neighbors and other community residents do not want alleys big enough for possible street traffic to come through at all times. Ms. Hudson feels the plan is much too dense for the area and that amounts of suggested residential dwelling units proposed for this area is far too great to pack into the boundaries of this master plan. In her opinion the City is paying way too much money for consultants that only seem to benefit the developers in their community. Robert Parris said that his parents hold several property sites throughout the Master Plan area. He said that he fully supports development in general, however the approach could have involved more lan(Lproptrty owners in and throughout the entire process. He feels a more collaborative approach would have been more helpful and still can be from this point moving forward. In his opinion, the current moratorium could have a very negative impact on property values and cause problems with future development proposals. Tina Paden. 1122 Emerson said that she also owns properties at 1507 Emerson and 2012 h 18 Darrow. She also did not receive proper notification for the previous meetings and hearings and received no notice of this meeting to6ght. She was even on a special list from a past neighborhood meeting and still did not restive proper notice. Ms. Paden raised several questions of concern: 1) Are the proposed multi -family buildings going to be majority condominiums or rental or an even mix? Who is going to pay for all the street, alley and public improvements — taxpayers? The proposed bike path is um-rasonable for the streets in their neighborhood because even Dodge Avenue is too narrow to add a bike lane; in her opinion this idea very unsafe. In view of the condominiums being proposed. are they going to be in the same purchase price range as the new development on Church for a -,proximately S300400,00W The majority of residents in this neighborhood could not afford such prices; where is the affordability'? Bennett Johnson. renrrsentative of NAACP, feels the plan lacks community concerns and does not address affordable housing in the neiL: ,borhood. In his opinion, more time and consideration of the neighborhood's concerns need to be further addressed. John Cahill. Cahill Plumbine. noted that tbrir business has been located on Church Street in this neighborhood for over 100 years and has always been family owned and operated. He said they do not want to leave Evanston and assur_.d that his company is not planning on budging from their current site. This point ended citizen comments. AU Rainey agrees with the comments made by many property and business owners; they need to have more involvement in this process becasse they are an integral part of the planning. as well as many other large land ownersbusiness ownm in that community. Aid. Holmes assured that the large property owners were at the neis�_borhood meetings, the problem is the Plan being presented this evening without notices beimfi sent out. AId. Bernstein feels this Plan is a good beginning but still there terrains much to be done and a Iong way to go. Chair Jean -Baptiste Sp. P&D Comminee Meeting Minutes of January 29, 2007 Page 9 stated that it is every municipality obligtion and the elected officials' job to do planning and move forward with development. He detects a lot of misconception of the Plan by the community, so therefore it is obvious that more education and learning period is needed to have a better understanding by the residents of this neighborhood. He reminded that this Plan is in response to community• input and what is being presented is a collaboration of ideals that the consultants gathered from that information to come up with a vision for this West Side area. The Committee discussed scheduling another special meeting to continue discussion on this item and give time for deliberation. The consensus was arrived by the P&D Committee for a tentative special meeting date on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 2200. Mr. Wolinski reminded the Committee member that the current moratorium is up on February 10". ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjoutncd at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jacqueline E. Hroumlee Planning & Development Committee Minutes of February 12, 2007 Council Chambers — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S: Bernstein, A- Hansen, D. Holmes, E. Moran (via satellitehelephone), A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wol l in, M. Wynne , .. r r: r . : r,- . '' f AldermaWAbseat: L. Jean -Baptiste f ..: ,fr.:.�+f :'' "-•� [�. �a> fitt':. ..:t ; 3 i .. ,�•s. ° � �r[ ( .r•:l:n :! .i�[ r. ,";i 11 �i,a,� . . Staff Present: J. Wolinski, C. Brzezinski, J. Carroll, K. Cox, A. Jackson, D. Jennings, D. Marino, R_ Russell, J. Brownlee Presiding Official:' Alderman Wynne DECLARATION OF OUORUINI In the absence of Aid. Jean -Baptiste, AM N%j,nne chaired the meeting this evening and'called the meeting to order at 7:13 p.m. ' APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 22. 2007• Aid. Tisdahl moved approval of the January 22, 2007 minutes; secon' ded'hy Aid: Holmes.. The vote was 7-0 in favor of the motion. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION , Chair Wynne changed the order of the agenda to accommodate Aid. Moron who will be contacted by phone to participate in the 1700-2-7 Central Street case. (P31 Ordinance I4-0-07 — Planned Development reouest for959 Dobson f THIS ITEM WAS TRANSCRIBED BY COURT REPORTER, LEGRAND REPORTING & VIDEO SERN`ICES. PLEASE REFER TO THE TRANSCRIPT. In summary: A presentation was given by t-he applicant/architect. Aid. Rainey expressed her support for this project as well as the neighborhood. Several neighborhood meetings were held before application was made to the City, % hich she commended the applicant for. She noted only one person spoke in opposition out of the entire neighborhood. The owner/applicant is a long- time Evanston resident and business proprietor with an equally long history of owning several businesses in the City as well. The public benefit in this area is to rid the neighborhood of the three existing on -going problem buildings. Aid. Rainey moved approval, seconded by Aid. Holmes, The rote was 7-0 in favor of the motion. (111) Ordinance 07-0-07 — Planned Development for 1700-1722 Central Street THIS ITEM WAS TRANSCRIBED BY COURT REPORTER, LEGRAND REPORTING & VIDEO SERVICES. PLEASE REFER TO THE TRANSCRIPT. Aid. Moran was called and participated in the meeting from this point on via phone. In summary: Aid. Tisdahl had previously requested to staff that a financial report be done regarding the option of having underground parking. Staff called on Ms. Valerie Kretchmer of Kretchmer & Associates; she presented a repot to the Committee and went over the analysis in Special Meeting Planning & Development Committee Minutes of February 22, 2007 Room 2200 (Moved to Council Chambers) -- 7:00 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean-Baptiste,,A:'Rainey,-lw Tisdahl, C. Wollin Alderman Absent: E. Moran, M. Wynne Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, K.Cox, P. D'Agostino, S. Guderley, D: Jennings, D. Marino, J. Brownlee Presiding Official: Alderman Jean -Baptiste DECLARATION OF OUORUAi Chair Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 7:27 psn. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION ' West Side piaster Plan for Sub, -Areas 1.2 and 3 Chairman Jean -Baptiste opened commentary stating that he first wanted to clarify and put things in perspective in an attempt to ease a lot of concerns, rumors. and misconceptions expressed from the fast meeting And apparently still on -going. He felt a brief overview on the history of the West Side Master Plan would be helpful. Chair Jean -Baptiste noted that there have been six community meetings held since the on -set of this project, two public meetings/hearings before the Plan Commission presented by the Consultants with the presentation of the collective and collaborative input of responses and results of those community meetings. Finally, the first presentation before the P&D committee at the special meeting held on January 29. 2007. To give a sense of background. Chair Jean -Baptiste recalled that approximately 1-year ago City Council was presented with a plan for the development of 44 townhouse units on the previous Hines Lumber site and a series of public meetings followed ultimately resulting in the City Council approval of the Planned Development. During that metting process, a multiple number of neighbors and involved citizens of that area came forward with several issues and concerns. The main concerns expressed included the question of future development plans for the two adjacent industrial sites directly to the east of this project, which would result in further density to this neighborhood area. Additionally, concerns were also expressed for future development plans for other industrial sites in close proximity to the Hines property. specifically the TapeCoat and Bishop Freeman sites. Chairman Jean -Baptiste continued explaining that City Community Development and Planning staff started approximately 2-years ago looking into the future development possibilities on the West side and began the planning stages. This involved the initiation of several City staff. specifically headed by the Neighborhood Planner (Susan Guderley), in conjunction with many interested 5`" Ward residents- property owners, businessrcommercial owners and other parties with interested investments in this area. As an ultimate result from this combined effort, a T1F District was formulated and designated in majority 5* U*3rd and the inclusion of specified 40 connecting areas of the 2"4 Ward. He noted that a designated TIF area is for enhanced improvements to much needed residential and commercial/business development, the P&D Committee Mtg. Februmy 12, 2007 Page 2 further detail. Thirteen citizens spoke on this project, majority in opposition to the project as presented. Mr. Wolinski read numerous amendments made to the agenda into the record. Ald. Tisdahl motioned two additional amendments, seconded by Aid. Wollin with a vote of 8-0 in favor of the motion. A motion was made by Aid. Tisdahl for approval of the list of amendments read by Mr. Wolinski, seconded by Aid. Wollin with a vote of 8-0 in favor of the motion. Aid. Tisdahl gave her comments and views on the entire project and explained her position in support of this development to her constituents and fellow Committee members. Aid. Tisdahl moved approval of Ordinance 07-0-07 for the Planned Development at 1700-1722 Central, seconded by Aid. Wollin. The vote was 6 in favor and 2 voting nay (Moran and Holmes). �P21 PUBLIC HEARING— Anolication Aonealine the Preservation Commission's Denial of Certificate of Anoronriateness for the Demolition of the Evanston Landmark at 1722 Central Aid. Tisdahl moved approval, seconded by Aid. Rainey. The vote was 8-0 in favor of the motion. f P53 Ordinance 25-0-07 — Establishing a Moratorium on the Issuance of Building Permits for Construction in the West Evanston T1F District This ordinance will reestablish the existing moratorium for an additional 30-days. The existing moratorium expires on February 10, 2007 and this extension will expire on March 14, 2007. Aid. Tisdahl moved approval, seconded by Aid. Moran. The vote was 8-0 in favor of the motion. iP41 Ordinance 24-0-07 -- Amendiniz Ordinance 114-0-06 — Granting a Scecial Use for a Planned Develooment at 242.1 Oak -ton Street Aid. Rainey rr:commended introduction of this ordinance this evening by noted that she has many concerns and questions that she would like to address before this is finally approved by Council. Staff assured her that her concerns can be addressed and ready by the next Council meeting. With that understood, Ail. Rainey moved to introduce this evening and refer back to Committee for the February 26, 2007 meeting. Aid. Hansen seconded the motion and the vote was 8-0 in favor. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:17 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jacqukrie E\Brownlee • • t! Special Meeting Planning & Development Committee Minutes of February 22, 2007 Room 2200 (Moved to Council Chambers) — 7:00 p.m.: : Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, , A' Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin Alderman Absent: E. Moran, M. Wynne E Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, K.Cox, P. D'Agostino, S. Guderley, D: Jennings, D. Marino, J. Brownlee Presiding Official: Alderman Jean -Baptiste DECLARATION OF OUORUNI Chair Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 7: 7 pan. ' ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION West Side Master Plan for Sub-Ateas 1. 2 and 3 Chairman Jean -Baptiste opened commentary stating that he fast wanted to clarify and put things in perspective in an attempt to ease a lot of concerns, rumors, and misconceptions expressed from the last meeting and apparently still on -going. He felt a brief overview an the history of tite West Side Master Plan would be helpful. Chair Jean -Baptiste noted [lint there have been six community meetings held since the on -set of this project, two public meetingslltearings before the Plan Commission presented by the Consultants with the presentation of the collective and collaborative input of responses and results of those community meetings. Finally, the first presentation before the P&D committee at the special meeting held on January 29, 2007. To give a sense of background, Chair Jean -Baptiste recalled that approximately I -year ago City Council was presented with a plan for the development of 44 townhruse units on the previous Hines Lumber site and a series of public meetings followed ultimately resulting in the City Council approval of the Planned Development. During that meeting process, a multiple number of neighbors and involved citizens of that area came fornard %%id several issues and concerns. The main concerns expressed inciuded the question of future development plans for the two adjacent industrial sites directly to the cast of this project. which would result in further density to this neighborhood area. Additionally, concerns acre also expressed for future development plans for other industrial sites in cl xe proximity to the Hines pmpzm; specifically the TapcCont and Bishop Freeman sites. Chairman Jean -Baptiste continued explaining that City Community Development and Planning staff started approximately '_-}-ears ago looking into the future development passibiI I cs on the West side and began the planning stages. This invol,.ed the initiation of several City staff. specifically headed by the Neighbonco.-sd Planner (Susan Gud rley), in conjunction with many interested 5"' Ward residents, property owners, business commercial owners and other parties with interested investments in this area. As an ultimate result from this combined effort, a TIF District was formulated and designated in majority 5' Ward and the inclusion of specified connecting areas of the ='d Ward. He noted that a designated TiF area is for enhanced improvements to much needed residential and commerciallbusiness development, the Special PAD Committee Sleeting on February 22, 2007 Page ? improvement of rehabilitating existing business areas, infrastructure, street, and public -way improvements, etc. The boundary TIF area is an opportunity to invite an increase in tax revenue to the specified area and revolve and reinvest back into that area for redistribution over a period of time. Chairman Jean -Baptiste noted for information other TIF designated area in Evanston, especially the Howard Street area TIF which is equally in deer need of enhanced redevelopment assistance. He informed those in attendance that the boundaries of the Nest Side Evanston TIF primarily extends from the South on Greenleaf, specific areas west to the Canal on Church, north to Simpson, west on Green Bay; all in a very zigzagged area (refer to map). Chair Jean -Baptiste wanted to respond to the concern expressed previously of the rumors regarding teardown of existing affordable housing in Sub -area 1; specifically with plans to replace with condominium developments with purchase prices starting at 5300400,000. He has also heard rumors that include the involvement and partnership of the City in such a plan. Chair Jean -Baptiste assured those residents of the building in question that there are absolutely no plans to tear down existing affordable housing in the West Side Plan. He further assured that the City does not have the capital to build any affordable housing on their own initiative and also `vould not support any proposal to reduce existing affordable housing. He said the City does have HOME funds and the ability to approve use of those funds in support of assisting a developer ►with proposals to provide additional affordable housing units in this area. Chair Jean -Baptiste went through the list of CHDO's and not -far -profit organizations that the City has approved HOME funds for providing affordable housing projects through out Evanston. He assured that these organizations will have the opportunity to get involved in the West Evanston Plan with any proposals presented. Chairman Jean -Baptiste noted that he and Aid. Holmes attended every community meeting held and that they both have supported the efforts tnade from the beginning of this process up to date. He assured on both their behalf's that there are not hidden agenda's for specific developments in this Master Plan area. The Plan is only to be considered as an advisory tool for the planning and future development process of this area and to be used as a guideline and jump-start tool to take advantage of the TIF designated opportunity for this area. Another option is for this Master Plan to become a standard in the Planned Development guidelines of the Zoning Ordinance to be followed and considered in future planning for this area. Fie stated that the City of Evanston is not in any way planning an urban renewal and regentrifi cation of this area as well. He noted that the quote given in previous presentations by the Consultant of estimated purchase amounts of ne%ily developed condo units at selling prices of 5300A00.000 are based on the current market value of new construction cost for condominiums in Evanston. He reassured that the consultants have only reviewed and did their analysis from copulated information they have received from neighborhood meetings and research of the market values in Evanston and the surrounding communities as well. Chairman Jean -Baptiste concluded that his over ievv comments area an attempt to put this Master Plan in perspective and to help alleviate some of the concerns expressed by citizens from the last meeting. lie reminded that the initial presentation from the consultants was at the January 29, 2007 meeting_ He asked if the consultants have am• new information to present at this time. Air. Marino responded that he concurs %%ith Aid. Jean-Baptiste's overview given. lie reported that the consultants only new presentation relates to part concerns expressed and response provided on information regarding citizen participation throughout the process with additional information concerning other issues raised by citizens at the January 29t4 meeting. He referred the Committee to staff's memorandum dated February 19, 2007 where these issues are addressed. W. Marino 0 f� Special PRD Committee Meeting on February 222, 2007 Page 3 . said the consultants will further address those issues after the conclusion of citizen comments this evening. Citizen Comments Chairman Jean -Baptiste called on all citizens in the order signed on the list. Mr. John Cahill, owner of Cahill Plumbing Co. Mr. Cahill stated for the record that he was not aware of the past meetings involving the business owners with the consultants as indicated earlier. He considers his business as having a major impact in this proposed Master Plan which has been pointed out in the presentation given by the consultants. He further stated that lie was taken by surprise because he %%- s never informed of the future possibilities in the plan for redevelopment of his business site and the proposed street thorough -ways that run straight through his current property. He alleged that he has received no notices or invitations to attend any meetings as a major business owner in the designated TIF area to participate in any past meetings. He assured that if he had received any notice that he .would have been present especially in light of the proposed pre -mature presumption of the planned redevelopment of his property. Mr. Cahill reiterated his comment made at the January 29, 2007 meeting that lie has no plans of moving his business from their present location on Church Street, which has been there through 3 generations. However, now that he is aware of the proposed Master Plan he requested to be fully informed and vowed to stay involved in the future planning stages. In response to Mr. Cahill's comments, staff assured that the Cahill business was mailed notice __ and have proof of this on the mailing li-st provided by the GIS Department. Staff also assured that there was no separate "special" meeting set for business owners only, all the meetings were open to the entire community to meet with the consultants. Nis. Guderley confirmed that the mailing list for the notices were sent to every address, residential and business, within a large radius of the designated West Side Master Plan amx She referred to the sign -in sheets from the community meetings which verifies attendance of a joint collaboration of property owners, tenants, business owners, etc. Ald. Holmes concurred .with Ms. Guderley because she was in attendance at the meetings and has witnessed whowas present and has also seen the notification mailing list. She mentioned many of the business owners that were present at the majority of the community meetings. Nevertheless, she requested that staff make a special effort to see forth that Mr. Cahill receive any future notifications and is informed throughout the planning stage. Nls. Muriel Duabart ) cave comments_ Air. Charles Uchtmant`') gave comments. Ms. Joan Stafford gave comments. Ms_ Cindv Reed stated that she .gas aware of the neighborhood meetings and that she is not opposed to the 'wiaster Plan because the West Side definitel) needs new development and revitalization. Her concern is for the youth involvement and requested that consideration be given to creating new jobs for the youtin of this area to be involved in any new construction and redevelopment. She would like to see this enforced as a condition for developers and contractors as the Master Plan progresses. Ms. Ike Dickson. 2327 Church stated that she attended the neighborhood community meetings . throughout the entire process thus far and assures that the meetings were well attended by a combination of home owners, tenants. business owners, and other interested parties. She further Special P&D Committee Meeting on February 22, 2007 Pace 4 assured that all who attended those meetings ntt•e given an equal opportunity to give their input. She feels this Master Plan is a means to begin merging the East side/downtown with the West Side and bring the two areas together. ibis. Dickson expressed her support for the proposed plan and views it as a development guideline. She strongly feels it would be a dis-service to the West Side and Evanston as a whole if the plan were not approved to go forward. Mr. Jeff Smith. 2724 Harrison stated that he is an active member of tite Central Street Neighbors Association and can relate to what is going on with the neighbors and property owners of the West Side who will be affected by this Master Plan. He wished to express his solidarity in support of the West Side neighbors. He is a strong advocate in considering the needs and desires of the residents and this should be the first priority. Mr. Smith raised the question of who is the proposed new residential development for. It does not seem economically feasible for the existing community of that area. In his opinion more demographical impact study needs to be done. Also, he pointed out that land values follow the zoning for any area. He requested that the Committee allow more time for further review and consideration of the "rcni" needs that would benefit the existing residents of the West Side TIF area and that entire community. Nis. Roberta Hudson. 1941 Dewev reiterated her previous statement that sufficient notice was not sent out by the City nor received by a large number of residents in the affected areal. She strongly feels that this proposed Master Plan will only benefit the developers and not the people who live in the Ward. She mentioned several proposed changes and proposed new developments and infrastructure changes to the designated area that present many questions and concerns for the actual involvement and financing to accomplish these goals. She said eventually the actual cost will fall on the existing residents/property owners of the area who will not reap any real benefits from this proposed Master Plan. Isis. Hudson read from a prepared statement. in summary, she stated concerns for tite youth of this area: and the lack of recreational facilities in Evanston For them. The youth of Evanston have to go outside of their own community to give them a variety of options and activities to choose from. She strongly urged the Committee to consider providing more recreational and community business development versus more residential development in this Master Plan. This will benefit the youth in this community and provide more job opportunities as well. She also pleaded for the Committee to take into consideration the real needs of the residents that will be affected by this Master Plan. Maxine Edwards seconded all of Ms. Hudi-on's concerns expresso. In addition, she requested the Committee also consider proposals for impro%ements in the area of security and additional police involvement. She described an incident that occurred in close proximity to her property and felt that proper response was not received from the Police Department. Ms. Edwards also expressed concerns +with .chat she saw in the plan for the proposed zoning for the alley directly behind their property adjacent with the Bishop Freeman site. She dc*es not agree .with the plan to mare this alley a thorough -way by widening it as street. 'cis. Bettv Sue Ester said that she has concerns for some of the prop:-sed zoning chances pointed out in the plan. She feels the neighbors/residents have never had the opportunity tc discuss or have any input into the proposed zoning changes considered within the Master Plan. She has further concerns for the possibility of imminent domain for some of the west side properties in order to accommodate some of the planned developments for this area. Ms. Ester stated that this Master Plan should facilitate what the neighbors and residents of this area desire and ~want for their community; it should not be a plan that is forced upon the community €or future development plans. 0 Special P&D Committee Meeting on February 22, 2007 Page 5 Nis. Mary Rosinski. 1729 Chancellor. said that she owns property on Simpson. She feels this Master Plan would be a good guideline for developers to use. However, she questioned what ever happened to form -based code; has this idea gone to the wayside since the first neighborhood meeting? She feels residents should be involved in establishing chat zoning needs fit their neighborhood. Air. Carliss Sutton, said that he views this Master Plan in the long run will result in eliminating the future residents of this area, as it is being proposed. He welcomes diversity; however the, proposed residential development shown in this plan will result in gentrification of the West side. Mr. Sutton read from a prepared statement. Ms. Priscilla Giles recalled that some discussion back in the early 1970's that this area was sure to be involved in future urban renewal and she can see it beginning with this Master Plan. Site expressed her concern with people from outside of the community, that do not even live in Evanston at all, being involved as consultants and analyzing what they feel would benefit the West Side area. She feels that someone from the community should have been used as a consultant along with a selected variety of neighborhood property and business owners in tite form of a committee to coordinate the %ti cst Side Master Plan. j Is. Susan Bradshaw. 1553 Darrow stated her opinion that this Master Plan should be used as a tool or guideline to be followed for future development and enharr:cment of this area. To make the Master Platt advisory at this point would be meaningless and a waste of all the time and input involved to come up with this plan, which she feels is acceptable for the designated area. • Mr. Al Swanson. 1561 Darrow noted that ire lives in the area designated as Sub -area 93. He informed the Committee that he along with several other neighbors approximately 20 months ago cleaned the strip of land that was once the railroad tracks and the embankment area. He recalled that this area was full of debris and fly -dumping, which they cleared all away on their own. He said that this area is now green space and that he would like to see it continued as green space and a continuance of the park area. In his opinion, the planning process needs to continue further before committing to a final piaster Plan. Ms. Tina Paden, 1122 Emerson has a problem with the consultants and developers that don't live in Evanston who this Master Plan will benefit. She noted that generations of her family has lived in the same house for 160 vcars and have a Iona history and relationship with the west side of Evanston. She is concerned with the lack of love income housing ttieing provided in this plan and is also concerned with the rise in property taxes that are already too high to provide affordable rents today. She feels all this development will fall back on the r-idents by way of raising their tax bills to cover the cost. Nis. S. Blanos_ 1720 Nianle read from a prepared statement. in favor of the Master Plan. Mr. David Dickson. 2327 Church said that there are some things that are unfair about the plan, for instance he recalled Air. Cahill's comments and what the plats exhibits on his property. Overall, he is very much in favor of the hlast_r Plan and supports any nevr development and revitalization of the West Side that is in dyer need to upgrades and improvements. This side of town needs to catch up with the downtown revitalization since it is a main entn-%zv into the City. 0 End of citizen comments. Special PSD Committee Meeting on February 22, 2007 Page 6 Ms. Leslie Oberholtzer, of Farr Associates gave a brief overview of the Master Plan for Sub - Areas 41 and 92 and a compilation of the community involvement throughout the process and from the neighborhood meetings held. Air. Brad Winick gave a brief overview of Sub -Are #3 of the Master Plan and explanation of the Preferred Plan for that area. Plannina & Develonment Committee Discussion and Comments Aid. Wallin said that she is more in favor of the Master Plan as presented by an advisory tool, not mandatory at this point. At any rate she would like to move forward with the plan and is in favor of it. Aid. Tisdahl said that she is not ready to make anything mandatory and also would be much more comfortable with the plan being on an advisory level. Aid. Holmes feels that some of the read situations need to be more clarified, other than that she is very comfortable with the majority of the Master Plan as presented. She feels this plan should be used as a development guideline with some points being mandatory and some being advisory. which are still issues to be reviewed and dealt %with as the process continues. She very much prefers to move forward with the acceptance of the presented Master Plan. Chairman Jean -Baptiste said, in response to Ms. Hudson's previous comments, that there is a newly formed Youth Engagement Program in the City of Evanston that will be working on achieving the goals she suggested earlier. Aid. Wollin agreed that this program is eery important and also mentioned that they will be sponsoring a Youth Summit in the spring. Mr. Wolinski responded to comments made earlier regarding the consultant's stand on this Master Plan. He assured that the consultants did not come up with any of this plan on their own intuition but were guided by all the input provided from all the neighborhooNcommunity meetings copulated together. Aid. Rainey sus! gested that this plan needs to be broken down by Sub -Area, and by sections of land to review step by step and figure out what should be advisory and what should be mandatory. She requested that staff do this and provide to the P&D Committee ghat their opinions are on what should be mandatory and Ahat should be advisory, including street improvements and other infrastructure chances, She feels that all this is too much to absorb at once for anybody including the members of this Committee. residents, business owners, etc. Chairman lean -Baptiste agreed. Aid. Bernstein also concurred that this too overwhelming. He even suggested that they wall: the area and take maps along to get a feel of specific areas drat you can't make a clear judgment from the drawings. He is also ven- concerned with Nir. Cahill's comments that the drawings that appear to have streets planned to co straight through his property for new development; this should not be presented if the business oww ner has not been informed or involved in any such plans. At this point, he does not feel comfortable or ready to snake any decision on this plan until they have had a change to review further in smaller stages. Aid. Hansen feeling is that there is a misconception of what this Plan is trying to accomplish. She reminded that this began with development concerns from the Church Street Station development and the concern for further development and density in the immediate area. She does not understand why there is so much misconception because it should be understood that this is only . a plan for future developments to come fon%ani in this specified area and should be used as a Special P&D Committee hieeting on February?? 3007 Page 7 development guideline tool. She does agree with Aid. Rainey's suggestion to take pieces of land at a time and decide what should be under a mandatory guideline for that property. She is in favor of specifying the mandatory and that the final Master Plan should not just be an advisory tool. Aid. Wollin agreed with Aid. Hansen in the fact that the v.-hole idea and purposes of this planning was to form a vision for the area; however she does not feel comfortable with making anything mandatory unless specified under zoning. Recommendation The P&D Committee recommended to give this back to staff to take sections at a time for each Sub -Area and to provide their recommendations on what should be mandatory or advisory for the Committee to review. The Committee also requested to remove this item from P&D's agenda until staff is ready to report back. ADJOURNMENT The meeting -.vas adjourned at 10:16 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ' U_t k 41."V,. . (E . Jacqu ine g: Brownlee L� �(Lv41� Planning & Development Committee Minutes of February 26, 2007 Room 2200 — &30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran,, E:; Tisdahl, C. Wollin, Nt. Wynne Staff Present: J. Wolinski, D. Cook, K. Cox, W. Hallen, V: Jones, D. Marino, K. Russell, D. Spicuzla, J. Brownlee ; Presiding Official: Alderman Jean -Baptiste DECLARATION OF OUORUM Chairman Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 6:49 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE MEETING 31INUTES OF FEBRUARY 12, 2007 AND JANUARY 29, 2007 SPECIAL MEETING MIIN'MES Aid. Wynne moved approval of both sets of minutes, seconded by Aid. Tisdahl. The vote was 9- 0 in favor of the motion. Aid. Rainey commended Ms. Brownlee on the minutes for the special meeting on January 29''. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (P1) Ordinance 24-0-07 — Amendine Ordinance 114-0-06 -- Grogn 'a Soecial •Use for a Planned Develontnent at 2424 Oakton Street Aid. Rainey moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wynne. Aid. Rainey stated that the reason for this amending ordinance is because she had several concerns with this being is such a large area and she felt the need for the lots to be clarified and exactly what has been approved for each lot. Aid. Wollin asked if there were any provisions made for the type 2 restaurant in case of change in o%%mership/management. Aid. Rainey responded that what is allowed as far as cooking appliances, litter collection plan, and other condition are stated in the ordinance and she is very supportive of this developer and what applications they will accept for this type 2 location. Mr. Wolinski informed the Committee that the developer did submit thcir Site Plan Permit today that had no immediate changes or surprises in their application from what is being presented. The vote ► as 9-0 in favor of (lie motion. (P2) HOME Fund Reaucst from Housine On_ oortunity Develon_ went Comoration for Single - Family New Construction at 1820 Dodce Aid. Tisdahl moved approval, seconded by Aid. Holmes. Ms. Mary Ellen Tomasi introduced herself as the new Director of l IODC. She wished to have the former Director Mr. Richard Koenig give the presentation since she is new and he has worked with this project from the acquisition up to this process. Mr. Koenig started out with HODC's 0 %. history of currently owning 13 properties and managing 163 rental units. He referred to a power P&D Committee Mt& Minutes of 2-26-07 Page 2 point presentation opening with the Property Goals. The property is currently a vacant lot that was donated to HODC in 2005. There site formerly had a single-family home that was demolished by the previous owner. Mr. Koenig showed a rendering of the proposed new single- family home and described the project feature offering 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a partially finished basement, porch, and detached 2-car garage in the rear of the property. He explained that because of the narrowness of the lot and the expense of traditional building techniques to come up with an affordable design for this property, They were approached by a builder that constructs pre -fabricated houses which cuts down on construction costs and time. Mr. Koenig continued that the house would be factory built and delivered in two pieces to the site and connected together at that point. He said that estimated time given by the builder for complete connection of the two pieces is from one to two days and they finalized work on the interior. 1 1 Mr. Koenig gave an overview of the costs and financing of this projecL The cost of this project is S300,000 and the affordable sales prices will be approximately S 155,000. They are targeting for buyers at the 601.o area median income. He informed the Committee that National City Bank is providing their construction loan and is also offering a below market rate mortgage for the qualified buyer. The remaining cost will come from the requested HOME subsidy grant money. Aid. Rainey asked if the construction of this pre -fabricated home conflicts with the City Building Codes. Mr. Wolinski responded no; although this is their first pre-fab constructed house, the building materials and quality of work seem to be a decent quality for pre -fabricated materials: He said that they will also have an independent inspector specializing in pre-fab construction to conduct inspections from the factory construction to the building site to make sure all required codes are met. . ' , ' Aid. Holmes said that the City needs to look at offering more of this type of pre -fabricated housing for affordable purchase because it is less costly and timely to construct which keeps the cost down and could possible be a very accessible means of providing more affordable housing of this type. Ms. Tomasi added that with this type of construction also there is less chance of vandalism during the construction phase. Also with the pre-fab being a quicker rnetitod of construction there is less neighborhood disturbance as xvell. Mr. Wolinski noted the history of this site since it's been vacant has been a long list of maintenance issues and a site for fly - dumping over and over again. The lot is very narrow and the proposed house does fit this lot without the need for Variances. The vote was 9-0 In favor of the motion. (P3) West Side Master Plan for Sub -Areas 1.2 and 3 Chairman Jean -Baptiste said that this item will be taken off the agenda for this eveniu because it was decided at the Special Mecting regarding this issue on February 22 , that the recommendation was to give back to staff for by sections on recommendations to present back to the Committee of «hat should be mandatory within that section. Therefore he requested to staff that they begin work and possibly bring something back before the Committee for review by the second meeting in March. He did recognize one citizen signed up to speak on this matter and gave him the opportunity at this time. Mr. Todd Smith. nroncrtv owner/landlord — read from a prepared statement (Attachment A) included vdth these minutes. 1- P&D Committee Mtg. Mintnes of2-26-07 • Page 3 (135) Ordinance 31-0-07 — Extending the Moratorium on new Construction on Central Street 40 from Ashland to 2200 Central Street for Another 90 Days Aid. Tisdahl motioned her request to amend the extension for another 120 days instead of 90 drys, seconded by Aid. Hansen. Mr. Wolinski said that the 90-day extension would go until May 27 h; another 30 days would bring the extension expiration date to June 26, 2007. Mr. Cox assured that he say no legal issues with this extension from Lice time in the ordinance; he would just make an amendment to the existing ordinance before the Committee. Mr. Jeff Smith. 2724 Harrison, spoke in favor of extending the moratorium. He and many other residents in their ward would like to see the area on Central Street to include more blocks to the easL He assured that there is an extremely strong consensus in support of including this additional area and for the moratorium extension. Mr. Smith stated that there is also a consensus in their neighborhood that the area is over -zoned and proper planning will take more time. He strongly feels this area is in no need of dyer development and is OK as it is, which there is also a strong consensus agreeing with this opinion. He feels it would also be a good to review the area on Green Bay Road from Central north to Isabella. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the amended motions. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION t (PDI I Affordable Housing Fund Chairmen Jean -Baptiste acknowledged members of the Housing Commission here to make a presentation on the recommended administration and uses of the Affordable Housing Tax Fund as dim-ted by the Rules Committee back in December. Ms. Susan Munro. 1316 Maple, introduced herself as the new Chair of the Housing Commission and Mr. Eric Beachamp, 809 Sherman, introduced himself as Vice Chair of the Housing Commission. Together they gave a power point presentation with Ms. Munro going over the situations involving the use of funds and the principles for use of funding. Mr. Beachamp will then follow up with recommendations for the admktistration of the funds. Ms. Munro began with the fiwst Situation: Affordable Housing. The bullet points under this situation were: 'Successes and Support, which listed traditions and support for diversity and *projects supported by HOME and Mayor's Special Housing fund. The seconb3 bullet point was Precipitous Drop in Affordable units in Evanston. Nis. Munro noted that there has been a significant drop in the amount of affordable housing units in the last 5 years from 25% to 19%. Also the number of Section 9 vouchers is down from 1300 to 740 during that time period as well. Ald. Rainey questioned this statistic and requested confirmation of the amount of Secticn 8 vouchers here in Evanston. Nis. Munro and Mr. Beachamp responded they would forwar3 that information. The second Situation: Sources of Funds. The bullet points listed were: 1) Demolition fee, 2) Fees from inclusionary zoning ordinance, if it stands, 3) Mayor's Special Housing fund, 4) Pledges from developers, 5)Donations from public and private sources, 6) Future sources such as an increase in the Real Estate Transfer taxes. his. Munro want over the category Uses: Principles. Bullet points were: 1) Inclusive, 2) Aligned with City and State Priorities (opportunity, city goals as noted in the Comprehensive Plan), 3) Structured maximum term of affordability, 4) Responsive, 5) Pro -active, 6) Based on data and collaboration. Nis. Munro went over each 0 principle in more detail as listed in the power point presentation. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes oft-26-07 Page 4 Aid. Rainey noted that there is a big distinction between low income housing and uffordable housing. She stated that in most cases it is too costly to build new affordable rental housing. Ms. Munro responded that affordable rentals arc majority rehab construction. She pointed out that Reba Place has rehabbed several buildings for low-income rentals but no new construction. The new affordable housing construction is aimed towards purchase for qualifying loco to moderate income buyers. She agreed with Aid. Rainey that they do not find a high market for multi -family building owners to want funding to rehab their buildings for affordable rental units. However, there have been a few CHDO's that have done this including Rehab Place and HODC. Aid. Rainey stated that she would like to see a program that people can actually qualify for to purchase affordable housing at a higher rate. Aid. Moran reminded that the City had a chance to have new construction affordable multi -family rental building at Darrow and Church, proving that it can be done with the right funding. Aid. Rainey said that she would like to have a meeting where only familiesrindividuals who are actually interested in and are looking to seek affordable rental or purchase here in Evanston to get a real sense of who want to take advantage of these programs. She feels it would be very beneficial information to have some real knowledge to meet people's needs and have the ability to format some guidelines for qualification_ Mr. Beachamp went over the administration recommendations from the Housing Commission. Firstly the recommended Board being the Housing Commission to review the proposals, issue RFP's and make recommendations in a complete package to the Planning & Development Committee and Council for final approval. As far as staffing, the Housing Commission's recommendation is to use existing staff in the Community Development Department as much as possible- He suggested as the fund gro%ts and pro -active activities become possible, the added staff should be qualified to be able to seek opportunities, leverage funding and manage the RFP process_ The funds necessary to pay for this additional staff should be derived from the trust fund. Aid. h1oran expressed his concern with the administration as presented. In his opinion, there may be a need to have a separate Board to review the applications. However, he does agree that if there is a need for additional staffing to administrate the funds, it should come from the Trust Fund. Aid. Tisdahl asked for Mr. NVolinski's opinion on the current staffing and if additional staffing would be required. Mr. Wolinski responded that the current staff has the ability to meet the immediate pro -active needs in some areas and the ability to meet the reactive needs in most cases. He further explained that current staff would have the ability to administer the RFP process and be a liaison in stimulating partnerships between developers, not -for -profits and other entities. Ile referred to staffs memorandum forwarded to the Committee dated Februan, 26, 2007 regarding Affordable Housing funds Availability. Mr. Wolinski noted that HOME funds currently available are S1.8 million. He also noted that the not -for -profits at this time are currently not coming forward for request in funds, which could be a result of n number of reasons such as the current housing market and interest rates or they currently involved in other committed projects. However, if Iliere uas a great influx in the request by not -for -profits and CHDO's, then he would have to consider the addition of another staff person to aid in the administmtion of these funds. Mr. Wolinski noted that ►%-ith the amount of available funds and the slow.- down in request for funding- HUD «ill probably question why the City of Evanston is not utilizing more of these funds. 71te Planned Developments have slowed down and the City has only rec-eiwed payment from two of the projects. In his opinion, the City should receive S300- 400,000 per year in revenue from the funding sources and contributions pledged towards the Affordable Housing Fund. f- r� u P&D Comminee Mtg. Minutes of 2-26-07 • Page 5 Several Committee members expressed their opinion that the City need to make affordable housing from what we have available because there exists so many vacant units plus newly rehabbed and new construction units on the market for a lengthy period of time in some situations. Aid. Bernstein agreed and suggested the consideration of subsidizing current building owners, as previously suggested by Mr. Smith. However, HOME Funds have strict regulations for property owners if they are above the specific income qualifications, therefore dis-qualifying many building owners for usage of these funds. He insists that this situation is something that needs further review for consideration of including building owners and more landlords to qualify for affordable housing funds. Aid. Wynne informed staff that the table for future contributions to the Affordable housing fund does not include the Main/Chicago development, which she calculated a contribution of approximately $93,000. Staff agreed and will include this figure in the table. Chairman Jean -Baptiste amended the Housing Commission in that they have taken a good initiative with the options for the use and administration of the Affordable Housing Funds. He added that a down payment assistance program is very important and should be included in the usage of these funds. Aid. Holmes expressed her position in support of being very pro -active in the use of these funds. She strongly supports and request that staff look into utilizing the many board -up buildings throughout Evanston, especially in her ward (5`"). She feels this would be a good source and means of providing affordable housing. Aid. Rainey seconded Aid. Holmes request and urged that all the board -ups be considered for use or conversion into affordable housing. She asked that Legal Staff seriously look into a means of "taking over" these properties after a certain length of time and no response from the owner. The entire Committee agreed and directed staff to provide an updated list of board -Ups for the next scheduled mectiag. 49 Mr. Wolinski concurred and informed the Committee that staff will provide some history and background information as much as possible for each building. Aid. Bernstein reiterated his past recommendation for the need to have more "teeth" in the current ordinance to unable the city to take over properties that have a history of a negligent owner or lengthy periods of vacancy. (PD2) lnclusionary Housine Ordinance Chairman Jean -Baptiste noted that this item is regarding the status of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance 27-0-07 as it stands. The Committee requested Legal Staff's opinion and recommended direction. The alternatives suggested by staff are: I. Allow the ordinance to become effective and begin collecting the required affordable housing payments. 2. Amend the ordinance to make it responsive to the concerns of the Law Department. An example of an alternative approach would be to approve a nc%v inclusionary housing ordinance that qualifies as a land use regulation by requiring a percentage of units in a development to be affordable but allowing developers to pay a fee -in -lieu for 100° c of the required units. 3. Extend the implementation date for 27-0-07 to discuss other options. 4. Rescind 27-0-07. Mr. Cox gare his opinion and recommended alternative �2 as his preferred option. Aid. Rainey feels they should give the broader community a chance to comment on this amendment. She suggested that notice be sent out with the alternatives. Aid. Bernstein reminded the Committee of all the past meetings and discussions on this matter, therefore he is in the P&D Committee Mt& Minutes oft-26-07 Page 6 opinion that this case has atready been heard and all these alternatives have been discussed in some form at previous meetings. He feels there should be no further hearings, no further notice sent out on this matter and that the Committee should move forward with this. Aid. Tisdahl motioned for approval of Alternative Q as recommended by Legal Staff. Aid. Bernstein seconded the motion and the vote was 8 in favor and 1 voting nay (Rainey). ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the meeting was adjounnod at $:25 p.m:' ' y' r{; •'' . ffI%' Jj Respectfully submitted, r+ E i • . .'. I: I: , : i �;;' i Ot Jacqueli )J. wnfee l{' :., ! {„ .,•:, al:r .a ' - - .�. -` �i, .r'{ .::ttt.!ii£� ai1J J• s �'7. =.Ik1.S�ri iifl `>, ..�II��1: �J'; `l'd t .. ... , - f .. _ ; i.r_,_u,.. .. JiJ i+1U•I�t ;�If; �LIt liti iiaiE :. ']'.`t!! �'(1^ t"1[J�7 �!". l{'.''Ii•'f: } i!!:1 , .. 1 : t:.E{ r C!� t � . .., J:�; I., t', n .;,, :�.'.3i f., �.E:. �tilft I'i r.' :'of .-. '{a, .. .:r[', t ..., !1': yiJ t: •ii'J Ilil t•'3 '!�E; .;fit;, 1}`t �fJ t•:t tl'!�{i t{{�Il u31 rrl III w"li _'1;1 71el Eli lif.t?' t-.1i �•�f l�t `i it is �''.'i f r:'•, .:r 1:il. {_I![ii r {e ..•e 1' ATTACHMENT A My Name is Todd Smith I am a third generation Evastonian. 1 am here today to speak to you from a more neutral, non- biased position; and with my primary concern being for the overall good of my city, my neighborhood and my neighbors. I am concerned «ith the overall gentrification of a once very proud, diverse and economically sound community; in particular the 56' ward. My objective here today is to explain the problems which the residents are dealing with on a continuous basis and to, discuss how we can work together with city officials, residents and developers to have a unified economically empowered city and community going forward. I'd like to first state the problems with moving forward and then to suggest possible solutions. Let me say that all of the problems which were noted Qa 2/22/ planning and development meeting are real and very critical and they do need to be addressed. However, in order to solve problems you have to be able focus on them directly, even though they may be interrelated with other community issues. In other words, I do not believe it is feasible to throw all the problems, whether social or economic, in one bucket and properly address them in a city development plan. The issues in relation to crime, safety of youth, employment and training are all very real and serious issues to deal with. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT AT THE ROOT OF WHAT WE ARE ATFEMPING TO GET ACCOMPLiHSED WITH THIS DOCUMENT. Look, I care deeply about these issues because I have been personally impacted by the loss of a son, and I have made it a personal goal of mine to help stop all the unnecessary violence and killing of our youth, by whatever means possible. But the issues facing the 5`b Ward, lack of local businesses, uncontrolled gentrification, spiraling costs of property ownership, and lack of infrastructure to engage our youth, cannot be solved by a planning & development document. In fact, ironically, measures taken to supposedly protect `I residents of the ; Ward are actually accelerating gentrification; caps on rents paid by I CHAC are making it impossible for building owners to operate their properties at a break-even — some are forced to sell. New building regulations intended to upgrade property standards, often put untenable burdens on building owners, and by extension, their tenants. Now, as an aside, here is one area where the City can readily address the problem by waiving permits for compliance work for low income homeowners or building owners who rent to low income tenants, and matching foundations which employ our youth to do the work. That is a pointed fix to a specific problem — not something that can be included in this draft for the neighborhood plan. And that is the crux of what I tun trying to say. Focus on the individual issues that challenge our community with focused counter-measures and don't allow the process of moving forward on a comprehensive plan to be paralyzed because it cannot be all things to all people. This is about a general vision for a physical design that will most encourage socio-economic diversity. 11at said, there are problems with the plan as it is now. First, it was not made clear what it really means for the City Council to sanction the plan; Would this mean that the particulars items noted are general guide lines or strict rules and regulations. We do not know if this document will supercede the current process of presenting to the planning and development committee or if it %011 work in conjunction with it. And, if two bodies, which rules? Secondly, in the selection criteria during the work shops, we were asked to pick a particular model type ABC or D. Hotivever, subsequently, that %vas taken to mean that whole area would be built out in that rigid mode, as one type, which we may not -.vartt. We believe we need to have multiple types of units in some areas not just one model. References in the plan document to removing certain dwellings or businesses that are privately owned is disturbing many residents and methods by which these provisions would be implemented need to be clarified. The consultants, in conjunction with the City, have done a good job in the first major draft of the document and they should all be commended for their efforts in moving the process this far along. However 1 believe the plan needs to be divided into components which can be addressed and approved separately, as viable proposals for the parcels in question come before the City. It is essential to clearly present what the process «ill be so that investors can proceed efficiently and put stakes in the ground. Still, there needs to be some flexibility and discretion on a case by case basis so that we are not discouraging investment in the community. I know Delores and Lionel feel we are making progress after all of their hard work; I believe they understand that this draft plan is evolving and that updates will be made based on conditions in the wards. Now that you now have heard the issues that I believe directly relate to the city plan here is how I believe we can turn things around for the residents of the fifth ward and the overall city. First let me point out that we have had some adaptive reuse of formerly abandoned ware houses in the area, which has enabled continuing and start up business in the neighborhood, including minority based enterprises. It also has spurred new business ventures outside those developments. We also have seen various organizations doing well in providing much need affordable housing in our community. But so much more is needed. We have seen over the past years that attempting to stop development in the 5 h ward area has cost us all dearly. I believe the fear of the development is really unfounded if it is done right and managed correctly. Development will come to the P Ward regardless of what we do. By staying engaged in the process, we maintain a voice in how it unfolds. 11 One of the economic engines rvhich could make the whole area prosper would be building the new civic center in the 5'h ward at one of the two locations identified in prior discussions. This would open a multitude of possibilities for new business opportunity in the neighborhood; restaurants, copy stores, cleaning services, tech assistance etc etc. 1 would propose engaging Northwestern University business students to support young entrepreneurs in the 5"' ward — teaching business models and educating them on securing SBA loans. We need to grasp the chance to bring investment to the neighborhood because that is how jobs are created; that is how youth find alternatives to the street; that is how «-c put ourselves in a position of negotiating incentives -- creating affordable homes, creating a pool of funds to help existing residents remain. We can jump on the train and help to drive it or we can be run over by it. I'd like to see us move forward on the comprehensive plan, modifying the issues that are unclear, and 1'd encourage the City to REALLY INVEST IN THE Nest Side by considering locating the Civic Center to our neighborhood. Mainly, though I wish to see us embrace change for the positive things it can bring, for the empowerment it can bring to our young people. Kindly submitted Todd Smith • r� u • • • Aldermen Present:' Aldermen Absentc StafiPresent: Presiding Official: Planning & Development Committee Minutes of March 12, 2007 Council Chambers -- 6:30 p.m.. Evanston Civic Center S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E- Moran.' f ' E.,Tisdahl, M. Wynne A. Rainey, C. Wollin J. Wolinski, C. Brzezinski, K. Cox, S. Janusz, l7 Marino, lllayor Morcott; Bobbie Newman, Donna Spicuzza ` Alderman Jean -Baptista ' DECLARATION OF OUORUNI Aid. Jean -Baptiste called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. .., i Ez. :r: •iii;-� Jill APPROVAL OF THE 11IEETING MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 26. 2007 The Committee voted unanimously to approve the February 26, 2007 minutes. tt ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (PI) Ordinance 32-0-07 — Inclusionary Housine Ordinance Aid. Tisdahl suggested the Committee re-evaluate financial revenue and expenses in one 'year. Aid. Bernstein elaborated on the need to do so. The Committee voted unanimously to APPROVE- (P2) Ordinance 33-0-07 -- Extending the Moratorium on the Issuance of Buildine Permits for Construction in the Nest Evanston TIF District by 30-Days Mr. Wolinski stated that the West Evanston Plan was held by the Committee in order for staff to review, adding that staff will be ready to report by April 10, 2007. The Committee voted unanimously to APPROVE extension. (P31 Ordinance 30-0-07 -- hraior Variation Rearrest for 2045 Brown The variation would allow parking on the street in lieu of the required 29 additional parking spaces required to be provided by the property. Mr. Wolinski stated that staff heartily supports this recommendation because the building has been under construction since 1992 and completing construction is essential to the community. He believes the enhancement to the building and community services they are offering %%ill be a positive addition to the community. He adjzd that the building is at the gateway into the City. Ald. Holmes stated that the Faith Temple Church would lend parking places for the mosque. Mayor Morton slated that they may have competition for parking spaces in the summer as people using the park across the street will be parking there also. Ms. Betty Ester, citizen. stated that the Over the Rainbow organization serves people in wheelchairs that use the street instead of the sidewalk and extra parking oft the street may push them closer to the middle of the street. Asad Hussain, architect, presented elevations and explained plans for renovation and use of the building. He stated that they are not adding on to the building. They are fixing the areas that do not comply N%ith zoning regulations: moving condensers out of existing parking places and on to P&D Committee MtS_ March 12, 2007 Page 2 roof, virtually out of sight. They will be restoring original windows and openings. They are putting a done where the existing tower is, using a stone base and tile to enhance the cement block face and ultimately bringing proportion and aesthetic value to the building. They are adding lush landscaping with evergreens, black eyed susan, juniper. gravel, paving and four birch trees. They will be renovating the outside of the building and doing landscaping first. Inside, they will start on the basement. Mayor Morton asked about the frequency of serviceslactivities. Mr. Mohammad Saiduzzaman, also representing the project, stated that services are held on Fridays, early morning at around 7:00 am. and aftemoon from noon to 2:00 p.m., and congregants come at various tines during the day for short prayers. They hope to have a Sunday school. They would like to offer a soup kitchen, health screening services and computerlvocational training to members of the community as well as the congregation. They want to be an integral part of the community. There have been no complaints from the neighbors. They hope to begin construction this summer. The Committee voted unanimously to APPROVE. (P4) Reauest for un to $5.950 in Families in Transition Funds for One Year from Connections for the Homeless The Committer voted unanimously to APPROVE the request. COAINIUNICATIONS (PD1) Boardrd Buildine Uad3te Aid. Wynne Mated that 910 Hinman was not on the list of boarded buildings. Mr. Janusz confirmed that it has been boarded and will be added to the list: Ald. Bernstein asked if 181t Lyons, which is o%vned by HUD is acquirable by the City to use for affordable housing. Mr. Janusz replied that HUD is trying to sell it. He will investigate further. The Committee discussed the difficulty in locating owners of the neglected buildings and collecting fines from them. Mr. Wolinski poinied out that 18 of 66 cases have been closed, but it is very time-consuming to track down o%vners_ ,aid. Bernstein suggested that amending the ordinance to give the City the ability to demolish ne lected, condemned buildings within a designated time frame would afford the City more leverage in dealing with the owners to expedite collecting fines, sales andlor renovation of the buildings- :aid. Wynne suggested finding out what other municipalities do in these instances. Mr. Janusz ststed that the Property Standards division is working with the Water Department to have water t=ned ofiwhen a building is vacant and requiring a certificate of occupancy to have it turned back can. Nfavor Morton stated that «e should investigate all of the agencies in the area that provide housing, and etien citizens in foreclosure, and help them financially from the City's funds and from CDBG funds. \fee. Ron Fleckman, a developer with ECDC, offered that he has the resources to take on 10 empty building and renovate them to be put back on the market at affordable prizes. %It. Cox of the legal Department stated that he would draft a memorandum addressing this issue for the Committee's review. (PD2) Chan a in Chairman: hin Aid. Tisdahl confirmed that _he will take over the Chairmanship of the Committee, succeeding Aid. Jean -Baptiste. ADJ0URN"i fENT With no furdher business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bobbie Neuman Exec. Secretrrv, Planning Dhision Planning & Development Committee Minutes of March 26, 2007 Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran, E. r Tisdahl, C. Wallin, M. Wynne Sta_ ffPresent: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, C. Brzezinski, K. Cox, A. Jackson, V. Jones, R.;r Russell, J. Brov-nlee Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahf DECLARATION OF QUORUM 'i ChairT"tsdahl called the meeting to orderat 6:40 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE MEETING NILNl1TES OF MARCH 12. 2007 AND FEBRUARY 22, 2007 SPECIAL MEETING MINiJTES Ald. Wynne moved approval of both sets of minutes, seconded by Aid. Jean -Baptiste. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION , ,s {P1) Ordinance 34-(Q7 — >stablishine a lQ5-day Moratorium on the Issuance of Building; Permits for Construction on Green Bav Road from lcabella to Lincoln Street Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Aid. Bernstein. ChairTishdahl noticed one person signed up to speak on this matter and called on her first. Ms. Jane Grover, noted that Council has already extended the length of time for the moratorium an Central Street and she is here to address the expansion of it to include that stretch of Green Bay Road north and south of Central Street. She believes the Central Street PIanning process is focused on Central and Green Bay as a transit center and it only makes sense when considering the Transit Center and both its eastAvest access but also as it tuns north and south. She noted that an expansion of the moratorium would include all the way from Isabella south to Lincoln Avenue; which is a total of approximately 5 or 6 blocks. Ais. Grover's opinion on the reasons to include this stretch of Green Bay Road is because they are already witnessing development pressures from both the north and the south and several properties along this stretch are either on the market including the Domicile building and the Dueler property which has recently been sold. Recognizing that the City does not tale lightly the expansion of property rights through the moratorium process, she proposes that there will be productive use of this moratorium time along the stretch of Green Bay. Nis. Grover stated that this issues she and her neighbors would like to see addressed .,.ould be: 1) Pedestrian friendliness, given that one «hole side of Green Bay Road is impassable to pedestrians due to the elevated tracks. 2) Neighbors are fearful of creating a "Berlin Wall" of buildings along this stretch of Green Bay toad that provides no enticement to their neighbors from Wilmette to stop -and P&D Committee Mt& Minutes of 3-26-07 Page 2 patronize the Central Street nor does it provide any enticing view of the neighborhood for those traveling on the Aietra train. 0 Ms. Grover gives her word that the Central Street/Greett Bay moratorium, if it includes Green Bay, will include some real concrete proposals to what they can do along Green Bay Road. Mr. Wolinski said that staff has met with Ms. Grover, Jeff Smith, and Jim Hughes last week because they had asked them to present information as far as justifying the moratorium on Green Bay Road. He reminded that the study area currently goes from Lincoln to Livingston. He noted that the area south of Central Street is zoned CI and to the north is zoned C2; in these zones you have curb cuts, front yard parking, etc. He noted that portions of the Central Street Plan that is coming out, he believes there will be a movement to try and make the street more pedestrian friendly and to build some to lot line. Therefore, he believes the character of Green Bay Road, at least in the planning process, ►dll probably change. Mr. Wolinski assured that staff does not take moratoriums lightly and they have concerns in the fact that there really isn't any development activity on Green Bay Road in this area right now. He noted that only development occurring is in the small area of Residential district where there is an 8-unit condo going up just north of Lincoln which is zoned R5. Other than this small development, the City is aware of no other plans for near future development along this stretch of Green Bay Road. Mr. Wolinski said that he spoke with Als. Grover about the Duxler property, recalling that there was a planned development for a portion of that property to build a new condominium that faces on Prairie Avenue. He added the information he has is that Duxler is staying on Green Bay Road but ►►ill reduce the number of bays and will operate a smaller facility. He said the only other activity that has been in that area is for the Domicile site which ►,.as proposed for an adult da)=c center which a zoning analysis was done several months ago on it. The plan was to use the existing building however this did not comply with either permitted use or a special use so the concept diminished. Chair Tisdahl stated, as Alderman of the Ward, that she has been made aware by the community/neighbors that if this moratorium is granted, they would feel much better about the Central Street Planning Process, especially for the reasons Ms. Grover outlines earlier. She said it is difficult to live without a transition barrier of some sort when there is residential directly next to commercial, therefore she feels this inclusion of the Green Bay Road moratorium will help the community/neighbors work through some of these critical issues of concern. Chair Tisdahl expressed her support for this moratorium and her desire that the Committee support this as well. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P2) Ordinance 27-0-07 — Text Amendment to Create a Mixed Use Emnlovment Zonine District MUE Aid. NYynne moved approv4 seconded by Aid. Jean -Baptiste. Aid. Rainey stated that one of things that bother her about this is the uses and the permitted uses. She is unaware of what the legal opportunities that the Committee has to eliminate some of theses uses, but given these districts especially from her experiences in the South Evanston, she thinks the City is making way to many opportunities for not -for -profits. The majority of uses would appeal to not -for -profits and she is very concerned about this in view of the enormous amount of land and buildings that are available such as the Shure Brothers property that have the possibility of being removed from the tax roles by religious institutions. Aid. Rainey feels that they need to start giving some thought to the uses they make permitted and special because she does not see 0 P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 3-26-07 Page 3 for the %TUE District having residential care homes, religious institutions, educational institutions, . community centers, etc. Chair Tisdahl asked Aid. Rainey what suggestions she has for some permitted uses in this district. Aid. Rainey responded that she would like to see most of the listed permitted uses eliminated that refer to not -for -profit uses with the only exception being a governmental or public use for example a recreational center. Aid. Moran said although he recognizes Aid. Rainey's concern for taking properties off the tax role by not -for -profits, he does not think that these uses arc necessarily inimical to the mission. He recalled the controversy with the Vineyard, he remembered that one of their points was that approximately 91r/a of the land mass of Evanston had religious institutions as a permitted use. He said you can look at this as an invitation to take property off of the tax roles; however he does not see it that way. He sees this as opening up an opportunity for different types of uses and organisations. He can not offer a comprehensive view of this but he suspects that if they looked at the Zoning Ordinance across the board that they would find that many of these uses are permitted or special uses in the vast majority of Evanston. In conclusion, he does not see the listed uses as a radical departure from their zoning regimen in general. Aid. Rainey responded that out of 26 permitted uses, 10 are not -for -profit uses. What she is asking for is a "radical" look at the permitted uses all across the board. She reiterated her feelings that there are far too many not -for -profit, non-taxable properties on the tax role; this does not even include Northwestern University. She stated at some point and time if the City does not have some type of payment -in - lieu of tares policy, they are going to have to do something to stop the removal of taxable property from the tax role. Aid. Rainey clarified that she is not against any religious institutions or educational facilities, her main concern is for the loss of taxable income from so many properties being owned by not -Far -profit organizations. . Aid. Bernstein said that the main concern for the proposed zoned text amendment in his ward are for retail establishments in areas that now have become much nicer residential areas, therefore he would almost welcome some of the not -for -profits uses over retail. He noted that most of the properties are hybrid; half being MUE and half being residentially zoned. He said historically the City has always had difficulty when a developer came in as to what zone to categorize that particular lot in; one such is a very large property in the 1000 block of Sherman that's been the subject of discussion because the zoning would allow more units than acceptable for that area in the opinion of many neighbors. However versus a retail use that generates a lot of traffic in this area which is across from Nichols School and an area that has made prat strides to improve the quality of residential properties, he as well as many of his neighbors would almost prefer the multi -unit residential development or not -for -profit use for this location. Aid. Bernstein views this area of his ward as an interior residential area, with the exception of the lumber yard that has been an excellent neighbor for many years. He asked Mr. Cox (City Anomey) if it is possible to make everything in a zoning district a special use. Mr. Cox responded that he would have to do more research Wore giving a definite answer. Aid. Rainey feels there is a need to research and examine all retail service and retail establishment's definitions: some are so extreme or the ranges are too significantly. Aid. Holmes pointed out that there was a lot of discussion in the flan Commission transcripts pertaining to the Hill Group area when several of the neighborhood members were present, regarding the fact that many of these uses listed are alreadyLoft - happening in the Payne/Ashland Lo areas. She noted that different retail uses such as Peggy Robinson Jewelry, a glass blower, and other unusual and wide range of uses air operating in this district and are working fine together. Aid. Rainey responded that even these types of retail uses can also be categorized. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 3-26-07 Page 4 Mr. Wolinski told the Committee as a point of historical information; he recalled back in the early 90's when they drafted the "M" part in the WE districts. He said this was to ensure that manufacturing would still be a permitted use and would not become non -conforming for those existing manufacturing parcels still existing in those districts; at that time this was of great concern. However, 15 years later the question is if this is still a point of concern. He suggested that they may want to look at the whate 411JE concept because certainly the people who have proposed this have done some great work in the Dr. Hill Area referring to Andy Spatz and John Leinweber as far as revitalizing the area with exciting new uses and tenants, Mr. Wolinski said that these developers are concerned about having the ability to provide retail in these areas. He concluded that maybe the whole NIUE concept has become obsolete. Ms. Jackson added that this was the impetus for the Committee feeling though there was no longer a need for two separate districts and combining them into one and hating one mixed use district that this would try to catch everything. She said that staff conducted a survey of land uses last summer and manufacturing uses were less than 10% with predominant residential. The community driven aspect that started this request was to add the retail and to not have a barrier to provide for a residential infill because in one of the districts, residential uses were special uses. She said this and the FAR increase wrm the two striving factors. Mr. Jackson pointed out that when the Committee started to look at this and found there wasn't really a need for both; that manufacturing uses weren't being attracted to the area at this time nor is it anticipated in the future. She said that if the Committee finds that it is not appropriate everywhere, they could look at the individual locations and choose and make the changes asked for and perhaps leave the hill or MUE as is and propose the new district only for certain locations. Aid. Moran said that he believes that looking at the era that Mr. Wolinski referred to there was a certain hope that some of those small but still vibrant manufacturing uses would hang on. However as time goes by they are experiencing less and less of the viable of this type of business. in his opinion, these types of businesses provided good sources of jobs for people in the community, however it does seem to be less tenuous. He realizes that the area is looking for something of a change and the makeup and face of that area where some of this would be very pertinent. Aid. Moran said that he %would not like to see the manufacturing use abandoned; the initiative here to take another look and revise the zoning in a way that is consistent with the reality is very important as well. Aid. Jean -Baptiste stated in his opinion it might be wise to go back and take a look at this area by area, especially since there are different thoughts and desires separate for every neighborhood that this zoning text amendment would effect. He feels it would be very worthwhile to maybe hold this in Committee to allow the opportunity to do this. Aid. Bernstein feels that Council has already made a determination with industrial zones changed on two occasions that he can recall on two substantially -sized parcels for residential uses. Therefore, he reiterates that Council has made statements on their opinion of the viability of manufacturing in this City. He personally would not like to see it go especially as Aid. Moran said, manufacturing businesses usually provide local employment for the community and they also benefit the tar base, however Evanston is not as beneficial as it used to be for a variery of reasons ranging from close proximity to the high%% ay, the higher cost of taxes here, no freight train access, etc. The reality for Evanston is not with manufacturing businesses; it appears residential and retail or mainly the combination of both is the act" reality. Aid. Bernstein noted that movement in the Hill District area with the combination of unique retail and residential is definitely working in that area. However, in other areas where the MUE district is being proposed, this type of combination might not wtvk and other uses would be more suffice. In conclusion, he agrees that they need to look at areas case -by -case and may result in re -zoning instead all these areas becoming MUE. They also need to review the categories and decide whether or not they are happy with the definitions for retail goods establishments. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 3-26-07 Page 5 10 Aid. Rainey asked if the businesses mentioned previously in the Payne/Ashland district would fall under some type of artist category. Ms. Jackson responded that there is a specific category for artist studios. Aid. Rainey pointed out that this is not one of the categories listed and what they have done here is created an MUE district that excludes as either a permitted or special use the category for artist. She feels this does not make sense since they then allow a residential care home in the same zoning district. She strongly feels the uses listed are incompatible and it is apparent that this needs more consideration and creativity of categories. Aid. Wynne agrees as well that there is a need for more time to review this proposed text amendment since it is their first time looking at this and there are so many concerns and discrepancies regarding the permitted and special uses as listed. Mr. Andy Spatz spoke on behalf of the Hill Group, that they feel the crazy mix of uses around the Payne Street area is what makes the district so unique and what makes it all work somehow together. He pointed out there is a combination of B!, C, and MUE zoning districts in this area which creates a free market that seems to fit in this part of the neighborhood and attract such distinctive and unique business combined with the lofts; churches, and residential surroundings. He noted the entire neighborhood is non -conforming and reiterated that's what makes it all seem to work in that community. Mr. Spatz agrees %sith Ald. Rainey to keep properties on the tax role, which most of these unique businesses that have come to this area or will be coming will do. He also agrees to make only retail uses and special uses that would have to be reviewed and approved by Council before allowed. Aid. Wynne reminded that this unique mix of different zoning districts, categories and non-conformancy may work well in the Dr. Hill neighborhood but may not be acceptable or %vork in other areas, neighborhoods and wards. Therefore, she strongly urges the need to look at these districts by area and properties affected. Mr. Spatz reminded the Committee that the Dr. Hill Group has been working on this process for over the past 3-years just to reach this point. He does not want to see it held in Committee for another 6-months to a year before any decision is made on it. The Committee members assured Mr. Spatz that they do not intend to hold this item over for more than a few meetings to give them more time for review and requested amendments to be made, since it is their first shot at this ordinance. Aid. Bernstein moved to hold this item in Committee, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. COMMUNICATIONS (PDl) Staff Memorandum on Joint Meeting for Planning & Development Committee and Plan Commission on Anrii 12. 2007 This communication was accepted without comment except to clarify starting time of meeting being 7:00 p.m. Mr. Wolinski announced to the Committee Nis. Carol)m Brzezinski's resignation as the Asst. Director of Community DeveIopment, Building &: Zoning Division as of Friday, April 6, 2007. She has accepted a position as the Director of Community Development Services for the Village of Northbrook. The Committee thanked her for all her good work, professionalism and expertise over the years and wished her well in her new position for the Village of Northbrook. Ms. Brzezinsl i thanked the Committee as well for the consideration they have given her over the years and that it was pleasure working with the City of Evanston. 0 P&D Comminee Mtg. Minutes of3-26-07 Page 6 ADJOURNMENT adjourned at 7:36 p.m. - ' , i. •S :.' S The meeting was Respectfully submitted, r Jacq line . BrovT rnlee _;:' a ',l; ;I 'E''. bfE �! FLAY ,r31kal-A tic) S'...'i? _.... .: -.. .. „•r.,t' ... ..,. :[, ili-' ... l�r ,.! .°:.-"�'. :L,�? q'.f'F _i� .:Gr .. . ... .. ...... .. _f .t ,... .,,,:t, :� �!, :tl'>{{J ..((.rri: �,:[ :il�illll �.;:�. ur.;-•;lsi.:;tt�i+ ,.,... :f� -i ,... aL:T: t:_ ° s -_ _�i, ., :'�, ,.: If .,} :.> .. _ ....`s�'-.•II+.,.'I 1. ..a;li{1U l: ;•r.�l! .'II):i. I) �;_ ::) `•t1 �.i .,t, .... -; !� +'! _.�,.. 'i�Sll�t ..;� ..�:t ;�:[!t `��.:a:Ti:;?�{ °�u;iic,u ,..1#) . �:r;.'tz ,:�,i;•+ '..., L� : ��_.. .., are::. :�;. ., )!,ri) f:✓ _ ��:t... i,lfu .."�:.:! + .. � #, } � .�:;• r; �f_i „';if9 :iuf,l:i;l i,!) -. ?) E :iE)firii:r f:ilTI, :L,-' _ s::fl,'E+,fin, •,r:.. f;rtl; d�i]s� ;)r,s, : +�I!::, : ;if r,'. 'holJ p. .'i!: �Y t'. .. ,i' �! a+r t:_ ..'fit. :_�:Ii -, ..'?:. li� .�i,., >-'tiJ 'F;..1f�111: f?�)+,! •Jl h:..fl ... . T•i.... .. :i ;��!; ,..:J -)1 _ .,;r� if�r3 •- ri il..'f '- -'r rill+,Jl1 i�11 � .l? 1 Lf;t )i .;. '�i':� ..:1i ' ..,� ;a .. , ..;r .?: :? -,'. .,. .. , 'fir;. ... _. - ... "} ... tr r: , ,i,t>rsr ,•i ..',•;�;' :.`, f.� ',;'.i . 71 Al , • - -• -1 --- - L- .i: • .f. -. k-s -.. 7,- - ._, -,I ,iF-.,. . :i ')iili� IS) si-� .1! .. - _. ,i, a • • 9 Planning & Development Committee Minutes of Aprii 10, 2007 _ Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. I ENvuston Civic Center > Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L Jean -Baptiste, .& Moran,. F—:.: Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, C. Bush, H. Hill, A. Jackson, R. Russell, J. Brownlee Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl ;;_ Cr ,'• . u DECLARATION OF OUORURf Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 26.2007 Ald. Wynne moved approval of the March 26, 2007 minutes, seconded by Aid. Rainey: The vote was 8-0 in favor of the motion (A Id. Moran not yet present). ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Chair Tisdahl changed the order of the agenda to give Aid. Moran time to arrive and participate in discussion of item (P3). • (P6) Sidewalk Cafes for Two (2) T-.-Pe I' and one (1) Twe 2 Restaurants Aid. Wynne moved approval of all three requests for sidewalk cafes. Aid. Bernstein seconded the motion. Aid. Bernstein said he received one call from a concerned constituent regarding the BAT 17 and if the width of the sidewalk was wide enough at that location. Mr. Wolinski assured that Engineering has inspected the sidewalk area and signed off on the application. Aid. Wollin said that she also inns concerned about the sidewalk width for this restaurant. However she is satisfied with it as long as there is definite and sufficient room for pedestrian passage. Mr. Wolinski informed the Committee that the Health Department has taken over sidewalk cafe permits this year and he introduced the Supen-isor, Ms. Carla Bush, who is in charge of accepting the applications and enforcing compliance of the sidewalk cafe rules. The vote was 8-0 in favor of the motion. (P2) Ordinance 37-0-07 — Landmark: Designation for 1414 Davis Street Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wynne. Mr. Carlos Ruiz introduced the owner of the property Nis. Rebecca Kuchar who would like to give a presentation on the nomination of her property_ Ms. Kuchar gave a presentation through a series of slides illustrating her property and listing the Criteria for Designation. The property is located in the Historic Ridge District, % as built in 1908 and is an excellent example of a craftsman-smle house resembling the Stickley style. She said they were supposed to meet at least one of the criteria in Section 2-94A, which they submitted P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of April 10, 2007 Page 2 three and were approved by the Commission on those points. She noted that the listed architect of the home is Mr. George S. Lord and the original builder of the home was the well-known Evanston -based builders of Connor & McCann who built for many famous architects; these builders also constructed the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. Ms. Kuchar noted that Mr. Lord was married to Ms. Edna Hurd Lord who was a prominent Evanston socialite and developer who made significant contributions to the area around the turn of the century. She reiterated the home is an example of an architectural type, specifically Craftsman -style. Ms. Kuchar gave an overview of the restoration work that was done on the house. She first noted that they restored the structural integrity of the home which had considerable termite and water damage on the first floor and in the basement. She showed a series of slides of the interior and', exterior which demonstrate the many original features of the house. She gave a brief bio of the Connor & McCann history, showing several buildings constructed by their company and designed by such prominent architects as Daniel Burnham, Dwight Perkins, and George Maher. Aid. Holmes commended Ms. Kuchar and her husband on the restoration work done stating that it was absolutely beautiful. Chair Tisdahl thanked the Preservation Commission on the, recommendation to designate this home as an Evanston Landmark, which was exceptionally presented by Ms. Kuchar. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P 1) Ordinance 36-0-07 — Special use and Mnior Variation Reauest for 1560 Oak Avenue The applicant, Mr. Cameel Halim gave a presentation of his collection for the proposed cultural museum. He explained that he is a collector of time pieces and Tiffany glass windows. He claims to hold one of the rarest and biggest time piece collections in the world with over 1,100 items from watches, clocks and chronometers. He showed some samples of his collection from the photographs presented, some are dated back to the pre-1800 period and present the development of time. He said a big part of the collection came from the time museum in Rockford, which was closed four years ago and the City of Chicago tried to keep it and had the option to buy the collection, however they could not raise the money so the auction was sold to New York. He was able to buy 25% of the collection from the last auction in New York. On top of that. Mt. Halim said that they hold the Tiffany glass windows and mosaic collection, which is over 75 pieces. He feels his collection and museum will be a valuable asset to Evanston, Illinois, and the entire United States to keep in America since many pieces have already gone to England and other parts of Europe. hlr. Halim also feels it is a valuable asset to keep the house at 1560 Oak:, which is a Victorian house of historic significance. He declares to restore the house to its original beauty of the time ►when it was built and feels that the historic splendor combined with the time pieces and tiffany collection .will compliment each other and add to the museum quality. The architect, Mr. Adam Wilmot, gave an ovcrview of the proposed new 3-story addition. The addition maximum height ►►ill be lo►►er than the existing building and the design is a contemporary style that "ill make a clean separation from the existing historic Victorian house. He stated that their approach here is to preserve ►.fiat is there and restore the existing building and then to create the clean separation to ciarify the two different buildings and what is being added on for the salve of housine !sir. lialim's collection. Mt. Wilmot noted that the addition is need because the collection is too large to house in the existing structure, also some of the pieces are larger than what would be permitted in typical Victorian spaces, therefore the more open contemporary style was idea for the addition. He noted that the addition will be built to the rear of the existing structure and the square footage is virtually equal. The use is currently the U P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of April 10, 2007 Page 3 Catholic Women's Club, so they are asking for a special use for this particular zone, however the use will be very similar in a sense. Mr. Wilmot said that the applicant does propose flexible use of space on the third floor for occasional special events that could be catered, as the existing house is used now. He said for those types of events the plan is to accommodate parkins through valet parking, which he believes is the methods used now for special events at the Catholic Women's Club. He noted that they have been approved for the zoning variance for the parking. Aid. Bernstein expressed his support for this proposed use as a museum of fine time pieces and Tiffany glass. He feels the use is appropriate for the historically designated building and location. However he questions is there will be kitchen facilities on the premises that could be used for cooking and preparing foods for special events or a cafe use. If so, Aid. Bernstein said that he could not approve of any restaurant -type use or facility at this location in the basement. Mr. Halim responded that they will have kitchen facilities in the basement to keep food warm and in a proper preparation state for special events. Also they would like to have a place for visitors to sit and eat lunch, especially field trip events for school age children, and to be able to offer coffee and sell some sandwiches. In some cases, larger groups may bring in a catered hot lunch and they will be able to offer kitchen facilities to prepare food. his. Nafaretta Halim, Mr. Halim's daughter, assured that the use of the proposed kitchen facility in the basement will be utilized for catering events and some use for sandwiches and lunch items for patrons only; there will be absolutely not open to the public to stop in a purchase a cup of coffee or buy Iunch. Aid. Bernstein reiterated his support for the museum and loves the use for this location. He appreciates preserving the existing house structure. He does feel that the valet parking for special events should be a condition to this ordinance. He pointed out that the valet parking system does seem to work with the neighboring restaurant. In response to a question, Mr. Halim said that the museum will be open 6-days a week to the public and special bookings. Aid. Rainey noted that she talked to Mr. Halim and his daughter some time ago about their desire to open this museum and find a suitable location. She stated that this location is begging for redevelopment of a tall residential building that has the possibility of generating a lot more traffic congestion and people to this neighborhood. Thcrefore, she fully supports this use and also appreciates the preserving of this historical structure as well. She feels the proposed new structure in the rear is much less harmful than any new residential development for this location. Aid. Rainey also pointed out that there is no application at this time for any urge of the basement space, therefore it is inappropriate to discuss this evening. If further use is desired such as a cafe use, the applicant would have to come back to request a special use. Aid. Holmes said that she was present at the SPAARC meeting when this case was before the Committee, and she does not recall any mention or discussion of a restauranticafc use in the basement. She believes that only kitchen use would be utilized for this museum use. She also supports the museum use for this location versus a more dense use such as a residential building for this site. Ald. Wynne asked how many visitors came to the museum at the Rockford location. Mr. Halim responded that approximately 2 million people visited the museum over the 15 year time period it was open there. In response to another question, Mr. Halim responded that if approved this evening, they would make plans for construction on a schedule to open within one year from this summer. �J I P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of April 10, 2007 Page -0 Aid. Hansen asked if the neighboring restaurant is still using the existing house for their catered evens. The Halim's affirmed that they arc plus other private events as well. Aid. Hansen asked about the main entrance for the museum and the addition of handicapped accommodations. Mr. Wilmot responded that the main entrance will remain at the front entrance of the existing house structure off of Oak Avenue. He pointed out a new entrance in the proposed addition that will have handicap accommodations as well and provide an additional entrance to the exhibit area. Mr. John Cleave, 1109 Grove raised concerns for parking problems for the neighboring residential buildings, which is already a tight situation in that area. He noted that sometimes he has had to park several blocks away. hie. Wilmot responded that valet parking will use other nearby lots for special events, but they do not see any real parking problems created during the hours of operation of the museum and using street parking. Many patron groups will come by bus, which will put no further strain on the street parking availability. Mr. Cleave expressed concerns for additional traffic in the alley, already congested with the residential buildings and business uses in that block. Aid. Wynne stated as Chair of the Parking Committee, that she will bring these traffic and parking concerns to the Committee for further review. Mr. Cleave's last concern was for precautions to be taken while under construction. He pointed out that his building suffered some structure damage »hen the building at Oak and Grove was built. Mr. Wilmot assured that the development of this building requires light weight construction meaning it does not require any piling. Mr. Wolinski pointed out that it does depend on soil conditions as well. With no further discussion, Aid. Bernstein moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wollin. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. (PI) Reaucst for time Extension and Proiect Phasing for the Planned Develooment at 1603 & 1629 Orrington Avenue Mr. David Reifman of DLA Piper, Attorney for the applicant, Mr. Lee Golub of Golub & Company, and Mr. Steven Yas, Architect; were present for this case. Mr. Reifman acknowledged the original City Council approval for the planned development under Ordinance 57-0-05, to allow redevelopment of the existing plaza area located at 1603 Orrington Avenue with new street - level retail space, redevelopment of the existing building located at 1629 Orrington with new retail space, and relocation of the existing access ramp which currently serves the below grade parking garage at 1603 Orrington. At this time, Mr. Reifman said that they would like to go ahead with only the south retail portion of the project surrounding the existing rotunda. As stated in his letter dated March 29 h, Golub has been working on finalizing their development plans for the project and is now in a position to proceed with the construction of the plaza area retail work in accordance with the original plans. Because this work can not be completed by the December 27, 2007 original completion date, Golub is requesting a time extension for the completion date of the plaza area to be extended to December 31, 20d Nlr_ Reifman also noted that the original agreement to relocate the existing ramp to the underground parking garage is not economically feasible to do at a very high cost and still no tenants for the I629 Orrington building at this time. Houever, if they could prove for«ar3 «ith the south Plaza area it could attract a very good anchor and tenants for the north retail building. Mr. Golub added that they have looked at several different plans over the years for the north retail building but have not come to a conclusive agreement due to lack of interested tenancy for the retail space. This area is still under consideration and they arc requesting that the project be completed in phases at this point. He reiterated Mr. Reifman's statement that the ramp is entirely unfeasible economically unless the City could assist in some way to accomplish this goal. PIED Committee Nltg_ .. Minutes of April 10, 2007 Page 5 Mr. Yas briefly went over the construction plans for the south retail area using illustrated examples before the P&D Committee. He feels the development of the south plaza with really strengthen the entire project and bring in valuable tenants for the north retail building. In response to a question from Aid. Wynne, Mr. Yas went over the landscaping plan for the south plaza and explained that there would be no change from the originally plan that covers the site north to the existing edge of the 1603 Orrington building. Aid. Wollin asked what the timeline expectation is for the renovation and new construction of the entire project. Mr. Golub stated that they will still go forward with the renovation of the existing building and gutting of the 1629 Orrington building, entire renovation and new landscaping as planned and the new retail space to the south. Aid. Rainey asked what types of retail they are targeting for. Mr. Golub responded mostly service retailers and would really like to see some restaurant activity as well. Mr. Yas completed his brief overview of the construction plans and drawings and also pointed out that the new retail space aligns with the Chandler Plant across the street which will compliment this plaza square area. Aid. Bernstein feels this plan has already been approved; the applicant is simply asking for an extension to do the project in phases at this point. lie moved Approval, seconded by Aid. Hansen. Mr. Wolinski reminded the Committee that the original planned development was approved in total, not in phases. He noted that without the inclusion of the ramp relocation that was approved with the original ordinance and project, this case should technically go back to the Plan Commission. Mr. Reifman said in the applicant's defense that they are providing numerous public benefits with the renovation of this plaza from its current state and other accommodations That could be considered rather than to go back before the Plan Commission; it is essentially the same project that was approved originally. Aid. Moran reiterated his opinion from the original planned development approved two years ago; he feels this is a mistake to do from the beginning. He explained his position in further detail and stressed the need to preserve open space in the do►%mlo►vn area. They should not create walls to the Fountain Square Plaza. Mr. Yas responded that the plaza in its current state is a bleeding space with a totally un-contained design. Aid. Hansen said that it does appear that the applicant is now asking for two different things also staff is recommending that Council require a commitment for a date certain for completion of all phases of the project. Mr. Wolinski said it appears that the applicant is asking for some relief from the conditions for the north side of the development plus to be exempt from relocating the existing access ramp for the underground parking garage. Mr. Golub reiterated his position that it has become apparent that because of the very costly construction to relocate the ramp, it has become very economically unfeasible at this time. He again pointed out that it might be possible ►►ith some City assistance. The Committee asked for Legal opinion at this point. Mr. Hill informed the Committee that the oral request at this meeting is more substantial than the letter of request received. Aid. Rainey expressed her opinion that in view of the given improvement of the current conditions of the bank plaza square, she has no problem in approving the time extension and to go forward with the south retail plaza and to finish out the project in phases for the other retail area. Aid. Bernstein agreed ►with this as well. Aid. Jean -Baptiste questioned if there would be any legal problems reeardina notice of this change in the original ordinance for the planned development. Upon further discussion regarding the questions raised and Legal's interpretation, the Committee consensus ►vas to hold this item in Committee for further review of the original Planned. Development Ordinance. Aid. Wynne moved to hold in Committee, seconded by Aid. Wollin. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of April 10, 2007 Page 6 • • (N) Reauest for a Subdivision Plat for 1037-41 Florence Avenue . Mr. James Murray, attorney representing the o►-mer of the property, Ms. Melinda Hollingsworth, stated that this request is for a plat of resubdivision to create two lets of record to be used for the existing single and two-family residential uses located at 1037 and 103941 Florence Avenue. He said that the applicant proposes to create an open -off-street parking area at the rear of the two- family dwelling unit building to provide the required parking spaces for the use. He stated to the Committee that this is only a ministerial act, approved by law, and that they have complied with signed off by all City Code requirements and involved departments. ; Mr. Steve Engelman, attorney for the neighbor, Mr. Miller, stated that this request for msubdivision is premature for this Committee to act on this matter because his client has, filed fan appeal of the Zoning Administrator's opinion that is still pending_ In his legal opinion, this'case would be appropriate to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals first. The Committee called on Legal opinion_ Mr. Hill stated that the Zoning legal requirements, for, resubdivision of property meet the standards in this case. The question of if the appeal has any weight in the approval of the resubdivision by this Committee, there is a legitimate question' in 1 the determination of an easement issue between the two properties, however it should not interfere with the ministerial act by the Committee on the resubdivision of this property. He does' agree that both parties have eery strong opinions and that the City Legal 'Department did intervene with mediation between the parties, but was not successful in coming to an agreed conclusion. Ms. Jackson informed the Committee that this appeal is not of the resubdivision, but of a statement made by mistake regarding the easement. Since thin the Law Department has acknowledge the mistake made at that time and apologized for the misinterpretation. Aid. Rainey moved approval of the resubdivision plat, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote was 7 in favor or the motion and 2 voting nay (Aforan, Tisdahl). The majority of the Committee felt that the disagreement bmveen the neighbors on the easement issue needs to go before the court to come to an acreement. Also a statement from the Law Department in writing to Mr. Engelman's client would be very helpful at this point. (P3) Ordinance 39-0-07 — Extension of West Side TIF Moratorium Ald. WJ•nnc moved approval of the 35-day moratorium extension, seconded by Ald. Rainey. The Vote ivas 9-0 in favor of the motion. ADJOMN'NIENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jacqu'tijinc 4. Brownlee 1. .ti 0 • • Alderman Present: 4 Staff Present: .€ Presiding Official: Planning & Development Committee Minutes of April 23, 2007 Room 2200 -- 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran, E.• Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne D. Marino, J. Aiello, D. Cook, K. Cox, S.�Gdderley,�A. Khatkhate; C. Ruiz, J. Brownlee Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OF OUORUI<i Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at APPROVAL OF THE MEETING hn'UTES OF APRIL 10.2007 Aid. Wynne moved approval of the April 10, 2007 minutes, seconded by Aid. jean :Baptiste: The i minutes were unanimously approved. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (P1) Ordinance 40-0-07 — Renamine and Amendine title A. Chanter 22 "Affordable Housing Demolition Tax & Affordable Housine Tax Fund" and Transferring Balance of the Mavor's Special Housine Fund into the Newly Renamed Affordable Housine Fund Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Ald. Wollin. Staff noted that this request is basically self explanatory. as stated on the Agenda Item Summary. Nis. Spicuzza informed the Committee that presently there is approximately $150,000 in the hiSHF and approximately $80,000 in the Affordable Housing Tax Fund for a total combined amount of $230,000 for the proposed ne.•:ly renamed Affordable Housing Fund. She also noted the new name reflects other revenue sources in addition to Demolition tax payments. When the fund was created by the Demolition Tax Ordinance, it was envisioned that a separate fund would be established for revenue created by- the lnclusionary Housing Ordinance. Instead, the Inclusionary ordinance designated the Affordable Housing Tax Fund to receive payments. In addition, the requested amendment expanded the definition of the funds to allow uses that assist households up to 120% or less of Area median Income with affordable housing needs. This provides leeway to potentially serve moderate income homeowners as part of a program or application that would go to City Council for approval. Aid. Moran directed attention to the last paragraph on page 3. last sentence beginning with "To administer the Fund, the City Manager or his'her designee may implement programs including but not limited to:......." He feels "To administer the Fund," should be removed; this statement does not belong there because the remainder of the sentence upholds the guidelines for administration of the funds. Aid. Jean -Baptiste agreed with Aid. Moran and also questioned why therr are all these changes focusing on the administration of this fund for changing the name. He doesn't understand the purpose of this ordinance. Mr. Cox, City Attorney, explained the purpose of this section in the ordinance and the v cording of that particular paragraph in more detail. He further explained the reasoning for the wording in this area %vas to maintain flexibility in usage of P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 4-23-07 Page 2 r - these funds and also incorporates the flexibility of the Nlayor's Special Housing Fund: He . pointed out the Mayor's Special Housing Fund has always been limited only to households under 80% median income but this number has been increased to accommodate a higher range of affordable housing needs. Mr. Cox noted that there is a concern for duplication of serving the same population that is served by HOME funds, which is another reason for raising the income limitation. fie recalled that this Committee requested that Community Development and Legal staff come together and present some guidelines as to how the monies would be distributed. Ile pointed out that some of the purposes arc listed there in the ordinance under Section 2 and also with item (P2) in Resolution 22-R-07 which establishes guidelines for the management and use of these funds. Aid. Moran suggested that Section 6: 5-7-15: Administration be conformed to "]X. Administration Fee" of the Guidelines for the Affordable Housing fund. i Aid. Rainey stated that she believes it is a mistake to do both this ordinance and the Guidelines at the same time. She feels before they change the name and acknowledge all these different provisions, they should deal with item (P2) first. All the Committee members agreed. This Item was held in Committee. (P21 Resolution 22-R-07 — Establishine Guidelines for the Management and use of the Funds from the Affordable Housinz Fund Aid. Moran called direction to the second page, first "Whemas^ clause, and suggested that. wording be deleted from this sentence "to administer the Affordable Housing Fund." This suggestion was put in the form of a motion to amend, seconded by Aid. Wynne. •Tht'vote t was 9-0 in favor of the motion. Aid. Rainey asked for explanation on how staff sees the Housing Commission administering this fund and what role will City Council play into this? Mr. Marino responded that it would be similar to the current process for recommending affordable housing uses of funds. The Housing Commission based on staff recommendations would make a recommendation or not to the P&D Committee and then P&D would consider it and forward their recommendation onto City Council. Aid. Rainey asked how tenants are provided with assistance. Mr. Marino pointed out That there is a statement of intent here in terms of rental housing and the F.I.T. Program, which is the most substantial use of the affordable housing funds over the years for rental assistance. Aid. Rainey asked for clarification of the reference to $200 per unit. his. Spicum responded that was put as a lee►►•ay in case of any agency that takes advantage of the State Rental Housing Support Act which pro%-idcs subsidies to very Jow income people through State 1=unds. She said that if they ever ►%-anted matching funds from the City, this amount could be asked for it but not to exceed 5200. Ald. Rainey said this section of the guideline is unclear with no criteria stated; what are the standards" She feels the amount of S200 per year/per unit makes no sense. She suggested that this be excluded from Per Unit Award Amounts because she does not see any point of it. Ms. Spicuxza informed the Committee that the State Rental Housing Support Act is project based subsidy therefore it %%ould assist in reducing die rent. The money would go to the landlord. Aid. Rainey said if this is the case. if the rent on the unit were paid down by the 5200 and the tenant was on a voucher, then that voucher would have to be re -calculated. She more than ever would like to see this section eliminated and if this program Pets off the ground, then they could address adding something like this back in. At this time, she feels such assistance would cause more confusion and problems for such a small amount. id. Rainey motioned to remotie the section referring to the assistance of 5:00 per unit, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion to amend. t7 P&D Committee lvttg. Minutes of4-23-07 a Page 3 • Ald. Moran directed attention to page A, paragraph B, "Affordability Retention". He suggested that language be added to effect longest period of affordability that can be obtained should be stated in Resolution. Mayor Morton questioned what assistance under these guidelines is there to help low/moderate income households facing foreclosure. his. Spicuzza responded that there are no specific programs included in these guidelines however it is possible to add specific programs for foreclosure assistance to income qualified households. She suggested that this be forwarded to the Housing Commission to they can research some programs for consideration. Mayor Morton asked about assistance for disabled individuals because she does not see anything specifically listed. Also she questioned what categories of disability are included under uses because she knows of one organization that assists mentally ill individuals with finding affordable housing. Mr. Marino assured that "persons with disabilities" in these guidelines is all inclusive. She only recalls seeing three organizations being names here and she would like this organization to be included for use of these funds. Aid. Holmes referred to Aid. Moran's comments on affordability retention and questioned how they can do this for units within a building where only a few are affordable units. Aid. Moran stated that in the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance if somebody builds an affordable unit or housing it is required under the ordinance to be held affordable within the full retention period of in perpetuity. He said rite longer the affordability period is the more they are leveraging the communities investment from using money from this fund. Ms. Spicuzza also wanted to clarify that there are other situations where long term affordabiiih, based on the amount of the subsidy might not be the most desiraole, such as down payment assistance on a house bought at market value. Aid. Jean -Baptiste said that one of the things he is concerned about is when they talk about maintaining affordability over time is the impact that policy has on neighborhood. He feels the trend is going to be those who will get subsidy will end up renting or owning in neighborhoods that are already more reasonable than other neighborhoods. He said that this could have an impact of suppressing the value of people's homes over a period of time. He feels this matter should be thought out more and the accumulative impact of the length of keeping a property affordable can have on the neighborhood. Aid. Rainey said that it almost seems as if people «ho qualif}, to purchase affordable housing are practically punished or have to pay the price of buying housing at an affordable price versus market value. She questions «hy it is such a "crime" for the affordable housing purchaser to not have the same rights or enjoyment of maximum property value of their home_ This affordability retention and maximizing the period of time seems to more of a control thing or a way to keep people at a certain level instead of offering an opportunity to rise above. Aid. Rainey referred to paragraph C.: Maximum Property Values and the v-ording of this section. She would life to see the actual values of the affordable home that currently exist here in Evanston and would like to see how many income -qualified families would even be able to afford purchasing those properties. She agrees with Aid. Jean -Baptiste and that more consideration needs to be given to geography of affordable subside funds throughout the Cim of Evanston. Mayor Motion pointed out that Oak Park has its own Housing; Authority %%hich allo.ss them more control over the use of funding. Their purpose and intent of the Inclusionary Housing is for equal distribution throuad;out file entire City of Oak Park. She wished Evanston had its own Housing Authority for these purposes as well; however the City has an excellent opportunity to do this with the current funds as well in all 9 Wards. 0 -.. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of4-23-07 ' Page 4 It was the consensus of the Committee to hold this item in Committee for further discussion. Mayor Morton asked to see a list of interested people in buying affordable housing, if such a list exists. i (P3) Resolution 19-R-07 — Reservine ((53.395.000) of Bond Volume Can for 2007 for Local use Aid. Moran moved approval, seconded by Aid. Rainey. The vote vas 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P4) Resolution 20-R-07 — Cedine of ($3.000.000) of 2007 Bond Volume Can to the Illinois Finance Authority Mr. Marino informed the Committee that the Illinois Finance Authority is willing to issue 510,000,000 in tax exempt revenue bonds for Ozinga Chicago RMC. inc. to be able to buy' additional rolling stock and some other equipment purchases as .tell. He referred to theletter; from Ozinga handed out to the Committee this evening. He noted that this company has d plant' here in Evanston and they supply ready mix concrete for much of the development throughout the City of Evanston. Fie said that there is no risk to the City and basically they are ceding ouer to this agency the City's right to issue $3,000,000. Under federal 111S Regulations there is a limitation by State in terms of total industrial relrrtue bonds that can be issued. Aid.'Jeon- Baptiste raised several questions on the use for allocations and what if all businesses in Evanston knotiv about this. Mr. Marino responded that these are lax exempt dollars and it is a privilege that the City is sharing with an Evanston -based industrial business. He noted that only industrial businesses qualify which are limited in Evanston. Aid. Jean -Baptiste requested that whether a' company qualifies or not, fie would like all Evanston businesses to know about this opportunity' and that it even exists. j Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Aid. Rainey. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. i (P51 Resolution 21-R-07 -- A Reauest for Granting a Municipal Exemption for the consttltction of the New Fire Station at 2830 Central Street Aid. Wallin moved approval, seconder! by Aid. Moran. Mr. Cook gave a brief overview of the project for the demolition and reconstruction of Fire Station ;U5. He stated that they are asking for municipal exemption for the air-conditioning unit and parking which do not meet the zoning code requirements. In response to Committee question, Mr. Cool: informed that no notice was sent because it %vas not required in this case, therefore neighbors have not been official notified of this request for municipal exemption. Aid. Moran reported that the neighbors are aware of the demolition and reconstnrction of the new Fire Station and Ile assured that the neighbors most affected directly across the alley are OK with this proposal. Mr. iChati:hate added that the residential properties across the alley have 30' of alley plus Garages and sizable back yards between the residences and the proposed Fire Station and I ocation of the nev., air-eonditionine unit. The vote ties 9-0 in favor of the motion. I* I P&D Committee Mtg. < : Minutes oil ' 3-07 Page 5 ITEhIS FOR DISCUSSION (PD1) West Side blaster Plan for Sub -Areas 1. 2. and 3 Mr. Marino opened the overview of the West Evanston Master Plan and the recommendations - regarding key plan elements. He recalled the Committee's request for staff to review which key elements should be mandatory or advisory. He also went over discussion of Master Plan and Form -Based Code and the Distinguishing Features and Inter -Relationship in detail as outlined in staffs memorandum. 11c noted that staffs recommendations as to which sections of the Master Plan should be mandatory are best framed four major components: Street Network, Building Types, Open Space, and Landscape Standards. He turned the remainder of the presentation over to Ms. Guderley for a narrative of each component and the consequences of whether or not they are mandatorv. Nis. Guderley gave a detailed narrative for each component which is summarized below. Street Nt work: Staff recommends that conformance %»th proposed street network be mandatory, with potential for public financing. Buildine Tvms: Staff recommends that conformance with the proposed building types be mandatory, with choices provided and some flexibility. Oven Space: Staff' recommends that the areas of designated open space be mandatory, with choices provided. Landscarke Standards: Staff recommends the inclusion of landscape standards be mandatory, with choices provides. Conclusions and Recommendations: Staff' recommends the approval of the Master Plan and the following specific conditions. a) Staff recommends that conformance %%ith proposed street network be mandatory, with potential for partial public financing. b) Staff recommends that conformance with the proposed building types be mandatory, with choices provided and some flexibility. c) Staff recommends that the areas of designated open space be mandatory, with choices provides. Ms. Bem, Sue Ester requested that the Community have a chance to review the document before any adop ion cs vote is taken on the Master Plan. Mr. M -ino . -sured that appropriate public meeting notice will be done for any upcoming meeting % ith rzgards to the hearings for the West Evanston Master Plan. Chair TWahl asked that staff look into having some type of relocation opportunities in place for any businesses the might be effected by any redevelopments or transformations made within the designated area of this Master Plan. P&D Committee Mtg. • Minutes of 4-23-07 Page 6 It was a consensus of the P&D Committee to more forward tM the proposed West Evanston blaster Plan. ADJOURNDSENT . The meeting was adjourned at 9.45 p.m. - :� .' -1 ...i i:.. .. .: .y',. 1`'?: 11 ..� .t.'i itfi l:.{ .�.. •.: �. .i iSS i Respectfully submitted, ; -:. ! .. .. , '? f:n i; l .' 1 � J j' u `^\}lj( ���,,' . � �_ ��� . it �E>�; .1�.�'[ •.7lli Jac cline Brownlee .�i `1•. .Ii�:1;t: , i;r r..�{ ,rf •�", aez'f: �Jil1.t111':ls'17 ;;�#1 dfi:7:5?:]ir.'�5� !ii.i! _, =j�� o :f_s��, S-'lllilr�! ��:� .'.,1IIt;:_ �/i1:. �1"�iii','.t;� ';�1'�Ii'3 i�lt '' •'�1°}:..,f5:.E1? fr e� i• •t r1, sI -..t 'i:lr.i;'Sl:i•. .. _. :.-.,.. :�, :I r,.. .il_ .� .:�i '4.:1-:.,;i; t: ..� i!'_. _ .�:.f.l'� ;ti i' :I'_.� ..'fill r;'i € ; 1:..i%Ji�'J + Planning & Development Committee Special Meeting Minutes of May 10, 2007 Room 2200 — 7:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Pttsent: D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Tisdahl, C. Wallin, M.-Wynnc:- Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, K. Cox, B. Dunkley, D. Marino, T. Norfleet, C. Ruiz, A. Stewart, J. Brownlee Alderman Absent: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, E. Moran Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OF OUORUNI Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION LEI) Sidewalk Cafe for (1) vne 1 Restaurant The application is for Kansaku Restaurant which is a new t)pe I restaurant downtown Evanston, therefore requiring their request for a sidewalk caf6 to come before the P&D Committee. Chair Tisdahl recognized the owners of the restaurant who assured that they have been made aware'of the sidewalk cafd regulations and litter plan and are prepared to abide by all the requirements. Aid. %Vollin added to make sure that there is always a 6' clearance on the sidewalk for pedestrian traffic. Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote was 6-0 In favor of the motion. {P2) Ordinance 53-0-07 — Snecial Use Reauest for 1723 Benson Avenue ,fir. Murray said that he is representing the applicant, Mr. Ben Kadish on behalf of the Evanston Benson Limited Partnership who arc proposing the expansion of the Evanston Athletic Club. Aid. Wollin moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wynne. Mr. \Voiinski pointed out that there is an issue which hopefully will be taken care of as far as Illinois Accessibility Code on this site. He stated for the record that Mr. Brian Barnes, City of Evanston In-clusion Specialist, has reviewed the plan and has approved that it will now meet all the requirements of the Illinois Accessibility Code, therefore this is a positive from that effect. Also this needs to be completed when the construction is done. Mr. Murray assured that schedules «ill be submitted in accordance with the guidelines and requirements of the City Departments involved. Chair Tisdahl and Aid. %Vynne disclosed that they are members of the Evanston Athletic Club. Aid. Jean -Baptiste reassured that if they are both paying dues, there is no call to refrain from voting on this matter. The vote was 6-0 in favor of the motion. Special PhD Committee Meeting Minutes of 5-10-07 Page 2 ' (P31 Ordinance 54-0-07— Special Use for 1613-1615 Benson Avenue Chair Tisdahl acknowledged the two applicants in attendance, Mr. Iman Azad and John Clifford. The request is for a smoothie bar inside the new GNC Store location. Aid. Wollin moved approval, seconded by Ald_ %Vynne. The vote was 6-0 in r'avor of the motion. Mr. Wolinski introduced the new Zoning Administrator, Mr. Bill Dunkley. He stated that Mr. Dunkley comes to us from the City of Atlanta where he was a Senior Planner and was involved in a number of zoning re -districting plans. Mr. Dunkley has a Elio -Electrical Engineering degree from Harvard, an MBA from Columbia University and a Masters in City Planning from Georgia Tech University. He has done several changes in professions, from an IT Project Manager for Oracel for 10 years, and then decided to get involved with City Planning. Mr. Wolinski said that he and fellow department members are glad to have him on board. The P&D Committee welcomed Mr. Dunkley. ITEM FOR DISCUSSION Staff Recommendation of Consultant for Downtown Plannine Service Mr. Dennis Marino opened discussion by noting that this is the staff recommendation for hiring a team of consultants to work with City staff on the downtown planning initiative. He noted the consultant team of Duncan Associates; in attendance Mr. Kirk Bishop and Nis. Marya Morris; and Mr. John LaMotte, from the Lakota Group. The other firms involved in the team are 180 Design Studio who are experts in form -based coding and physical planning, Goodman Williams which is located in this region and they are a real estate consulting firm, and KLOA which is a traffic and parking consultant firm that has done a lot of work in Evanston and the entire region as well. Mr. Marino said that under "Summary of Item" on the Agenda hem Summary Sheet, they had the six major outcomes of this project or the scope of work which includes: 1) Preparation of a revised Do►vnto%%m Plan (the existing plan is approximately IS -wears old); 2) Recommcndations for downtown zoning; 3) Updated downto►►m real estate market study (office, residential and retail); 4) Field survey and analysis of utilization of required parking in multi -family developments constructed since 2000; 5) Preparation and testing of a form based code for a pilot area in the downtown; and 6) Facilitation of a public input process. Mr. Marino turned the presentation over to Ms. Aiello at this point and she will state the need for this project from the staff perspective. Ms. Aiello stated that staff' believes strongly that it is important that they engage a consultant to move our planning along in dowmto►vn. She noted that downtown is the economic engine of the community and the planning and zoning has really been the heart and soul of how the City of Evanston has gotten to ►►here they are right now. Star" believes that to move this effort Forward for the next 20+ years they really need to have a plan that is at the core based on some sound principles of planning and zoning. She acknowledged that this plan is an update of the 1989 Downtown Plan and in that plan the City set out some prerr} ambitious goals as it related to the over -arching goal of creating a 2417 downtown, his. Aiello prided in saying that most people would agree that the City has achieved that goal and the yz=t majority of all the ones that ►%ere outlined in that 1989 Plan. From this point, she feels they really need to keep the downtown vital and the economic engine going, however there additional circumstances to consider, such as is the downtown becoming the "new" residential area, is it the heart and soul of retail, or is it going Special P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of 5-10-07 • Page 3 to become the new commercial engine. She said all these components need to be taken into consideration as the process and then map out the future. Nis. Aiello stated that as they went through the selection process for the consultant, staff really believes that this consultant team genuinely understood what is being requested and presented the strongest and broadest scope for the City. Ms. Aiello said that selecting the consulting services was the next processes that staff has been going through since the onset several years ago when they had a small stakeholders visioning session where they began identifying what some of those issues are. Staff then forwarded these issues to the Plan Commission who began their process, forming a subcommittee that has been working; on this project ever since. One of the first issues in question is "where are the City's downtown boundaries?" Secondly, the subcommittee looked at what they would like to see in the downtown and what they want to do with the downtown area; really identify some areas that need further discussion and consideration. Also, there is a need to determine the actual "core" of downtown and what's the transition and what are those blocks that make Evanston unique in the downtown area, his. Aiello recognized the Preservation Commission's assistance with a recent assessment of the buildings in downtown and identified those buildings that are not landmarks novv, but redly have that opportunity to be landmarks and create character in the downtown area that they continue to hear from the residents. This planning process will allow the City to have that broad base discussion lead by the Council and really have the opportunity for all the people in the community and each of the wards, not just the new residents of downtown, to be part of this process because part of the strength of this team is the public process. Nis. Aiello said these arc some of the main reasons for choosing this consulting team because they knew up front that the downtown area belongs to all the residents of Evanston and one of their first goals is to reach out to the different neighborhoods and wards for their input into this process. Nis. Aiello concluded that staff strongly recommends the proposed consultant team headed by Duncan Associates. There are lots of new uses in downtown Evanston and each of those needs to be examined. Staff believes the process that the consultants are recommending really addresses all the areas that need to be studied. The consultants have a very aggressive schedule that staff' has laid out for them which they have agreed to. Nis. Aiello said not only is it important to have public involvement in this process, but it is also very important that Council lead this with the input from the community. Mr. Marino acknow ledg;ed members of the Plan Commission. Chair Jim Woods, and Mr. Larry Widmayer, Chair of the Downtown Subcommittee. They will be talking about how this scope of senices would be very important in helping them with their work and the City's work overall. Also, Mr. Widmayer will walk us through the guiding principles, which the P&D Committee has a working draft cope of in the packets. Mr. Woods talked about the last Downtown Plan «hick vas developed in 1989. He noted there were many issues that the downtown area faced at that time in terms of vacancy rates of retail, lack of entertainment and livelihood, etc. Since then that downtown plan with its vision of creating the'?.117 downtown and the efforts of City Council and various commissions, they have really made some dramatic improvements to the downtown area. He said now after having accomplished many of the goals of that 1989 plan, they are now at the point of needing to look ahead to the future. The Plan Commission as well as many other groups in the City sate this as they were reviewing; plans over the last few years and it seemed like economic conditions giving them an opportunity for a brief pause now to give the City time to revisit the downtown plan. With this in mind, last fall the Plan Commission created a Downtown Plan Committee to take a Special P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of 5-10-t17 Page 4 look at what the new vision should be, how maybe it should be structured, look at the unique things in the Zoning Ordinance in terms of what everyone assumes as being a `wedding cake" zoning to downtown. He noted the involvement of the public in the process is very important, as mentioned before and they have all heard the presentation on form -base code and there was a lot of interest in this that would be a new zoning process for Evanston, which demands a fresh look at re-creating the zoning aspects of downtown. Mr. Woods stated that as the Plan Commission examined revising the downtown plan, they determined that it was really necessary to involve a consultant to help facilitate the process and to look at many of the technical aspects as well. The Plan Commission then established some framework for the City's needs to get the consultants on board to begin their work. As Nis. Aiello mentioned earlier, it was determined last fall to speed things up from the original timeframe for completion of this project by the end of this calendar year which the consultants become even more valuable in that process. Mr. Woods turned the presentation over to Mr. Widmayer who will give an overview of the Downtown Plan Committee's work. Mr. Widmayer said if you look at the plans that are going on right now on the Wcst Side of Evanston and look at the plans that were developed in 1959 for downtown, they are both plans aimed at taking an area that needs a lot of help in several ways. The question is how do we give it that boost of energy and get it going. He said when you took at downtown Evanston today; it is a very different world from 1989. Evanston has a very successful core downtown which seems to be working very well. He noted that as they have gone through a number of Planned Developments, the Plan Commission have heard many exciting projects and a numbcr of concerns from neighborhoods around the downto«n. He noted that they have talked to Alderman who have expressed similar types of concerns and excitement at the same time. Therefore, when the Plan Commission took a took at this, they felt the need to take a whole new look at the downtown as it is today as the base and consider what needs are necessary for future growth and stability. Mr. Widma)vr said the Plan Commission decided the downtown today is really divided into three distinct natures: The Downtown Core which is where most of the dynamic development is going on and is balanced to a large degree by traditional arras. Traditional areas. These are areas Where the product was built in the 1910's and 1920's. Examples of this include Davis Street west of the tracks, areas of Sherman, and areas of Davis Street going east. The typical building is 3-stories and has retail to the sidewalks, largely storefront environment. He said the Plan Commission believes these buildings in the noted area add a character balance to the dynamics of the growing area. Transitional Areas is the third segment. Mr. Widmayer pointed out that somehow back in the 1989 Plan, the area that allowed the largest and tallest growth if residential, was on the perimeter of downtown. He noted that no one has been happy with this concept. Therefore, as they look at the transitional area today, you are looking at an area that will take you from the ccrr do«ntown to the residential areas around it_ We arc looking at something with a limited height and maybe a limited capability to go beyond that height, v-hich will probably be in sync with the larger buildings that are close to an R6 height requirement. Mr. Widmayer said that now they have defined these three areas, the next thug the Plan Commission looked at, which is "here the interest came in form -based code, was to not look at Special P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of 5-10-07 • Paze S . individual projects anymore, but in some context with its surrounding environment. He pointed out especially in the traditional area where they believe to maintain the look and feel of what is there today. This is not to say they don't want any new construction in that area but do want any new construction to stay in sync with the architecture and character of what's existing. Even as w£ get into the transitional area, the Plan Commission gets more a more concerned about a project being in context with everything surrounding the site. Mr. Widmayer stated that when looking at the guidelines they talk about form -based code; strongly desired in some areas and other areas considering some form of form -based help that gives them a contextual look. This allows them to look at the zoning for a project in terms of height, density, placement on the site, maybe landscaping and things of this nature without having to go through a planned development process because now the project would be coming into part of a zone. He pointed out this would cut down on some of the overhead on staff, various City boards and even City Council, also allowing developers and applicants to come in a make some changes with a clearer vision. Mr. Widmayer concluded that the Plan commission is very concerned with preserving certainly the downtown historic landmarks that contribute to the character of downtown, providing incentives for adaptive reuse as well as teardown and development. The Plan Commission is also eery concerned about the collaborative effort amongst stakeholders which is another very important aspect in the downtown planning process. Stakeholders include retail, commercial property owners, companies that rent office space, and residents including homeowners and renters. Mr. Widmayer recalled that just a few years ago there was an abundance of vacant storefronts and the City has caught on as a commerce center for creative types of businesses • including advertising, design, public relations, and investments, which has resulted in a much less number of vacancies downtown. In closing, he requested that the P&D Committee support this request for approval of the contract for consulting services for the Downtown Planning to be headed by Duncan Associates and their supporting team. The concept has been presented and direction forwarded to this consultant who have responded wholeheartedly. The Plan Commission is confident in the expertise of Duncan Associates and the Lakota Group as well as the other team members for their assistance to expedite the development of a plan to bring before Council that meets these guiding principals. Mr. Marino at this point turned the presentation over to Mr. Kirk Bishop from Duncan Associates to give their pre=entation of the scope of work and their methods. Following the consultants presentation, he requests the P&D to hold their questions and comments until that time. He acknowledged Mr. Bishop as a principal with Duncan Associates which is a nationally known planning, zoning and land use firm. They worked in many Cities around the Country at many different levels; also working with different levels of government including several City Councils, Plan Commissions and other City boards. Duncan Associates has also worked closely with citizens, business people and developers as «ell, so they are very much into working with a vide variety of people and sources to achieve a common objective. %fr. Marino also pointed out that this firm is also known for promoting developments, shaping developments and engaging in smart gro«-th and finding the tools that need to be implemented to make that happen. He reiterated staffs support and recommendation for Duncan Associates as the consultant to head the downtown planning process. N1T. Bishop introduced himself before the P&D Committee and noted he represents the entire Duncan team. In attendance with him, he First introduced Mr. John LaMotte from the Lakota isGroup and his. Marya Morris from Duncan Associates. He summarized the outline of his Special P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of 5-10-07 Page 6 ' presentation beginning with 1) Introducing the project team and giving background on each company, 2) a summary of the team's approach to this project and experience to follow through, 3) a summary of their understanding of what the project will entail, 4) An overview of the teams strengths and assurance to provide the City with a working plan for the downtown area, And 5) lastly to respond to any questions that the P&D committee might have. (A copy of the slide presentation is attached as "Exhibit A".) Mr. Bishop acknowledged the project team which is headed by his consultant firm of Duncan Associates. The principals from his firm consist of himself, Tom Smith, Marya Morris, and Eric Damian Kelly. His company will provide the zoning, planning and downtown development issues from the combination of reviews, analysis and gathering information of the other team members to bring together in the form of a final report and presentation for a proposed downtown plan. Duncan Associates also provides legal representation from Eric Damien Kelly for advising purposes. The Lakota Group's will take charge of the area of downtown plan update effort lead by John LaMotte and assisted by Scott Freres and Daniel Grove. The Lakota Group has a fair amount of experience here in Evanston, most recently with the Central Street planning project and in the recent past assisted the City of Evanston and Evmark in a downtown visioning process which provided valuable framework for this project. Mr. Bishop acknowledged the other team members being the 180 Design Studio is the only non -local team member; their company is based out of Kansas City. 180 Design Studio is a firm largely comprised of architects and they will take a key role in leading the design charrette that will provide such an important foundation for the form -based code zoning related work but also will provide some of the more detailed urban design recommendations for the downtown plan work that Lakota will be leading. Mr. Bishop acknowledged the team member of Goodman Williams Group which is a real estate consultant firm based here in the Chicago land area. Their principals are Ms. Linda Goodman and Ms. Christine Williams. This company specializes in doing analysis of the real estate market at all aspects and levels including residential, retail, commercial, industrial, etc. Lastly, another Chicago area based company expertising in transportation/parking analysis is the KLOA Inc. Group with the key principal being Tim Deron. Mr. Bishop proceeded with the presentation focusing on experience represented by Duncan Associates and their fellow team companies. Involved in the realm of expertise is zoning, planning, design and form -based codes at a highly experienced level and are confident that their team can meet the needs of the City in the requested timeframe given for completion of a final report of the downtov n plan. Ile noted that the team, in various capacities, has worked with large Cities including Chicago, Portland, OR; Austin, TX. Seattle, WA, Pittsburg, PA, Kansas City, KS and other large municipalities. He referred to the map indicating a vast number of cities throughout the Unites States that they have worked with. He went further in detail on the teams zoning experience work and gave a report of their Chicago area planning experience, design guideline experience and form -based code experience. Mr. Bishop gave a brief overview of Lakota's relevant experience in providing numerous large Cities and municipalities with their planning studies and subsequent guidelines. Several studies Here presented relating to Lakota's releiant extensive experience in working with local communities on their master plans and re% italization process. Such cities and municipalities include the City of Chicago, Palatine, Park Ridge, Glenview, and South Bend, IN. Mr. Bishop moved on to an overview of the consultant teams approach and planning methods to be followed at a very intense pace and timeframe. The approach method involves background/context initiative to start, moving on to developing a downtown plan, a design Special Pd_D Cornmince Meeting Minutes of 5-10-07 Page 7 • charrette and zoning implementation recommendation for the downtown area. He gave a final overview of the teams' strengths including: 1) the leam's local and national experience and achievement record, 2) multi -disciplinary guidelines for planning design, architecture, legal, transportation, marketing and economic growth, and zoning analysis. Mr. Marino clarified the issue of considering the form -based code zoning concept. Staff, the flan Commission members, and the consultant team members agree that this form -based code concept might be successful for specific areas of the downtown which are referred to as pilot areas, specifically in the transitional and traditional areas. 180 Design studio as well as the Lakota Group brings a wealth of design guideline experience to the table that sort of takes the basic urban design principals and kicks it up a notch as it gets closer to architectural controls, which is a valuable experience tool provided by this consultant team. In closing, Mr. Bishop concluded that first and foremost this is a strategic and important update of the 18-year old Downtown Plan adopted in 1989. The consultant team has a "leg -up" on some of the work that they do because of the important work that the Downtown Plan Committee and the Plan Commission, even Council members, that will weigh in on in the form of the guiding principals that fir. Widmayer explained previously. He stressed that they will be looking to carry those guiding principals to the next level and work down to a more specific plan with the types of practices, planning policies, design guidelines, and zoning controls that can make these guiding principals become a reality. Mr. Marino clarified the form -based code pilot project zoning considerations that have been discussed and looked at for the downtown area is basically a test simulation. He stressed that this . is not presumed that this is the appropriate form of zoning for the downtown. He recalled from the workshop that many of the Council members attended last August, that form -based codes were of great interest to many people, but overall the emphasis here is very much on physical planning including form -based coding; certainly not restricted to that. Secondly, one of the reasons the City selected this consultant team is because of their experience with a variety of downtown planning efforts and their ability to not only deal with the scope of work in a linear way in terms of a downtown plan or downtown zoning recommendations, but also to address emerging projects which can commonly come up during planning processes. Staff felt the depth and range of the team was particularly important for Tieing able to do this and to help the City with those emerging projects that arc proposed during a planning process like this. Aid. Wynne asked how long the test simulation is expected to be and Aid. lean -Baptiste raised the question of what happens after this trial period. Mr. Bishop re--pondcd that this procedure will provide something for visualization and they will work out a reasonable time frame for the pilot area test simulations. Aid. Rainey asked if the test simulation wit] address any new development that might arise. She feels people involved will only want short buildings, therefore what about the Fountain Square proposal that is coming forward with their concept review. Mr. Bishop responded that the guidelines can be designed to support various building heights and planned development sizes. Discussion followed regarding the public process. Aid. Rainey stressed that this public input process will have to go way beyond just the downtown area and immediate surrounding neighborhoods because, as it was said earlier, the downtown belongs to all Evanston residents. She said citizens visiting Evanston and patronizing our entertainment and food venues should somehow be included as well as they contribute a lot to the downtown economics. Mr. Bishop assured that they will do an extensive public outreach effort including several charrettes with all Special P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of5-10-07 Page 8 the different neighborhoods throughout Evanston to receive as much community input as possible. Ms. Aiello added that this effort should be a joint effort by the consultants, staff and the Council members. She said that Alderman could arrange meetings within their separate wards for the consultants. She stressed that Alderman have the jab to do of getting information out to their constituents along with staff using all their public relation opportunities. Aid. Holmes does not understand how projects can still go through while this process is underway. She feels since the consultants are working under such an extensive timeframe schedule, it would not be asking too much to put a hold on any new development while the planning process is being done. Aid. Rollin agreed and feels such a moratorium would move things forward immediately. Mr. LaNione stated that they are very ready to move forwvard, however it is up to the public officials to lead the ►way. He assured that they can still proceed and finish within the expected timeframe even while any new development proposals might come up. Mr. Marino informed the Committee members that the new timeframe is a desire to conclude by the end of October, 2007. Aid. Jean -Baptiste questioned why they are doing this now because there does not appear to be anything out of sync in the downtown area; why fix %what is not broken? Mr. Aiello responded that the reason it is time to revise the do%►mtowwn plan is because they have nearly completed every principle from the 1989 downtown plan. Therefore they need to stay a step ahead and plan for the future. She said the Cite needs to have a plan in motion instead of letting the market dictate where and how the City either grows, stagnates, or starts to decline. Aid. Jean -Baptiste feels that the market dictation is the dynamics of the downtown development and the subsequent growth and stability. He does not feel a criteria "bubble' for downtown will work. He also stressed the importance of remembering who. the dowvnto%%n is for; it is not just for Evanston residents only. Evanston has become a very* unique North shore community with a large number of Chicago area communities visiting and coming into the downtown Evanston area every day. All the P&D Committee members agreed, but also agreed to start with reaching out the all the Evanston communities first. Aid. Wynne said that the consultants can start immediately with attending her ward meeting on May 31". She questioned how the consultants will keep people up to date and bring the entire community charrette to work together? Mr. Bishop gave a brief summary of their methods and approach tactics. She also noted a concern with the community expressing their feelings that the Council does not have their hands on the steering wheel; therefore she requested that staff keep the Council wren informed of every phase during the planning process. Aid. Rainey said that she is very much in support of this process for the transitional area and the perimeters of the downtown area. She feels the downtown area today is very impressive and knows that mans outside citizens visit and come to Evanston for shopping, dining, and entertainment. She said no one should be so eager to bash or change the development process in downtown because it is working. She strongly feels a moratorium .would only hurt downtown development and wvanted it noted that under no means would she ever support a moratorium for this area. Aid. Holmes clarified that she too supports development in the downtown area, however the period and time frame expressed for this planning process is not very long. She sugecsted that another alternative is for staff to share this process with any new developers as they come in during this process. All involved, staff, the consultants, and�P&.D Committee members %were in agreement with this suggestion. 0 Special P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of5-10-07 • Pagt 9 Aid. Wynne motioned ror recommendation that A&PW approve this contract on May 14, 2007. Aid. Wynne seconded the motion and the vote was 6-0 in ravor. ADJOURNNIEN"17 The meeting was adjourned at 9:13 p.m. Respectfully submitted, r JacquNne t. Brownlee • 0 f Planning & Development Committee Minutes of May 1.1, 2007 Meeting Room 2200-6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran, F- Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. W}one Staff Present: J. Aiello, J. Carroll, D. Cook, K. Cox, Bill Dunkley, S. Guderley, A. - Jackson, D. Marino, M. Morris, B. Ne% man, D. Spicuzza, J. Nolinski Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OF OUORUhI Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 6:42 p.m. . APPROVAL OF THE ATEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 23. 2007 Aid. Wynne moved approval of the minutes of the April 23, 2047 meeting. The Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes. APPROVED ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION JP1) Ordinance 40-0-07 — Itenantine and Amending Title 4. Cha tep r 22"Aff9rdable Housing Demolition Tax & Affordable Housine Tax Fund" and Transferrin¢ Balance of the Mavoes Special Housine Fund into the Newtv Renamed Affordable Housine Fund The Committee voted unanimously to approve, as amended. APPROVED FOR INTRODUCTION A discussion ensued regarding the 120% of median income requirement. Aid. Moran stated that his concern was that a great number of families in the upper bracket of the two brackets: 80 — 100% and 100 — 1200's of the median income would end up with an inequitable amount of the funding money. Mr. Wolinski responded that as they have discussed the affordable housing issues in the past four years, one of the benefits of the Mayor's Special Housing Fund was that it wasn't tied to any HUD guidelines so it could be used in various means as far as not being tied to 80V*. He continued, "One of the goals that was heard from the Council was that we not only wanted to assist potential homeowners in that lower income bracket, but that we wanted to also help potential homeowners in the lower middle income bracket. That would take us between the 100010 and 120°!o area. That is the genesis of this. There is a segment of the population that doesn't qualify for affordable housing at less than 100°.: and yet they can't seem to get a standard bank loan, if they're between 100$o And 120%. This is a segment of the population either for downpa.%mcnt assistance or buy -down or one of those various techniques." Aid. Moran said that at 12VI'a for a family of four there would be an annual income of S84,000. His concern is not that it is difficult to purchase or rent a residence in Evanston, but he is concerned for people that have an income below S84,000 not being able to have a home in Evanston. So he wondered if there is some wav if we can adjust the criteria suggested so we can capture some of the 1201/0 but to emphasize in various strategies, 1000r16 or less. He added that in the latter of the priorities set out in the two items, it opens it broadly to people of 120:'0. He is worried that it is going to lead towards strategies that may end up benefiting people who are ►vorthy, but to the detriment of people who would struggle even more at IOWa or less, who eve need to concentrate on. He asked for suggestions on a way to carve out some of the potential program strategies so that some P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 5-14-07 Page 2 people at 12000a would have as opportunity but that we would still have bias towards 100% AMI or lower, overall. Ms. Spicuzza responded that these could be two ways to do that; "One way is that 50% has to go to 801/16 AMI. You could set a percentage share that no more than 25;u to go to people between =C and 120%, but that might get difficult in tcrms of figuring it all out. The other way is to just make a policy statement related to that. She said the reason they recommended going up to 1201% is to serve those 2-income families can't afford the median price. It also closely matches the IHDA guideline which is up to 120%, although they don't break it out beyond a household size of three. If you go up that high, people could piggyback with IHDA programs. If you state a preference that if there are special programs you develop, like a down payment program, you could put more stringent target guidelines in that and state a general policy preference in the general guidelines." Mr. Wolinski added that the population that makes between 80% and 120% currently has no assistance possibility whatsoever. other than some limited IHDA funds, but all of our home funds are capped at S0S b and he assumes that ►will continue for a long time. 4'We have a segment of the population, defined in discussion as the work force segment (teachers, firefighters, police, etc.) that have no other public resource for financial assistance in purchasing a home. Most of this assistance would be down payrtsent assistance or buy -down possibilities, which most of these people don't seem to have, especially when you're talking about Evanston's median price houses or condos or townhouses.- Al%L Wollin agreed that they had talked about the workforce, i.e. firemen, policemen and teachers. She believes it is up to the creativity of the Housing Commission to come up with a rariery of diverse programs that affect different segments of the population. "That part is ►►hat ti r're going to rely on them to do: to look for every branch and subsidy that can be applied to our city. We have to till in the gap." She wants us to have as much flexibility as possible. Aid. Wynne agreed that the "workforce" income does not provide enough for a do►vn payment and that we arc losing a segment of Evanston's population. They are moving out because of the lack of affordable homes in Evanston for this income level. "That is a segment of our population that we don't %ant to lose." She agreed that a certain percentage should go to their access. Aid. Bernstein stated that people who are at 120% of the median income may have the knowledge or the wherewithal to get private funds. His concern is eliminating those people who don't have the capacity. "A police officer may know a la►vyer but a laborer may not." He said he doesn't mind leaving this in, but with some kind of a cap alluded to so we have funds available to provide for the pooresw. We need to provide for everyone across the board, so unless we have some kind of a cap on ore level or another, the funds will go. "if there is a young couple making $80,000 they may be able to save up for a down payment, but if they are living paycheck to paycheck, they need help" He would like to assign proportionate shares of these funds to the extent that we can. Aid. Jean -Baptiste stated that he believes that affordable housing funds are intended to help those who cannot afford to buy a home. Whose people are not making 584,000 a year. Those who are able to make $84,000 for a family of four don't really need our assistance. We want to assist those who are borderline. He Imows people who work for the City of Evanston, who had to buy in Wisconsin. They make $45,000 and 550,000, but he has not heard those who are making S84,000 complain that they are not able to -find housing in the City of Evanston. "They should be able to access private funds. Only the condominiums ask for a 5% to l0% down payment. When you PRD Committee Mtg. Minutes of 5-14-07 Page 3 buy a private home, usually you're putting down a down payment that could be 51,000 to 53,000 and it is the closing costs that you have to generate. People save up for those costs, or negotiate getting closing costs paid by the seller." He believes those funds are really intended to help those who make 80"a of the median income. He would be willing to compromise to 100% with a small percentage of the funds for a down payment or closing costs. He really does not think it was intended for people in the 120% bracket. Ms. Spicuzza stated that this is household income. It could be people making 560,000 and $30,000. Aid. Wynne added that some of the people who are making more money have very bad credit. They haven't got the financial skills to manage money. Some of the funding would go to counseling to help them get on track so they can utilize what they have and get back into better credit to be better qualified to buy or rent something. Some of it is not necessarily a down payment or a subsidy, but rather to get them some housing and financial counseling. "The City can't pay their debt for them or get a family out of foreclosure, but we can counsel them to get out of that situation and get them back on stable ground." Aid. Tisdahl said she agrees that it is very hard to buy a home for the "workforce," so she supports providing housing for a range of people so we could continue to have a diverse city and that would include 1201/6. She supports the proposal. Aid. Moran said he is sure that households that make $84,000 will still have to work hard to buy a home in Evanston, but he thinks they will have to work hard and they may have to wait, but they have gathering assets and one would hope that ultimately they would have sufficient asset base to move forward and buy a home. He thinks that some of the lower income levels, the ability to look towards the horizon and feel that there is going to be a gathering asset base being economic, efficient and hard working and some people who make less than that can be all of those things and yet never cross that goal line. And somehow, some way, he believes our bias should be towards helping those people rather than other people who simply are waiting and saving and simply are dedicating themselves to gathering the assets to buy. They will ultimately make it on their own terms. He suggested that 100% is being fairly generous. "My last point would be, if we go to 120%, although the plan as it reads now reserves 50% for 80% or less and that's a good thing, but what happens with the other 50016? 1 think that if we go to 120%, you're going to see a major bleed factor, 51°/a to100% will migrate pretty quickly towards the 12091b, who have the acumen and understanding to approach the system where they will take a large percentage of this program into their coffers, when perhaps thev are not the people we really should be targeting:' He totally- supports the workforce housing idea but a lot of times it's a single parent household:' He moved that we expand the definition of the fund to assist households up to 120° o be lowered to 100% and that as Cheryl says, there may be programs we can commit funds to at 100% where it makes sense, such as credit counseling, understanding a mortgage application process, etc." Aid. Bernstein seconded the motion. In response to a question regarding funding already in place for counseling for people of any income, Nis. Spicuzza responded that the seminars are open to everyone. Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved that 40% be reserved for the 8011016 to1000.0 of median income buyers and 60% for those who make 801,0 or under. Aid. Tisdah) stated that she would like to add to the ordinance that a semi-annual report be provided by staff, tallying applications, requests and loans. The Committee voted to amend the Ordinance so that the policy specifies that 60% of the funds go to people at 80% or under the median income level and 40% goes to people of 100% of the median income and under, and that a bi-annual report of applicants and recipients of the fund will be provided by Staff to the Committee. 0 P&D Committee th9g. Minutes of 5-14-07 Page 4 (P2) Resolution 22-R-07 — Establishing Guidelines for the Management and Use of the . Funds from the Affordable Housing Fund The Committee voted unanimously to approve, as amended. APPROVED A discussion ensued regarding equity sharing. Aid. Jean -Baptiste opened a discussion of the subsidy/recapture guidelines recommended by staff: Per unit Subsidy Amount I Affordable Vehicle Affordable Term $1.000 - $14,999 j) Recapture, forgiven annually 5 years $15,000 - $29,999 f Recapture + equity sharing 10 years ; $30.000 - $50.000 Resale restriction 10 - 15 years Over $50,000 Resale Restriction 15 - 20 years Nis. Spicuzza stated that the equity sharing would come in under the recapture provisions. She referred to Page 8 Number 2 of the guidelines: If you had a subsidy of S15,000 to 529,999 it would be the recapture plus equity sharing formula. Aid. Jean -Baptiste said that when we do a first time homebu)rr's program and we provide 20% financing we recapture if they sell within 15 years, but there is no equity sharing, as such. He said he saw the study in Vermont that indicated that there was no impact on the recipient of this subsidy when they do equity sharing to buy a new home or to move up the ladder. He said it would depend on the market to determine whether that person can take advantage of the next opportunity or move forward with significant equity. He said he would ask for the equity sharing. The intent is to have developers continue to pay into this fund, and to generate income through some other means and that the referendum may even come back. "What we're trying to do is assist people to get a leg up." He agrees with paying back what one has borrowed: "it's a w-av of trying to keep what is affordable, affordable." Mr. Nolinski responded that we can limit who you can sell to as for as what their income is, or put a recapture agreement in so the money goes back into the fund. ibis. Spicuzza clarified that on page 8, there are three options for affordability retention and that option number 2 with the chart is the most detailed. The first one leaves it very flexible saying that it would be in keeping with the type of subsidy in the use and so it would be determined as a program is developed or a specific project. Number 2 is a suggestion for giving it more structure in terms of how you would determine it based on the amount of subsidy. Aid. Moran said he is concerned about equity sharing: "We want families to be able to move up, but two aspects of these options are 1) by helping that family do we give them a leg up in being able to make the next move? We are providing a ladder for them to move up. Paying back part but not all is to be considered. 2) Getting a little bit back helps us to promote the next family. It's a little bit more money in the pot. Maybe the combination of those two things speak to the potential for equity sharing." He did not have a specific motion of what that ratio should be, but some sharing is warranted. He added that in Item 3 under B, an%• actirity that involves the development of affordable housing leads to the longest period allowed by law. He's not sure how he would reconcile that, which we have stated previously in ordinances as being a goal. How would he recognize that with, the last two items in the box under 2? He asked for some clarification. He saw .what he was getting in the S30,000 - S50,000 and over but %when you drop down to any activity that involves the development of affordable housing and we were going to go for the longest period permissible under the law which is obviously different than the last two lines in Option 2. Nis. Spicuzza responded that Number 3 is a totally separate option from Number 2. Aid. Moran said he could see the sense of the first items under Number 2, going towards projects that aren't developments. He could see a recapture and a forgiveness at benween S1,000 and $30,000, but it made less sense in the last two P&D Committee Mfg. Minutes of 5-14-07 Page 5 lines, and he would move it down into three at that level. Ms. Spicuzza suggested that he can make a different recommendation for the term. She said she thinks the feeling of staff is that a term longer than 20 years requires ongoing monitoring and perhaps an additional commitment of funds in order to keep it affordable and so maybe it should be a finite affordability term. Aid. Moran replied, "Maybe in a rehab program, potentially, you would have someone coming back for a second round of rehab, but on the development level, we have not put anything into helping people rehab u devclupcd property. We have this price list." Nis. Spicuzza asked if he meant that after 20 years, even with new construction, it may need some significant capital improvements? Aid. Moran said "Yes, but have we committed to paying for that?" Ms. Spicuzza responded, "if we do that, will it remain affordable or will it require another $10,000 or $20,000 to bring the price dotivn to make it Affordable to low income purchasers 20 years from now? That is the unknown. it will require some capital improvement and will that contribute to making it unaffordable?" Aid. Moran moved that under B, we adopt point Number 2, the first two line items and reference point Number 3. "Those are real life situations where recapture and forgiveness or recapture and equity sharing make sense. Anywhere between $0 and S30,000 is good." Aid. Jean -Baptiste clarified Aid. Moran's motion: "if we make a contribution to an individual and that contribution is hmveen 51,000 and 529,999 and that individual transfers that property within 5 years, then we recapture the subsidy And beyond that time it is forgiven." The second line is if our subsidy is $15,000 to $29,999 and the individual sells the property within IS years, wc capture the subsidy and we share the equity. Are you suggesting a percentage?" Aid. Moran asked what we've used so far. Aid. Jean -Baptiste suggested we share 10% of the equity, Aid. Jean -Baptiste clarified that they are eliminating the last category. They agreed to change the affordable term to anything permitted by iaw for S30,000 and under for the recapture and resale restriction. Aid. Moran added to the motion that the homeowner under that circumstance would be able to keep 34110 per year plus whatever improvements they made to the project, to the limit specified in inclusionary housing. The Committee agreed to the recommended guidelines as allowed by law. Aid. Bernstein attempted to clarify: "The resale restriction would mandate that they must sell to someone who is within the affordable housing income bracket." If they sell to someone outside the designated income level, they don't get their equity. Nis. Spicuzza said they are allowed 30,16 appreciation annually plus the value of capital improvements up to a certain amount per year." Aid. Bernstein asked, "If they sell to someone who qualifies, then theoretically the market value is going to be reduced, «fiere does this equity come from?" Ms. Spicuzza responded that if they purchase the house for 5150,000 and they sold it the next year, they could sell it for 5150,000 X 1.03 to an income -eligible buyer. So they would conceivable get the 3% appreciation on 5150,000. They wouldn't have to pay anything back. Terms are to be "as allowed by law." Aid. Jean -Baptiste said the 3% has to be clearer in the guidelines. Aid. Wollin said that the ordinance can be passed .without every detail of the guidelines. Aid. Wollin moved that the ordinance be passed as stated. Citizen Betty Sue Ester, representing another citizen, asked whether the funds would be available directly to individuals or only through non-profit organizations. She was told the funds will be available to individuals once a program is set up. (P3) West Side Master flan for Sub -Areas 1. 2. & 3 Consideration of a Plan Commission recommendation to Cite Council for adoption of this Blaster Plan The Committee voted unanimously to approve the Master Plan with the amendment that the Council will maintain oversight to abate the displacement of residents through gentrification by using affordable housing funds, and maximizing affordability within developments. APPROVED P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 5-14-07 Page 6 Citizen, his. Tina Paden, representing a portion of her community, expressed that they felt they were denied an opportunity to speak with Farr & Associates before the Flan was submitted to P&D. She stated that Farr & Associates did not come and speak to the neighborhood and that their feelings about the Plan were not acknowledged. She asked if Farr & Associates is going to speak again. The answer was no. She asked if Aid. Bernstein had walked the ward. He stated he did walk the area, not ilia ward. She stated that her group still objects to the plan. Citizen, Mr. Carlis Sutton, stated that he looked over the revised plan and that it did not address his concerns about density and affordability and he still has the same concerns. He believes it will cost too much to do the infrastructure for the places and he is more interested in coming back to the Committee with sonic ideas of his neighbors for down -zoning certain areas from 4 to 3, which will be more compatible with the existing neighborhood and slow down gentrification. Aid. Jean - Baptiste acknowledged that Mr. Sutton expected more interaction before the plan was sent to the P&D Committee for approval. A discussion ensued regarding the concerns of citizens and Aldermen of gentrification and displacing current residents by out -pricing them. Aid. Jean Baptiste asked to hear from Mr. Marino or Ms. Guderley to talk about what we are trying to do here today. He asked that they speak to the process. Some people advocated for making the proposal mandatory. Others »anted more discussion. Mr. Marino referred to a memorandum from staff recommending key plan elements +which was requested by the P&D Committee earlier in April. "This was summarized at your last P&D meeting." They also agreed that staff would contact a number of commercial property owners that raised concerns about certain aspects of these requirements of the master plan overall and they've been doing that within a team of himself, Sue Gudereey, Jim Wolinski, and Judy Aiello. They've met with six different entities that are either developers or existing commercial property owners including the trophy awards place and also Mr. Cahill's property. "That has been a very fruitful discussion in terms of sharing with them the contents of this memorandum ++hick was attached to the agenda data sheet. While they still have some concerns certainly about the master plan and it's guiding principals, they have a better understanding for the potential for public/private partnership to finance streets that are required as pan of the master plan. "if you remember we did discuss that last time and we also discussed, t+hich is included in this document, a staff recommendation to expand the T1F at least to Foster as a way to address the streets that are included in the Bishop Freeman site as well. So we have an ongoing dialogue in that regard. I'm going to ask Sue Guderley to address the issue of the process from the beginning, Ald. Jean -Baptiste, if that's what you were asking in terms of the citizen participation. Our charge from this Committee was to discuss these issues with the commercial property owners I mentioned and that's what we did. We've had ongoing individual conversations with some residents ++ho have asked questions or had particular concerns. But the entire process, the entire master planning process is based on 50 to 70 people who consistently participated at the various locations in terms of making this possible and so it's very much a grass roots bottom up process." He added that the TIF funds would go to offset the cost of improvements such as paving of alleys., streets and parking garages that the residents would normally be taxed on. Nis. Guderley added that the plan was originally a land use plan, meant to re -zone industrial use areas to residential use,,which is needed in ilia area, and that the plan is a synthesis of many peoples' opinions. Mr. Marino added that there is not a big demand for industrial development in that area. Regarding the issue of affordable housing, he stated that their goal is to provide a guide to promote development and maintain diversity. He cited the Cyrus (Ron Fleckman) Proposal for Workforce Housing, which proposes to set aside 20;'0 moderate income housing. Mr. Marino introduced Mr. Fleckman, who is developing the Bishop Freeman and Robinson Bus property. He stated that he is putting 10% of his development affordable housing, but needs to increase density by IMo to achieve his goals. He wanted to put in all affordable housing, but it is not feasible. He stated that density and affordability go hand in P&D Committee hitg. Minutes of 5-14-07 Page 7 hand. Mr. Wolinski pointed out that if the proposed density is decreased, that will invite gentrification, because developers have to make a certain amount. There must be a happy medium. Cyrus is talking about 15-20 out of 120 units. "Current developers know that we want connectivity and affordability," Mr. Wolinski added. Mr. Wertheimer, of Mayfair Green and developer of "Crossroads; stated that a grid is being re- established for streets, pavement, water and capital improvement. Ms. Guderley stated that staff recommended the following changes: • Open space added in Area 1 • Re-route street on N. Wesley where it connects with Jackson • At the northeast corner of Church and Dodge, one unit is owned by the Evanston Housing coalition. That building is not being considered for m-development is accommodation of affordable housing. She added that 3 apartment buildings are owned by Evanston Housing Coalition. (P4) Ordinance 46-0-07 -- Extension of Nest Side TIF Morntoriurn The Committee voted unanimously to rcmore this item from the agenda. The moratorium will end on May 18, 2007. REINIOVED FROl1 TIIE AGENDA. THE MORATORIUM NVILL END 1i1AY 18, 200 7 (P5) Ordinance 56-0-07 — Special Use Reouest for 1245 Chicaeo Avenue The Committee voted unanimously to approve the special use request. APPROVED FOR INTRODUCTION Mr. Rosenberg explained that the private club is a place for musicians to practice, learn and share their musical gifts with the community, similar to The Arts Club of Chicago or The Cliff D%vellers Club. He intends for the club to do community outreach and also to give musicians an opportunity to perform. Aid. Bernstein stated that Avhile the community supports the concept, he is concerned about conversation in the alley during late hours. Mr. Rosenberg acknowledged his concern. OTHER BUSINESS Mr. Wolinski introduced the new Zoning Administrator, Bill Dunkley. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 07 Zy 7 . Bobbie Newman 0 • Planning & Development Committee Minutes of Mai• 29, 2007 Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran,- A.: ' Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, ,Nf. Wynne Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, D. Cool:, K. Cox, B. Dunkley, H. Hill, S. Janusz;' D. Marino, R. Russell, J. Brownlee Preslding Official: Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OF OUORUM Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. The Committee deliberated on whether an Executive Session is necessary regarding the matter under the Special Order of Business. The matter of consideration being the acquisition of City property relating to the proposed plan for 1618 Sherman and the City property owned at Fountain Square. The consensus of the Committee is that any acquisition of city property should not be in open session. Aid. Bernstein said that he does not understand why this proposal is for presentation this evening with an incredibly long agenda; he feels the entire proposal should not be publicly presented at this stage. Mr. Wolinski informed the Committee that it is the opinion of Corporation Council that the proposed Planned De%elopment for 1618 Sherman has filed for zoning analysis and presented their concept before SPAARC, therefore is legally acceptable for the applicant to have a public presentation at this time. He assured that under city legal approval, staff allowed the applicant to give their presentation this evening far the purpose of informing Council for their opinion of the proposal. He acknow1cdeed that this proposal would involve the sale of city property, however official application and presentation has been made by the application for zoning analysis and concept presentation before SPAARC. Aid. Bernstein stated that he does not understand staffs position on this, however, in his opinion it is legally out of order to go into closed session regardinc the acquisition of City property because this proposal is still only at the conteptu3l Fr__.ntati:-n stage. Aid. Bernstein moved to go into Executive Session for the limited purpose of discussing any related issues to requisition of City property at Fountain Square, seconded by Aid. Jean - Baptiste. `Aid. Rainey asked staff if there has even been any ta'.1: or discussion of selling Fountain Square. Mr. Hill explained to the P&D Committee that the r quest name out of respect to this proposed project and the possible liability proposed on subtermnear,. fountain square area. He said that Executive Session Would be necessary if the Comm]-ce «ished to discuss any purchase or sales price for that subterranean area. He said �%ith resl'+eCt tJ this matter being on the P&D Committee agenda tonight. the request came in. N%hich he revicu.d. and he found out last Thursday evening that the applicant had tiled for a zoning analysis: therefore the thought was to have n public input presentation as to "hat the project entails. Mr. Hill noted that the Mayor has specifically been invited to come this evening for the public presentation of this proposal. He stated that upon this • presentation, the P&D Committee or Council can -oe to go into Executive Session to discuss further acquisition probabilities. P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of May 29, 2007 Page 2 Aid. Rainey asked if the issue of using that subterranean right discussed at SPAARC. Mr. Wolinski responded that it was discussed as far as the developer utilizing the subterranean areas under the Fountain Square area for required parking. Aid. Bernstein said that it still should not matter because this project is only at the concept stage before SPAARC; no official PUD application has been fled by the developer to go before the Plan Commission, there is a landmark property involved that has not gone before the Preservation Commission, therefore his question is what the P&D Committee's role is this evening regarding this proposed project. He said historically this order of business is totally out of order. He strongly feels this project is not ready for public discussion or response at this time. Mr. Hill agreed; the developer is only requesting to present the proposal before Council/P&D Committee for their information at this time. Aid. Rainey stated that at this time the Committee has no background information to determine the acquisition or sale of any property, therefore the presentation would be informational only. Aid. Moran and others expressed their interest to see the presentation. The vote was 7 against going into Executive Session, 2 voting In ravor of (Bernstein, Jean - Baptiste). SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS 1618 Sherman Plan Presentation Mr. Chad Rove, Senior Vice President and representative for R.D. Homer & Associates, the developer for the proposed project for presentation. He gave a basic description of the project and turned the presentation over to the architect, Mr. Daniel Coffey. Mr. Coffee gave . background information on the development team. He started with Mr. Bob Horner, President of R.D. Horner & Associates and cave a brief chronicle of his company. Next, He acknowledged Mr. John Mangcl, Principal with HAS Commercial Real Estate; he handed out a company brochure and gave a chronicle of this company. He gave background information on his firm, Daniel P. Coffey, & Associates_ an architect firm with a wide variety and experience in urban planning and design. Mr. Coffey used a slide presentation to give an illustration of the site description. He explained the proposal in detail describing the use of the existing Hahn Building and the renovation and rotunda building addition to the Fountain Square area; described the levels of mezzanine, underground parking street level usage and lamination, addition of waterfall. described the layers Of height all the Way up 0 the prvpi:��_Lei penthouse floors. lie described the breezeway level separating the commercial use flot-rs and the residential tower. He also sho%tied the breezeway area in between the existing Hahn building and the proposed rotunda building that will accommodate a new restaurant use. Chair Tisdahl noted that the Veterans have expressed their position and stand firm that they do not want the war memorials mo%cd for and• renovation or future development plans of Fountain Square. Air. Hill noted that 1500 square feet of the proposed rotunda building is on City property. APPROVAL OF MAY 10. 2007 SPECIAL MEETING AND REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF ' MAY 14. 2007 Aid. Rainey made corrections to both sets of minutes: she was not listed as presem or absent. The May 10"' special meeting she was present and the regular meeting on May 14 h she %vas absent Staff apologized for this oversight. 0 P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of May 29, 2007 Page 3 • Aid. Wynne moved approval of both sets of minutes as amended, seconded by Ald. Hansen. The Vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. ITENfS FOR CONSIDERATION (PI) Ordinance 45-0-07 -- Planned Development Request for 1890 Maple Avenue Mr. David Reitman of DLA Piper Law Firm, along with Mr. Greg Graines, they represent the applicant Carroll Properties, Inc. He is joined this evening by Bob King, President of Carroll Properties, Mr. Randy Deutsch of Fitzgerald Associates Architects, Mr. Larry Okront, Okront & Associates Land Planners, and Mr. Eric Russell of KLOA Traffic Consultants. Mr. Reifrnan noted that this plan received a unanimous positive recommendation from the Plan Commission. He further noted that the only relief needed is a site development allowance to increase the building height which is necessary of only about one-third of the building area. He briefly listed some of the public benefits of this project include: l) the redevelopment of site with a vacant office building that will further anchor the revitalization of Emerson Street and Maple Avenue area, 2) outstanding architectural design sensitive to neighboring properties including significant setbacks on Emerson and Maple, 3) this building will be a LEED Certified building with significant on -site accessible green space, -3) dramatically improves streetscape in creation of a public plaza area as a gateway to downtown Evanston. Additional public benefits is a positive fiscal impact on the City and schools, anticipated the generated approximate $860,000 annually in real estate taxes plus fees and transfer taxes. Mr. Reifman noted the benefit of an expansion of the Mental housing base in the City will) the rental units provided in this building. He pointed out that this project will meet all off-street parking requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. in addition, they are proposing a S50,000 cash contribution to the City of Evanston which is a counter -proposal to what is presented in the draft version of the ordinance which was circulated in Council's packet for $150.000. Mr. Larry Okront gave historical background on the zoning and land use transitions that have happened in the downtovyn area over the last 20 years. He gave a slide presentation showing aerials of the downtown area starting back in 199 up to what is currently downtown today. He especially noted that the noticeable and observable change in development since the past 9-years. Mr. Okront pointed out that there is no longer an abundance of parking in open lots that took up much land 20 years ago and ground floor uses are much more visible. He showed several more aerial views and gave distances from proposed condo residential towers from several different locations in comparison to this proposed building. Mr. Randy Deutsch cave an overview of the entire project. The proposed building will be a combination multi -family residential building «ith approximately 152 dwelling units, approximately 36.000 to iO.000 square feet of re-tail/commercial space.'a defined gross floor area of approximately 153.92 7 square feet resulting in a floor area ratio of about 4.93 (this excludes parking loading, storage. mechanics, and uses accessory to the building), approximately 312 parking spaces with 269 off street parkin_ spaces enclosed within the building and 44 off-street parking spaces provided off -site in the public garage just south of the site on Maple Avenue. Mr. Deutsch continued using a slide presentation illustrating the entire design of the building in detail (plans available for view in the Community Development Department). Mr. Eric Russell of KL0A gave his report anah sis of the traffic study he conducted for this site. Mr. Reifman requested that additional time be scanted to obtain all permits and to begin construction from the normal allowance time of 1 year after approval. Acknowledgement of the P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of May 29, 2007 10 Page 4 letter dated May 29, 2007 from Mr. Ivan P. Kane of Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw LLP representing Evanston Northwestern Healthcare occupying the building at 1001 and 1033 University. They have requested that the condition be added to Section 8 of the ordinance regarding construction techniques and scheduling of high impact construction activities. Mr. Wolinski informed die P&D Committee that staff recommends approval of this project and feel that the design of this building is even superior to their adjacent building at 1880 Oak. Several questions and concerns followed from the P&D Committee. Chair Tisdahl suggesting consideration of small offices for the second floor retail space, Aid. Bernstein raised question of the off -site parking in the City garage on Maple, Aid. Rainey praised the design of this building and the applicants offering rental units in this development, especially near the downtown area. Mr. Wolinski further informed the Committee that the Plant Commission recommends that the $150,000 for Affordable Housing be enforced which Aid. Wollin agreed and even feels that $150,000 for a project of this site in combination with the 1880 Oak building is still not acceptable. A letter from Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church stating their congregation's approval and support for this project was entered into the record. Citizen Comments LAs. Tina Paden distributed a packet of photos taken showing the traffic congestion that already exists on University Place and the unrealistic location of the proposed "I" delivery area proposed for this project. She noted that the congestion will double over the problem that 1880 Oak will cause as well. She pointed out there are already existing problems with deliveries to the almost vacant office buildings that exist there now. She feels the traffic study presented is not accurate and will be much worse that what is portrayed. She commented on this building offering rental units and who will be able to afford them. If this building is approved, she urged the Committee to keep within 8-10 stories on Emerson Street. Mr. Stenhen Yas, informed the Committee that he lives in the 1889 Maple Avenue townhouses since 1988 and %vas also the architect for this townhouse development, He expressed his support for this proposed project and agrees that it is in keeping with his townhouse development and the continued streetscape for Maple -Emerson intersection. This new proposed building will be a much safer building design compared to the dark office building; that is existing. He noted that the main traffic congestion periods are only during Friday and Saturday nights around 9:30 p.m. when the niovie theatre attracts most of its traffic and during rush hours there is a backup on Emerson. He is in favor of this proposed project. Statnato Blamas stated that sh= owns tnve properties in Evanston and is very interested in preserving the African Anicrican heritage and significance that this site and block once stood for. She request that the P&D Committee keep this in consideration and require the developer to have some type: or recognition toward, that history. She read from a prepared statement. Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved to introduce and refer back to Committee for further discussion, seconded by Aid. Rainey for discussion purposes only. Aid. Rainey suggested that staff work with the developer but argued whether it is necessary to introduce and bring back to Committee at this point. She feels much more discussion and deliberation is needed for a project of this size and suggested that this matter be held in Committee. 10 P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of May 29, 2007 Page 5 • The vote was 5 voting in favor of the motion and 4 voting nay. The motion passed. (P2) Ordinance 57-0-07 -- Moratorium on New Buildine Constriction in the Downtown Area for 180-days Aid. Holmes moved to approve the moratorium and to suspend the rules this evening for adoption. Aid. Rainey contended on suspending the rule for this moratorium; she is not comfortable as it is with having a moratorium on downtown development The Committee asked for a list of the projects that are in the pipeline currently for the downtovm area. Mr. Wolinski gave the Committee a quick rundov.-n of projects that are in the pipeline for downtown that have had'a zoning analysis are: Proiect Considered in the Pincline 1) 49-story tower at 708 Church Street 2) The 1618 Sherman Avenue project presented this evening' ' 3) 1-story retail building proposed for the current excavated lot in the 600 of Davis' Current P.D.'s that have been aonroved <<° <<° .p c-1' 4) Sienna Project 5) 1881 Oak 6) 1890 {Maple 7) 1603 Orrington Proiects of Interest not considered in nitxline 8) 1515 Chicago Avenue (previous Optima project proposal site) , Aid. Holmes feels strongly that the Council needs to keep the same practice in sync with other, practices they have followed of the same nature in other wards and areas of town, specifically the West Side and Central Strut moratoriums. She reiterated the point trade that downtown actually belongs to all of Evanston and the revised downtown plan will benefit everyone. She does not see any critical effect that this moratorium will have on any immediate future development plans and it will definitely not affect any of the projects that are currently in the pipeline. Aid. Hansen asked staff if any projected permit fees for this fiszal _rear will be affected by this moratorium. Staff replied negative for the time frame involved. Aid. Rainey asked if any notice has been sent out regarding this moratorium to the businesses, property owners, developers. ctc. This is another reassm. she will not support suspending the rules for a downtown moratorium; it effects far too many interested parties to move on so quickly_ She infonned the Committee that she is in favor of the moratorium, but not for suspending the rules becau;ze it is unfair to development investors and downtown property owners as well. Chair Tisdahl agre.d. Citizen Comments Diane Leauar espre_sed her support for the moratorium. especially for the transitional areas of downto«n. She has been to the majority of meetings held and commended the Plan Commission Downto«n Plan Committee for all their hard work; that they have done so far, therefore they and isthe consultants should be given ample consideratiin while working on the new downtown plan. P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of May 29, 2007 Page 6 Travis Marlaite also supports the moratorium during the downtown planning stage and that it is necessary during the consultant's time ►corking with the City. Jonathan Perman thanked Aid. Rainey for supporting to not suspend the rules this evening and agrees with her consideration of the downtown property owners and development interests. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion without suspending the rules this evening. (P31 Ordinance 51-0-07 -- Amendments to the 2003 international Pronerty Maintenance Code. "Weeds and Grass" Aid. Rainey moved approval of ordinance 51-0-07, seconded by Aid. Jean -Baptiste. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. Aid. Rainey suggested that this ordinance be suspended by the rule on Council floor because of the time of year and season when this needs to be enforced immediately. The Committee members agreed. 04) Ordinance 50-0-07 — Amendine the City Code by Enactine a New Title 9. chanter 16, "Carbon Monoxide Alarm Ordinance" Aid. Rainey moved approval of ordinance 50-0-07, seconded by Aid. Hnnsen. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 pm. • Respectfully submitted, Jacquel4V E. wnlee 0 Planning & Development Committee Minutes of June 11, 2007 Meeting Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin Staff Present: J. Burke, J. Carroll, K. Cox, Me" Dahal, A. Jackson, B. Newman, C. Ruiz, D. Spicuzza, J. Wolinsla Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OF 011ORITM Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 14. 2007 Aid. Bernstein moved approval of the minutes of the May 14, 2007 meeting. Aid. Hansen seconded the mtiition. The Committee voted unanimously to approve the minutes, APPROVED ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION LU) Ordinance 45-0-07 — Planng¢ Development Reauest for IS90 Manic Avenu The Committer voted unanimously to reschedule as Ald. Wynne and Aid. Moran were not present. The Ordinance will be discussed at the end of the matting. MOVED TO COUNCIL [P21 Ordinancv 60-0-07 — A,mendine Subsection 2-9-31G1 of the Fvanston Citv Code, "Powers and Duties" of the Preservation Commission The Committee voted unanimously that this issue should be voted upon by the Rules Committee. REFERRED TO THE RULES COMMITTEE Mr. Wotinski ,presented "the recommendation from the Preservation Commission that when a Planned Development is in a historic district or a landmark itself, the Preservation Commission has joint mectines with either the Plan Commission or the Zoning Board of Appeals, whichever is the recommending body. to help expedite. as opposed to doing the linear procedure which we do now. where projects go before the Preservation Commission then the Plan Commission and/or the Zoning Board of Appeals." He introduced the Chair of the Preservation Commission, Mr. Jordan Cramer. AId. Rainey commented that "This matter belongs at the Rules Committee. I don't think the Planning & Development Committee is empowered to nuke this decision." Mr. Wolinski suggested, -There is language in the Preservation Ordinance and the zoning Ordinance that addresses the issue of how meetines are held." Aid. Rainey agreed to talk about it. Ald. Wollin asked if each group, the Plan Commission and the "Zoning Board of Appeals would make their own decisions and then report at the same meeting. Mr. Jordan Cramer, Preservation Commission Chair, stated that they are trying to streamline the process. "ideally, the could deliberate in front of each other_ We want to have the ordinance reflect this and for the Chair and a few members of each group present to work through the procedure so we will have a smooth process and one that P&D Cornmiuee \1tg. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 2 is predictable for the applicants." Aid. Jean -Baptiste recommended referring this matter to the Rules Committee. Ald. Bernstein stated that he thought it w-as a good idea that the boards communicate with one another. He doesn't want one group to overweigh the process. He asked that Carlos Ruiz, the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board get together and talk in terms of a structure. He said he'd like them to work indi%iduaily and not influence each other. Mr. Cramer responded, "We plant on meeting with the various chairs and having parallel amendments to those various provisions of the code." Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved that the Rules Committee review the proposed Amendment to the Ordinance. The motion was seconded. The Committee voted unanimously to refer this item to the Rules Committee. (P31 Temoorary Sienaer Reauest for the American Craft Exmsition Aid. Rainey moved to approve. Aid. Bernstein seconded the motion. The Committee voted unanimously to approve the temporary signage. APPROVED fPM 2526 Jackson Parknne Variation Reauesl (2-31 The Committee voted unanimously to reschedule this item. \tr. Doyle, a neighbor concerned about the trash pickup and impmious surface of the proposed parking area of 2526 Jackson, is to discuss his concerns with Mr. Murray, who is representing the owner of the 2526 Jackson project. The issue will be revisited at a future meeting. HELD IN CONIMITTEE (P5) Reaucst for S1 SO.0(kl in HOME funds from Evanston Housine Coalition The Committee voted unanimously to reschedule this item, pending receipt of the rent roll (no names included), a delinquency report, updates or notes on the pro forma, and the last property inspection report. Mr. Wolinski added that these items, P5. P6 and P7 are stated as staff recommendations: They went in front of the Housing Commission. The Housing Commission was in favor however did not have a quorum the night it was presented. That is why it is a staff recommendation. HELD I\ COMMITTEE Mr. George Gaulthier, representing the Evanston Housing Coalition presented the request, stating, "The Evanston Housing Coalition is requesting these funds for external rehabilitation of the buildings at 2014 to 2024 Wesley. These buildings %, ere purchased in 1986. They have been operated as affordable housing since that time. They are under restriction to rent to tenants who have no more than 60,a of the median income and the rents are fixed at that level. The actual tenancy in the building is considerably lower than that. Our average is a little less than 500/6 of the median income and our rrnt is 5630'month for a 2 bedroom apartment. SS50/month for a three bedroom apartment. The rehabilitation is required because of the way the building was constructed and the way the rehabilitation was done in 1990, when it was first rehabbed. The building is a California s N-le building: but it is subjected to non -California treatment of salt, snow shoveling on the baleorz :s, which had damaged the cor.:rete surface, caused it to leak, and water to infiltrate the structure- You can see on the photos th; way it's attacked the forming pans. Those are not structural :cements of the building. they arc the metal piece that holds the concrete in place when they pour.i it. But the damage is proceeding into the building and it would behoove us to get it stops cd. This prom was deemed to be applicable to the Davis Bacon Act. We want to be proud of :his building. We've had it in operation for a tong time with the support of the City of Evanston. who stepped up to the plate +pith a lot of money back in 1986 to keep this building going. We'd like to get this work done as quickly as we can. We appreciate your consideration of this request." Alderman Rainey asked if there is a list of code violations cited by the City. \lr. Gaulthier replied that there are none. Ala Rainey expressed her surprise at this. P&D Committee %Itg. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 3 She confirmed that there arc twenty four units. She said she sees a pro forma for going forward but she did not see a rent roll indicating current status of the tenants. It is fully occupied. She asked if there were any defaults. and if everyone was current. to which Mr. Gaulthier replied, "\'o, we have a number of tenants who are struggling to pay their rent." AId. Raincy requested to see the rent roll. She added that the Commincc has spent a lot of time talking about affordable housing but they haven't had an actual situation. She said she thought it would be important for the Council to see the current status/reality of affordable housing. She asked that he provide them with the rent roll (with no names). She added that on the City's websitc. Aldermen are entitled to see the "U.O." She discovered from a - .O" report of these three properties, that there are delinquencies totaling approximately 53.000 from tenants of the building. She asked that Mr. Gaulthier encourage the tenants to pay their parking tickets and other things. She said she believes that what he is doing should encourage some responsibility on the part of the tenants. Aid. Holmes stated thrt she has seen this building. She referred to an email that had been sent to the members of the Committee by Evanston citizen, Judith Treadway, requesting a moratorium on the allocation and disbursements of the newly created Affordable Housing Funds for a minimum of 120 days, at which time she requested that the P&D Committee develop, establish and approve a formal process for applicant requests. Aid. Holmes moved to hold making a decision on P5, P6 and P7 until they are able to address the four points in the email. Aid. Holmes received the email at about 1:30 p.m. AId. Holmes said she did not agree with the 120 days. The email was addressed to Chair Tisdahl, who had not gotten a chance to read it yet. Aid. Holmes related the contents of the entail to the Committee: "She had previously made a request of Aid. Tisdahl to survey all of the wards to determine A) where affordable housing already exists in the wards, b) where affordable housing should be developed in all thz wards and c) who has developed affordable housing in Evanston with City or federal finds and where these properties are located. As the City moves forward.. we need to determine how the City's federal funds arc being used, by whom. and to increase affordable housing in Evanston. A goal of the City through P & D. should be to create a balanced development of affordable housing in all wards, not just a few.- Aid. Holmes added. "Unless I'm wrong. I tried to see if we had a defined process and 1 didn't find it." Ms. Spicuzza clarified that this application is for Home Funds, not Affordable Housing Funds and that the applications for both are similar a staff review. going to an ad hoc loan committee that's made up of people outside the City of E%-_nston. (some lenders and community development people) and then being reviewed by the Uzusing Commission a: 3 then to Planning & Development, and then City Council approval, so the processes =re the same, the application form is the same. She added that in terms of this project, this is already existing affordable housing. She said she would hope that we could possibly discuss trying to maintain this, rather than delaying it 120 days. Aid. Holmes said she was not suggesting t.'iat they wait 120 days. This application is for a title transfer loan and would be repaid when the building sold. \favor Morton reques,_d that the process be outlined and shared with all members of the Committee. She expressed her apprecia::nn for Mr. Gauthicr's sk ork with affordable housing. She asked what \fr. Gaulthier does if a -:rant has been indicted for selling drugs. He responded that he has evicted people for being dru; dealers. Mayor Morton asked if he Lives that information to the city. He said no. \favor Morton said she thinks we need to know that, because other people that have property, and the Neighborhood organization that they have in their area would like to know, and the Section S people have in their lease. that if tenants sell drugs they must leave. MayorMorton stated that she supported this development and asked what caused the deterioration and wheher they would be able to do a better job of repairing it this time. Mr. P&D Comminec Nitg. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 4 Gaulthier replied that the new vendor who will supply the sealer will give a guarantee for 5 years, that it will not have to be re -applied, and if it does, it doesn't need the same preparation. They're recommending that they put a coat of sealer on the concrete every 5 years. They will not have to fill/grind out the cracks and prepare the material in the future_ They should be able to fund the next sealing out of operations. They do not expect to come back for that money. Aid. Bernstein asked how long a tenant is allowed to go without paying their rent. Mr. Gaulthier responded that he works with them, depending on their situation. They arc not allowed to stay without paying rent at all, however. He stated that if they've lost their job or something has happened to them, he works with them until they get back on their feet. He makes an individual judgment on each case and tries to accommodate the people where they're able to. If they're making payments and coming along with it. he tries to go along and see if they can get settled up. He said that half the time it works, and half the time the termination of lease process begins. Aid. Bernstein asked if they still have sufficient operating capital to run the building without some deficit. Mr. Gaulthier responded that the Evanston Housing Coalition sold one of its single family houses and contributed money to the Wesley and Grcrett Bay Partnership to pay off the City loam. They had a loan outstanding that they paid off so their cash flow for 2007 is now much better than it had been in 2006. There is no ion,= that S600 a month expense. They had always serviced the debt and paid the taxes. The building has not been self-sufficient, but it %till be now because the debt service is lower. Aid. Rainey asked Ms. Spicuzza if, as part of the approval process of Home Funds, they investigate financial condition of property they're giving a grant to. Ms. Spicuzza answered that the Loan Committee looked at the pro forma and they decided given the incomes of the tenants, more effort could be put into collecting the rents rather than raising them. Mr. Gaulthier said that 5-7% of rent becomes uncollectible over a period of a year. Mr. Gaulthier stated that 8 of the tenants have " vouchere' and their rents are the same as Section 8 tenants, and 2 tenants are township assisted at S175 a month. Aid. Rainey commented that their annual water and sewer bill was approximately S15,000. Mr. Gaulthier responded that the building with the laundry in it u-ses S7,000 and the three buildings together use S15,000 of water a year. He said they check for leaks once a month. Ms. Sarah Diggs of the Housing Commission stated that the Housing Commission would have recommended items P5, P6 and P7 requests be cr..nted at their last meeting but they did not have a quorum present. She stated that in addition to cosmetic, there are significant safety issues which the repairs address, Aid. Rainey asked whether the Housing Commission discussed how there are safety issues but no code violations. Ms. Diggs suggested she ask Property Standards this question. Mr. Gauthier said they are m ing to repair the balconies before they get to that level of deterioration. The building is inspe`ted every two %— . Aid. Tisdahi stated that she would like to %ote on the issues, rather than let the building deteriorate. Aid. Wollin added that this is money that's neo2cd to keep the building in just decent repair and we already have people living m the units. She sa..•d she feels they should vote on it tonight. Aid. Holmes stated that she wants to hold this iterri .aid. Tisdahf stated that she wishes to vote on it. Aid. Holmes stated that she supports the project but needs more information. She suggested waiting two weeks to vote. M;_ Spicuzza asked the Committee to clarify what information is needed. Aid. Rainey said that they watt the realistic delinquency records. Aid. Bernstein stated he would like Property Standards to go out there so that any funds that they do give, go towards correcting any violations which may have come forward since the last inspection P&D Committee Mtg. :Minutes of6-11-07 Page 5 because he's had constituents call him for a lot less than this. Mr. Gaulthier said that the balconies are not risible from the stretL Mr. Wolinski requested a copy of Ms. Treadway's email for staff. Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved to postpone voting on Items P5. P6 and P7 until the next meeting, with the information requested. The motion was seconded 061 Rea uest for S15.000 in HOME CH DO Ooeratina Funds for Citizens' Lighthouse Communitv Land Trust The Committee voted unanimously to hold. HELD IN COMMITTEE. (P7) Reouest for a Resen-ation of S99.500 in HOME Funds from the Citizens' Liphthouse Community• Land Trust The Committee voted unanimously to hold. HELD IN COMMITTEE Aid. Rainey asked how this particular property was selected for purchase. Nis. Spicuzza introduced Mr. Wilfred Gadsen, Director and Jill Graham, Board Member to address Aid. Rainey's questions. Mr. Gadsen explained that their organization has an acquisition committee that reviews properties in general to see if they arc suitable for inclusion in the Land Trust. They visit properties and consider their costs. then consult %%zth their development partner who makes an assessment of the property. If the property has a Iot of work to be done they also consult with an architect to review the status of the property. Once they've decided it is a likely project, their committer rrviews it and they do an estimate. It is then submitted on a home application to the city. Aid. Rainey asked how this particular property was selected. Mr. Gadsen responded that among those that they saw available at that time, this project seemed suitable. They do not know the name of this seller because their purchase option was submitted to the seller's agent. Once they sign a specific purchase option with a specific number (and they believe they're waiting for this committee's determination), then they will put that into all the documents. They have bank financing readily available for the balance of the funds. The seller is the owner of the property, and it is in foreclosure. Aid_ Rainey said that she did some research on this property showing that this property was purchased in 2005. The owners extinguished, it appears, mortgages of S200.000, S228.000 and S2=0,000, and that their tires were current except for the Iatest tax bill, and that they appeared to be doing okay. She wondered if we are saving them from foreclosure but arc they going to be pad off completely. She suggested it would be better if we had a relationship with them. She wondered if we could have helped them save their house. She said it bothered her that we were wiring upon a house in foreclosure. It was such a short-term situation. Foreclosure was tiled in October of 2006. Mr. Gadsen replied that the sellers have asked to close by June I5"'. 2007. fie believes that their offer would do that. Mr. Gadsen replied that he said the sellers brought the progeny to market, did research, discussed, as a body, making a bid and they thins: the amount may pay off the seller's debt. They are wailing to hear back from the sellers. Ald. Rainey said tha, it seems there are inefficiencies in this system. "N%Ily not just help someone who wants to buy a house'" Mr. Gwen responded that they did not search for foreclosures. This project was listed to sell. _old. Bernstein asked them if they checked the amount due. -if they tiled in October it's getting closer to a Sheriff's sale, and it was S236,000 a month ago. Mr. Gadsen said their proposal would pay that off. He added that once they come to an agreement with the seller, they will discuss it further and see if the numbers work. S281,000 is required to bring the property up to standard. Aid. Holmes asked on what terms the S181.500 financing from North Shore Community Bank is being Ient. Mr. Gadsen replied that they are negotiating with them and that the interest will be comparable to a no -interest loan. They could Pb-D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 6 get the rest of the funds within a week or two. They expect to finish the work on the place and sell it to an eligible family within a month. The mortgage amount to the affordable housing purchaser would be S 175,000 with a 3% down payment. Aid_ Holmes commented that S10,000 for renovation of a small kitchen sounded like a lot of money. Mr. Gadsen responded that that is the only room in which they are doing major renovation: new appliances, counters, cabinets, floors, etc. and some repairs to the utility room. Ald. Bernstein asked what the contractor process was. Mr. Gadsen responded that both they and Mr. Gaulthier walked through the property to determine what renovations were needed. Ald. Jean -Baptiste stated that the Lighthouse Community Land Trust needs to have a community meeting regarding their affordable housing project and to talk to the adjacent neighbors. It will be sold below market rate_ Mr. Gadsen responded that they have had a number of activities and that they send fliers to the whole city when they are looking at a property explaining who the organization is, what they do, etc. The family will pay a nominal amount of rent for the land. They will have an ongoing relationship with their organization. Aid. Jean -Baptiste said that he will call a neighborhood meeting. Ald. Rainey asked that fir. Gadsen provide for the next meeting. a written layout of the sales information: the price, how they will break down the price of land. improvements, etc. Mr. Gadsen agreed to send %fs. Rainey all the information a buyer would be looking at. Ald. Holmes asked if d y'vc had any land donated. tiir. Gadsen replied that two people have contacted them regarding potential donations. He added that their Board of Directors has developed a long term project to look at. They are also looking at working with a number of different types of groups. for example, seniors who are strongly affected by tax increases. So they might use different types of funding to support them, remaining in their property. Again, those are long term types of things and they would be case specific. it would require a great deal of work on both the organization's and the senior's end to make sure it's suitable for them and that it fits them in the long term, and that their family's agree and their heirs agree. Ms. Jill Graham of the Citizens' Lighthouse Community Land Trust added that they would be happy to work with any of the other CHODO's that get land donated, because none of the others are set up as they are, to hold land in perpetuity. They would be happy to be the ones that held on to the land and have are other CHODO develop the land or build on it. or rehab on it. And resell it. They don't insist tint they be the ones that are doing the housing- part on it. This is a way that other community land retests in other communities collaborate With other affordable housing organizations or with governments, and that seems a very sensible way to go for a community land trust including this new one in Evanston. They would love to have a donation from the City as a piece of land to cork on, but as of now, they have had S35,000 in private donations directly to the land trust, of wh:rh S20.000 is being held by the Evanston Community Foundation in a pass -through fund and mother S15,000 is in their own accounts. So they have had an expression of support in that way in terms of donations. Aid. Rainey said to let the Cite know if they have a piece of land owned by •he City, in mind. Ms. Betty Sue Ester, Evanston citizen, said that one of the developers would be willing to donate S250.000 if the City w,-,u)d work with them (those she represents) and they are hoping to get it. Ald_ Rainey asked her to clarify that for the next meeting. P&D Committee Mig. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 7 (P8) Ordinance 62-0-07 — Extendine the Moratorium for New Construction on Central from Ashland to 2200 Central for 9i Days Aid. Jean Baptiste moved to approve. Ald. Wollin seconded the motion. The Committee voted unanimously to move for inm%,�duction. MOVED FOR INTRODUCTION Mr. Joe Hill, Evanston resident, urged the extension be passed. (P9) Ordinance 63-0-07 -- Extendine the moratorium for New Construction on Green Bav Road from Isabella to Lincoln by q4 Days Aid. Bernstein moved to approve. The motion was seconded. The Committee voted unanimously to move for inrt�duction. 'MOVED FOR INTRODUCTION (Pl) Discussion of 1890 Ltavle Aid. Tisdahl stated that there would not be a discussion of the downtown moratorium. That discussion will take place at the City Council meeting. Mr. David Reifman, reputing 1980 Staple, presented a letter to Aid. Tisdahl from Mr. Robert C. King. President of CarroU Properties, Inc., dated June 6, 2007. The letter stated that Carroll Properties, Inc. offered a "-mtribution of S150,000 on behalf of Maple Views to the City of Evanston, to be used for any community initiative and an update on the Carroll Place development. stating that tl cy will initiate their marketing in the Fall of 2007, break ground in early 2008, and remove tie existing foundations, structures, grading and seating, greatly improving the appearance of the site. He stated that they may have some other issues and they addressed some collateral =.-ters relating to 1881 Oak. All was put in the correspondence. Aid. Wollin commented that sbc thought the 1890 Maple project was contingent on the 1881 Oak project. She asked if they in:crtded to build them at the same time. Mr. Reifman stated that they are two different projects. He stated that he does not know that the intent is to build them at the same time. They are to be considered separately. Aid. Wollin argued that from their letter, 1881 Oak sets the precedent for height in that area and if 1881 Oak were hypothetically not to be developed, there would be no precedent. Mr. Reifman responded that he does not agree with that statement. The City Court—.1 has already made a determination approving 1881 Oak, and the height of ISSI was detrrr=_d in a separate proceeding, and that the height of 1S90 stands by itself. He clarified that it notes that 1890 Staple provides additional compatibility, but ISSI already stood by itself in t;•r^ts of compatibility in the downtown, and that these two cases were made separately in the 1831 ::-miter, and were made again in the I S90 matter. He believes there is a question about the timing of construction on 1881 and the condition of the site and what may happen going forward. The icveloper is in for permits on 1881 and is moving forward with the rights it has under the 1Sz1 ordinance. Based on an issue that he discussed with the City Manager, there is a potent•: wa\ of making the site more attractive in the short term that they believe may merit some &izL:ssion and may involve a formal extension of that project, "but that is not before you on the matter." Aid. Bernstein stated that be sensed that the letter from Mr. King is a response to the City Manager's reference to 1Sti : Oak, which he does not think should have been mentioned. "They are separate distinct proper5es, so let's vote on the merits of this particular situation." he said. "We've already hashed over the prior, and we have in fact set a height regulation at that level." P&D Cors:nittee Nttg. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 8 AId Wollin questioned whether the City has obtained federal funds for congestion and mitigation of traffic and air quality on Emerson. She asked what the chances are of getting the funds. Mr. Burke of the Traffic Engineering Department responded that they have been successful in the past for 30% increases in traffic, but not for a 20% increase. They have increased their amount to 30%. Aid- Jean -Baptiste confirmed this. AId. Wollin continued, "\Ir. Reifman says that their project should not assume the burden of Emerson traffic problems, however the Emerson St. traffic problems arc going to be there. I don't want to do anything to aggravate the situation." Mr. Reiff an responded that he wanted to make 2 points: The record reflects that the traffic testimony denoted very clearly that this development has an extremely minor impact on Emerson and that is what the traffic facts are: that this single development has a very minor impact on Emerson and that there are some very simple recommendations of the City that could be implemented irrespective of the grant such as retiming of lights, removal of parking on the south side of Emerson, and the re -striping of Emerson to provide for four 10-foot lanes. "These simple changes will significantly improve the condition of Emerson." "The second issue is re- signalization and major changes to the signalization in a model (which we have but we're not going to slow tonight unless you wish to see it,) shoeing the movement on Emerson with the new timing and the new lights was made available. If the City goes forward and the City Council would like this development to contribute S I50,000 to that particular grant, the developer has indicated to you in correspondence that he is willing to do that. That is a decision of the Council. The facts are that this development is not a significant contributor to congestion on Emerson Street." AU Wollin continued. "And the staff report on Page 6 says that says the civil drawings have not been received yet. Have they been received now?" fir. Reifman asked her to clarify which development she was referring to. Mr. Burke stated that they do not have a Planned Development project approved yet, at which time civil plans would be required. Mr. Burke said that they are not due yet. They are due after Planned Development and SPAARC approval. Aid. Wollin stated that there arc bedrooms in the development that do not have windows. fir. Pat Fitzgerald, of Fitzgerald Associates, the architect for the project, responded, "Our office presently has under design about 6,000 units in various buildings, predominantly in Chicago, but some in Iowa and elsewhere, that have this type of loft apartment. It is now extremely popular in the marketplace and is being built in many locations. In Chicago, there are probably minimally 10,000 units that are designed like this that are occupied now. We were architects for a project built in Eva--tston about ten years ago, that was referred to as "The New Biscuit Lofts." which was the old Nabisco machinery works, on the south edge of town. Even ten years ago that building contained loft type apartments with the identical br&oom arrangements. That was a for sale project but proved to be very popular and I believe sold out in a matter of weeks. So there are already those types of units in Evanston and quite frankly, all of the units that contain this type of arrangement are one -bedroom units and so those bedrooms are demised with partial height walls. The building has 9' ceilings and the walls would typically be 6, 8 or 7 feet so there is visual privacy but the wall is open at the top so light and air circulate over the top and this meets all the requirements of the international building code, so there's nothing precedent setting about this except that I think, you haven't had many new apartment buildings built in Evanston of late and particularly none that are aimed at this particular market, but it has been widely received elsewhere_— Aid. Wollin asked, "And the smallest apartment is 671 sq. ff?" Mr. Fitzgeral responded that he believes the smallest unit is about 650 sq. ft. "That's a studio apartment. I believe the one -bedrooms are a Iittle larger than that. — Aid. Wollin asked about the contribution mentioned in the letter being used for Affordable Housing. Mr. Reifman stated that rental housing is not subject to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. Aid. Rainey commented that it is very difficult to get financing to build rental P&D Comminee 411g. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 9 housing_ It has to be exempt She is concerned that the next person who wants to build rental housing will be turned off. Ald. Wollin said she wants the ordinance to be amended so that if a rental building owner decides to convert to condominium, they will be subject to the Affordable Housing requirement. Aid_ Rainey stated that the ordinance states that they would be. Aid. Rainey asked Mr. Wolinski if City of Evanston staff is going to address the noise level of the Evanston Hospital building in the vicinity of 1890 Maple. She referred to a letter from Evanston Hospital stating that the equipment on their roof makes a lot of noise, and that the City of Evanston should do something about it. They were within the zoning requirement when their building was built. Aid. Wollin stated that the way the roofs look and sound is not our job. They had been building a research park and now it's changing. Mr. Wolinski responded, "You do have a letter from Mr. Ivan Kane from Mayer, Brown and Platt concerning these issues and there is email correspondence which you have in front of you tonight that they have been in contact with Mr. Reifman, and have suggested language to put into the ordinance. Mr. Rcifnan has said the language is acceptable. I don't believe it's in the ordinance as it stands right now but I think for a final draft, that it would be incorporated. Regarding the noise coming from the ENH building that would be emanating towards this building, 1 think this is a "buyer beware" issue. That building was there first, it is there, it looks the way it looks, it met code when it was built and I think it would be unfair and 1 don't know how we, as code enforcers, could say, "You've got to clean up the roof of that building." I think that would be improper for us to do." Aid. Rainey said, "1 don't think the loots. absolutely not the looks, but if it's making noise that disturbs people around it, and I don't know if that's the case but it looks to me like the Fitzgerald people are going to a lot of trouble to take design measures to prevent any of that from influencing their tenants.- Mr. Wolinski added, "But I think the impetus there is for Mr. King's building to take the steps to insulate his building as opposed to making ENH do something with their building." Mr. Reifman said, "Yes, subject to ENH complying with code. But yes, we said we would do that, correct." Aid. Wollin asked Mr. Reifh= if the developer is going to take advantage of the 'opportunities" mentioned in their presentatian at the corner plaza to either produce planters, furniture, art, etc. for that circular area. He said he believes the intent is yes. He added that they've worked very closely with the community and the development across the street. Ms. Julia Carroll, City Manager, stated, "1 just want to address this letter and the reason for the Part 3. Regarding the developer. I'm eery pleased that they want to continue working on both projects. The reason I asked to meet with them was that they were running up against their one- year time frame for the Plarmed Development and when we met they indicated they probably weren't going to be starting construction, other than a foundation. prior to July 10'y so 1 simply asked them if. rather than puring in caissons and having a hole in the ground through the summer and fall, could we instead come to some other resolution, which is what they're talking about doing. That was the reason or the letter. It was based upon trying to make the site look better and what I think they've agrc:d to, or they're willing to do on I SS 1 Oak is to tear out the existing foundations with those ugly poles and metal pieces that stick up. seat it and make it look good until they go to construction i-n January_" \fr. Reifman said the developer would be willing to do that. subject to the Council formally tinting an extension of the time frames. " 1N'itat we won't do is lose our rights under that Planned Development. So if that's acceptable, we'd be prepared on the 25'b. separately formally put that for Council action, but we did want to get some read from you. We don't want to just put stuff in, cover it up, and spend money on the new stuff, but we want to get the old stuff out of there too, so that is what the City Manager and I discussed." P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 6-11-07 Page 10 Ald. Jean -Baptiste suggested they have some kind of resolution proposed so they can consider this issue. He moved that they forward it to Council for consideration at the June 25" City Council meeting. The motion was seconded. Evanston resident. \tart: lmrem, stated that he is in favor of the rental development and he would like to see Northwestern Students contribute to the Evanston tax base. Reverend Oscar Crean of Ebenezer Church, representing some members of his congregation and residents of Ebenezer Primm Tower, stated that they are in favor of the development as it will fill in the darkness and vacancy of the site. Evanston resident, Jane Wicklund, stated that the noise at 1720 Maple on the 176 floor is so loud that she cannot use her balcony. She also stated that the retail space in Evanston has changed. She believes the kind of parking proposed is too complicated for the proposed retail space. She suggested bringing E%- mark in to let us know how visible it is, especially when it comes to downtown. She is concerned with the w-ay the windows will look if a retailer that doesn't dress their windows is in the space. She is also concerned about the empty lot at 1881 Maple with a building built at 1890 %laple. She does not believe having parking behind it is a good arrangement. Evanston resident, Dr. Stamata Blanos, stated that since the developer wishes to bring 1881 Oak. they would also like to bring up the motion they had presented before the City on the legal notification to the residents within 1000 feet, since it's going to be discussed and he wants to be included in an extension, "we would like to bring our findings at that discussion." She confirmed with Ald. Rainey that they would be able to present at that time. Aid. Woilin asked what level of LEED certification they are planning to attain. Mr. Fitzgerald, the architect, responded that it is the basic level. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8.50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bobbie Newman r r ; Planning & Development Committee 1Hinutes of June 25, 2007 Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E.. Moran,. A Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, hi. Wynne Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Bro%%mlee, J. Carroll, K. Cox, B. Dunkley, IN. Hill;-Y. Jones, R. Russell, D. Spicuzza, A. Stuart . Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl I [DECLARATION OF OUORUTtI Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 6:51 p.m ,APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 11. 2007 MEETING 1NINUTE5 The meeting minutes of June 11 2007 were approved unanimously. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION M,1 2526 Jackson Parkins Variation Reautst Q-3) Chairman Tisdahl informed the Committee of her current knowledge that the applicant has worked with the neighbors and has reached some agreement. Mr. James Murray, Attorney for the applicant, affirmed on behalf of his client that in the course of the last two weeks since the June l l�' meeting, an agreement was reached with the neighbors. As a result, the neighbors removed their objections on the basis that the refuge rrntoval services be taken to the front for pickup on Jackson Street in order to avoid the alley. Also an agreement was made with regards to concerns for ertranee into the proposed garages. He said with those two concerns being addressed by the applicant, the neighbors were satisfied. Subsequently, Mr. Murray requested that this matter be introduced and to move forward with direction for staff to draft an ordinance for consideration by the P&D Committee. Mr. Wolinski informed that procedurally this item is on as an action item, therefore the P&D Committee has two choices to either deny the variation request and the project dies or the Committee can approve the variation for cc-nsidcration and direct staff to draft an ordinance. Ald. Bernstein requested that if this variation is voted in favor of the latter choice, that the ordinance include the two agreements between the applicant and neighbors as conditions. The other Committee members agreed. Aid. Bernstein moved approval to direct staff to draft the variation ordinance, seconded by Aid. Rainey, with the inclusion of the two agreements as stated earlier. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. JP2l Reauest for S180-000 in 110ME Funds from Evanston llousine Coalition Mr. Wolinski stated that based on the information the P&D Committee requested at the last meeting, staff has addressed and included documentation in the packet regarding the most recent . Property Standards inspection of the propeny. He noted the last Property Maintenance inspection of all the buildings was in August 2004 and there as a subsequent inspection since the last P&D P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 6-25-07 Page 2 T meeting conducted on June 13* of the 2024 Wesley building. He confirmed that Mr. Gauthier has attempted to clear up all the violations except the major violations which he is requesting funds for this evening. Also requested by the Committee was a copy of the rent rolls for all 24 units of the three buildings. Aid. Rainey stated that she asked for documentation of the rent rolls to be provided. She made clear her support of this project completely and assured her awareness that this request is for HOME funds and not Affordable Housing Funds; however she does believe at the same point and time the City's Housing staff' has to took at the integrity of the properties they are dealing with in terms of their finances. Aid. Rainey stated her dis -satisfaction with the information provided because she feels it is inadequate; the information provided appears as if only six (6) tenants of the 24 units are paying rent; nor is there any rent history shown that includes how many tenants receive rent subsidy, amount of months in arrears, etc. In summary, she fells there is a sad state of representation for the future of affordable housing if applicants do not have to show or clarify to City Officials of their incoming rent rolls and their monthly operating expenses to prove their ability to repay their debts. In her mind, this makes the subsidy questionable and the benefit to the City for dispensing funds for assistance. It was clarified by Mr. Gauthier and other members of the Committee that out of the 24 units, there am 6 tenants in arrears of their rent obligations; not the other way around. Even so, Aid, Rainey still stressed that '/4 of the tenants are in an -cars and even this number is too much if rental subsidy is being provided. Mr. Gauthier responded that out of those 6 tenants, the majority are les than or approximately one (1) month behind and only one (1) tenant is approximately behind by 2 'A months in which an eviction process is being pursued at this time. He noted that not all of the tenants in arrears are receiving rental subsidy. Mr. Gauthier informed the Committee that the partnership that originally owned the buildings with the National Equity Fund was dissolved in 2006. The Evanston Housing Coalition took control of the partnership and infused into the properties 550,000 in capital to pay off its loan with the City to improve cash flow. He pointed out that the pro forma provided in Council's packet has improved over what it would have been a year ago. Therefore the history of the partnership over the 15 years that they were in existence has paid oft" approximately St 10,004 in the debt that was owned to Chase Bank and the City of Evanston. Aid. Rainey cotnnxnded EHC's efforts in the respect. Ald. Moran moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wollin. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P3) Rectuest for 515.000 in HOME CHDO Oaeratine Funds for Citizen's l.iuhthouse Communitv Land Trust Mr. Wolinski recalled that there were questions raised at the last meeting by Aid. Holmes and by Ms. Judith Treadway via email to Aid. Holmes regarding procedure son how funds are being allocated. He explained that these are HOME funds and staff has been following this procedure for a number of years. Staff has proridcd a copy of these procedures which is actually in the Consolidated One Year Action Plan whereas any request go through a loan committee, the Housing Commission and eventually comes before the P&D Committee. :fir. %Volinski noted that the Affordable Ilousing fund that has just been set up, that staff' is still working on the procedures for the guidelines that have been approved. He said that staff will be presenting to the P&D Committee at the next meeting with some programs for down -payment assistance and vacant buildings to utilize those funds. In fact, HOME Funds can also be used in combination with the Affordable Housing funds; however the projects presented this evening are requesting all HOME funds. P&D Committee %fig. T Minutes of6-25-07 Page 3 Aid. Holmes stated that she wanted to be absolutely clear in terms of how the funds were dispensed and also taking into consideration the question that Ms. Treadway asked. She understands the difference between the Affordable Housing Funds and HOME Funds, however she received another email today which makes her raise another question in terms of process. Aid. Holmes noted that it states all major HOME Fund requests are reviewed by the HOME Loan Committee composed of professionals in the lensing and Community Development fields. What caught her attention was the word "reviewed" aid she questions the rc%iew process which she still does not see explained anywhere to grasp a full understanding of how the loan committee makes their decisions. She questioned if these fLmds are paid back similnr to what Mr. Gauthier stated with the repayments of his prc%ious loans_ !►sir. Gauthier responded that HOME funds were not available when the original funding was requested for his project on Wesley and that this was his first time requesting HOME fund dollars. Aid. Holmes pointed out that this request for S15,000 is for operating expenses however the request under (P4) for S99,500 is for a grant to be held in order to acquire a property. She questioned if the City has helped any other project in the past where funds were held in this matter, how does this work? Mr. Wolinski explained that in the past, the City does not want to be the only source of funding for these types of projects because they expect the CHDO's to find financial support from other lending institutions. Therefore they hold these funds until the CHDO shows the City that they have other funding for the project as well before releasing the funds. He said that this has been done before but the majority of times that these cases are brought before the Committee, the CHDO's has already secured other source of funding and many times the HOME Funds are pro%tiding bridge funding. He said in this cnsc at the time of application, the Citizen's Lighthouse Community Land Trust (CLCLT) did not have any other financial backing. Staff felt that it was import= because they are a new CHDO, to be able to go to other lending institutions and show that the City is supporting them. Aid. Holmes clarified for the record that here issue is not with the project it is with the process in terms of how the money is dispensed. Mr. Wolinski explained that the rrsiew y the land Committee is probably the most crucial part of these cases brought before the Conuninec. Members of that Committee include housing professionals such as his. Pat Vance from the Township Office and representatives from the CIC and local lending institutions such as LaSalle Bank. He said the concept is the project is not going to get a positive recommendation from the Loan Committee unless they feel the pro forma is correct and doable and the committee will meet several times if necessary until they are satisfied and assured that the project will work. Aid. Wollin also noted that with (P4) regarding the request for S99.500 is not a reserve anymore but is actually an approval for the funds contingent upon the bank loan the CHDO applied for. From her understanding, the letter of guarantee for the bank for the remainder of money is also contingent upon the approval for City funds. She said this is a case of the chicken and the egg scenario and their is also the time constraint because the CHDO's intent to purchase the property because the contract to purchase has been accepted_ Mr. Wilfred Gadsden from the CLCLT confirmed Aid. Wollin's comments and informed the Committee that the attorney's are currently rc%iewing the contract for a closing date of July 15''. Ald. Rainey questioned if this request was actually approved by the Loan Committee. Trcre were some mixed response from the Housing Planner and representatives of the CLCLT, which caused Ald. Rainey to question the entire process heir with the HOME Fund Loan Cor irtm the Housing Commission's role in this approval process and staffs involvement in the pro,.-rss and procedure of the loan re%iew. Mr. Wolinslci noted that there is not staff on the loan coa=tittee, however staff does administrate this Committee and the Housing Commission. It was clarified by representatives of CLCLT that this request was approved by the HOME Fund Loan Committee and reviewed by the Housing P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 6-25-07 Page 4 Commission; however a quorum was not present to vote on this matter. Ms. Spicuzza and Mr. Wolinski assured this and that staff forwarded this request to the P&D Committee with their recommendation for appromal. Aid. Rainey still has a problem with the entire process here. She still questions how does the transaction take place between this organization and potential buyer? Mr. Gadsden proceeded to explain their process and that the funds will be used to purchase the property that is now in foreclosure. They have made an offer and it has been accepted by the owner who has already moved out of the property. Nis. Ester explained that the CLCLT's function is to make the land the property is sitting on in a position that it can not be sold thereby allowing the ability to hold the property as affordable housing. Aid. Rainey said that if the owner can not own the land and will still be taxed for it, this does not seem fair. Ms. Jill Graham, mprescn:ative of CLCLT, responded that the owner will still have a bundle of right for usage of the land, therefore benefiting from the land as well. Discussion followed regarding the rights of the owner of the property and the actually benefits. skid. Jcan-Baptiste rationalized that CLCLT has already trade an offer on the property and it has been accepted and reviewed by both parties' lawyers, which the applicant has verified will be ready for acceptance tomorrow. fie reminded the Committee that Council has already accepted the model and role of this CHDO therefore being aware of how they acquire and make properties stay affordable. In his opinion the Committee needs to focus on the purchase of this property at this time not so much the resale of the property in the future. Mr, Jeff Smith stated that he is a member of the Board for Citizen's Lighthouse Community Land Tnist and strongly request that the P&D Comt-Wttee support this project. He noted that CLCLT has clearly done all of their homework and are in the position to begin this project immediately. his. Judith Treadwav said that she has several clarifications that she would like to see addressed before the Committee moves on this item. First, she believes that every owner has the right to the benefit in the sale of the property and the land it sits on, she is very concerned with the fellowship of this process. She is still unsure of the application process and review and the HOME Loan Committee because it has not been clearly explained yet. She suggest a moratorium on dispensing any more HOME Funds or the newly formed Affordable Housing Fund until clear and precise application review process and procedures are evident. Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wollin. The vote was 9-0 in favor or the motion. (P4) Reauest for S99.500 in HOME Funds from the Citizen's Liehthouse Communitv Land Trust This item was discussed in conjunction in item (P3). Ald. Moran moved approval, seconded by Aid. flansen. The vote was 9-0 in favor or the motion. (P51 Plat of Resubdivision for 101 Hamilton Street Mr. Wolinski noted that this is a ministerial act on the part of the P&D Committee and confirmed staff's recommendation for approval. This address is in Ald. Wynne's ward and she supports this resubdivision. Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Md. Jean -Baptista The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. P&D Comnlince rltg. Minutes of 6-25-07 Page 5 (P6) Sidewalk CAFe for Tvne 1 Restaurant at 1930 Central Street This sidewalk cafe is requested by the Royin Sushi Bar Restaurant. The applicant, Ms. Sue Suwanrotomobus was present and assured her knowledge of all the sidewalk cafe rules and regulations regarding garbage and debris pickup and refuge collection. , Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Ald. Rainey. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. fP7) Recuest for a Time Extension of the Planned Develonment Ordinance 80-0-07 — 1881 Oak Street Aid. Rainey moved approval, seconded by Aid. Jean -Baptiste. Chair Tisdahl noted that Carroll Place LLC is requesting a one year extension from the required time a planned development should be issued a building permit And begin construction. The applicant should have applied for building permits by July 12, 2007; this extension will give them until July 12, 2008. She called on the citizen sign -in sheet first. Ms. Slamata Blanas presented &,cumcntation to the P&D Committee to prove that proper notification Was not sent out or given over the chronological time period from the beginning of this project. She noted several discrepancies in the notice procedure and accused staff of not being fully aware of what was sent out. She feels this project has not been legally approved and should be required to go back to the beginning u-ith proper notification sent out. Aid. Jean - Baptiste responded that staff being accused was not present this evening, however there is documentation from this staff member that was sent out some time ago regarding the notices sent out for 1881 Oak. LAs. Tina Paden stressed the importance of Emerson Street in this location and that the 1881 Oak Street site is in a transitional area. Therefore, she feels this property should be included in the downtown plan for further review and proper usage of this site. Aid. Rainey's opinion is that this request in not unusual; projects of this size takes time. This request is for a time extension only. Aid. Jean -Baptiste agreed. Aid. Holmes asked what the expected time frame is for the developer to apply for permits and begin construction. Mr. Dave Rcifrnan responded that they are prepared immediately to mmove the existing foundation and grade and scud the site. They are also prepared to pay the contribution obligation at this time. The request for a time extension is due to other financial matters. Aid. Moran stated that he will be voting against allowing the time extension. He recalled that he did not vote in favor of this project from the beginning because it is too dense and too high for this particular location_ He can not see any reason for granting this developer a time extension. It appears as if they are waiting for final approval of the I890 Maple Building. AId. Wynne also stated that she will be voting again.s; this and agrees with Aid. Moran's statements made. AId. Hansen stated that no clear explanation has been given for the need of granting a time extension. Aid. Wollin made a comment accusing the City Manager of conjuring a deal with the develop, which his. Carroll defended immediately and stated that the developer has agreed to remove the existing foundation and grade and seed the site that will drastically improve the condition and appearance of the property as it currently exists. 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L !: 1 Ai. ....'% .�-c[1:. - ��� .--._�.' .._£;i.-ff1 1'.,t �tIi; -� _its -_ ;;$•-t?.tYzl :i�1 Rr 'It+e,�l Ct =� - ��i'tirYi •}rll • 0 T • Alderman Present: Staff Present: Planning & Development Committee Minutes oriuly 9, 2007 Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl. C. Wollin,M. Wynne J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, J. Brownlee. K. Cox. B. Dunkley, S. Eggleston, A. Jackson, D. Marino, C. Ruiz, C. Ruiz, J. Terry Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OF OUORUNI Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 7.00 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 25. 2007 MEETING MINUTES Aid. Wynne moved approval of the June 25, 2007 meeting minutm seconded by-Ald. Holmes. The minutes were approved unaniniously with a vote of 9-0. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (P1) 73-0-07 - 2526 Jackson Parking Variation ReQuest Mr. Wolinski recalled that this case was fon%w-ded to die Planning $ Development Committee June 25`b with no recommendation from the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Committee decided to direct staff to draft an ordinance for approval. He acknowledged Mr. James Murray, attorney for the applicant. Mr. Murray informed the Committee that the applicant has resolved the objections from the neighbors. which mainly involves the issue of refuge removal. The applicant has hired a private scavenger removal service to remove the garbage via the cast side of the property to the Jackson Stint front side_ It vas brought to his attention that a permit is required front the City to remove garbage front the street side if there is an alley; in this instance there is an alley approximately 10' — 12' wide %%hich is 213's the width of most normal alleys throughout Evanston. Mr. Murray said because of the narrowness of this alley is one of the main reasons the neighbors prefer that refuge be remo%ed b, means of the front of the residence. Chair Tisdahl noted that she has also spoke with the neighbors and they are agreed -with this arrangement. In response to a question from Aid. Rained. Mr. Murray said that Viola Scavenger Service has been contracted for this service. The workers will pick the garbage up in [lie rear and remove it by means of the sidewalk on the east side of the propmy and dispose of in tite front of the property on Jackson. He assured the agreemi-nt is that the trucks a ill not Ito down the alley, cans will not be left in the front on Jackson: die cans will be remLved from the rear and replaced back to the rear, Ms. Suzette Eggleston. City of Evanston Superintendent of Streets and Sanitation, stated the her biggest concern is that tiie 2500 block of Jazison is vent- tteli manicured and landscaped street and trash on the front side is not appropriat_. She noted that the Cin- currently services from time rear. When she informed him that the Cite will not service from the front because City employees are not going to net off the truck and go all the %%3V to the back of private property, pull the garbage to the front, unload and then return the garbage bins to the rear. This method is P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of July 9.2007 ' Page 2 not within the City's standard procedure and is much too time consuming. The homeowner would be required to locate their garbage bins curb side for pick up or if the applicant and all affected neighbors are in agreement as in this case, she vowed that Streets and Sanitation Division would not have a problem with this method. in response to a question, Mr. Murray assured that all neighbors have agreed to giving up the City service paid for by their taxes to pay the fee for private scavenger service. Aid. Bernstein questioned since this is a recent condo conversion, if the new homeowners are willing to pay this fee. Mr. Murray responded that the property owner converter has made this agreement and contract with the private scavenger service. This agreement has been put in the contract for purchase and all 6 units have been sold and it was unanimously supported in order to provide each unit with parking. Aid. Rainey moved approved, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote wits 9-0 in favor of the motion. Chair Tisdnhl read into the record a change in the ordinance language: "The applicant and its assignee's and successors, should be permitted to remove refuge from the residence by means of tite cast side of the lot .without further action by the City." Aid. Rainey suggested adding "by a private contractor". Discussion followed regarding the assurance of the private scavenger workers returning the garbage bins back to the rear of the property in a timeb. manner or preferably immediately returned upon emptying. Aid. Rainey asked if a dumpster will be used or just individual garbage bins. Ms. Eggleston assured that the City would not approve of a dumpster being rolled back and forth down the sidewalk. hie. Murray responded that there will be three (3) ninety gallon containers in the rear of the lot that will emptied once a week. Aid. Rainey suggested amending the motion to include the requirement that the garbage bins be returned to the rear to the building in a timely manner. 1►11r. Cox read into the record the amended language: "The applicant and its assignees and successors shall be permitted to remove refuge by means of private contractor froth the residence by means of the cast side of the property without further action by the City. Refuge containers shall be removed from the rear of the property and returned there by said private contractor immediately." Aid. Wynne proved approval as amended, seconded by Aid. ltaincy. Unanimously approved 9-0. fP21 Ordinance 72-0-07 — Granting Evanston landmark Status to the Building_ at 318-20, Dempster Street Mr. Carlos Ruiz, Preservation Planner. introduced the applicant Nis. Anne Earle. Ms. Earle gave a 10-15 minute presentation illustrating the historical significance of double houses. shoving several historical double houses around Evanston. She pointed out the large side attic windows that are unique in design. The housev.-as desiaiwd and built in 1892 by the famous national and internationally acclaimed architect. Daniel Burnham. Ms. Earlc noted that Mr. Burnham was the Chief of Construction for the 1893, Columbian Expositi_n in Chicago. Mr. Burnham also designed and built many 1ar_,e houses on Dempster Street in this same neighborltt od including the Montessori School located on Dempster as ►►ell. The caner of the property i; %it. Geoffrey Bushor %%ho fully supports this appli_ation for E►anston L.ndmarl; designation. Aid. Wynne moved approval. seconded by Aid. Illoran. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. • P&D Committee 14itg. Minutes of Jul}' 4, 2007 Page 3 • (P3) Ordinance 70-0-07 —Text Amendment to the Substandard Lot Regulations Nis. Jackson gave an overview of this text amendment to the Committee. She informed the Committee that this is a citizen initiated text amendment by Mr. Michael O'Connor. The originnt request was to develop regulations for the development of new single family detached residences on lots that have less than the required minimum lot size as special uses. After many discussions at the Zoning Committee of the Plan Commission; the applicant and the Committee came to a middle ground where they suggested that instead of making the ne►v construction have to go through the special use process, they suggested that lots that have less than minimum required lot size, within certain perimeters, be required to decrease their height. She said the ideal was to try and make infill housing more compatible with its surroundings in response to some of the negative consequences of teardo►►ns And replacement housing that is not in scale with the existing neighboring housing. Ms. Jackson concluded that they now have a scale based on the percentage of the required lot size the subsequent building height is reduced. Mr. Michael O'Connor addressed the Committee reminding that he met with them before as City Council to plead fur necessary reform in this matter. As he understands, the caveat as written in the current ordinance that would allow the construction of single family housing, regardless of lot size being defined as ►► idth and square footage or area was intended ..hen originally adopted by the Council to encourage the development of affordable housing. Ht said with any study, the end result actually hasn't produced the intended results the ordinance was created to. Mr. O'Connor noted that the fundamental flaw in the writing of the ordinance, as currently drafted, is that it carves out this exception ►with great purpose, but it creates no bottom for the minimum construction of a single familyhome. He had originally sought the changing classification that all 06 of these should be considered r, special use that goes before the ZBA subject at research by Ms. Jackson had determined that in the last 10 }ears only forty such applications would have been required; roughly 4 per year. NWhile he clings to this as being the superior part of reform, Ms. Jackson quite adequately described that the compromise that the-v reached with the Zoning Committee of the Plan Commission was that imposing the heizltt restrictions this would incrementally bring them closer to the intended objectives of the ordinance. With that, Mr. O'Connor highly encourages the Committee's support to pass this ordinance. Aid. Moran moved for approval of Ordinance 70-0-07, seconded by Ald. Wollin. Chair Tis"d noted that this came about with Mr. O'Connor with a property in her ward on Isabella and site expressed her support for this ordinance. The vote was 9-0 in fa►or of the motion. (P4 t Ordinance 37-0-07 -- Text Amendment to Create a Mixed Use Zonine District f MUI:I Nis. Jackson recalled that this issue ►►as last *mlkrd about in late %1f j,h When discussion occurred regarding the MU and MUE text and map atttendnt.nt in suntmarN abc-ut the list of permitted uses at that time about the number of not -for -profit uses: staff needed to add artist studios, there was also discussion about the retail u_e classiti_ationi. She pointed out in Council packets there is a memo that summarizes •%here wets` is currenti,.. She also shade sent: suggestions about how they can tackle this; there ►was thou-,ht that perhaps the proposed chants -wouldn't be applicable for all of the existing MU and NIUE districts, ►tihich is possible. Ther_fore there are several options; they can consider a ne►v district and map it selectively: they could change the existing ones; or they can proceed as proposed in the ordinarr.e bw r:mowing the existing two districts and creating a single district. his. Jackson :aid based on the comments. phone calls, and emails that she personally has received since this process Started: the demand for this change is strongly being requested by the landowners and the NIUE district in the Hill Group area bounded by Jackson dt Ashland. She suggested stanin with this area. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of July 9, 2007 Page 4 � Aid. Holmes moved approval, seconded by Ald. Wynne. Aid. Rainey said that she still looks at this as a method to create economic development and she does not see anything creative about retaining the not -far -profit uses as permitted uses; these uses should be special uses. She wonders if there is anything illegal or unconstitutional about classifying not -for -profits such as residential care home allowed mixed in with an up and coming economic area. She also feels allowing not -for -profit uses as permitted will only stunt the growth of an area that is being economically redeveloped. Aid. Rainey fecis the permitted uses listed are a bad mix and questions if there is anything illegal classifying certain types of uses as special uses. tits. Jackson's opinion is that there is nothing illegal about this mix and pointed out that in other districts there are certainly many mixed uses that seem to work together. Aid. Rainey questioned vehicle storage establishments; this use very detrimental to an up and coming economic redeveloped area and for community pride. She used a vehicle storage facility on Howard Street as an example, that was poorly maintained and that it did nothing for the surrounding neighborhood. Aid. Rainey said that site would like to make some amendments to these uses. Mr. Cox responded that when this came tip before the Committee in March there were questions raised for staff to review regarding not -for -profits being allowed as pemitted uses in this particular district, also Aid. Bernstein wondered, for better control, if every thing can be deemed a special use in the district. He said certainly making everything n special use in the district is not impossible. As far as deciding upon which uses in particular can be permitted, the Committee has total discretion on this. However. lie said the Lacy Department would like a greater opportunity to research the matter further, in particular, tvh:n it comes to uses, as he looks over the list of those uses that are deemed to be not -for -profit uses such as religious institutions, etc., whether or not there could be any constitutional question as to making them automatically special uses. Aid. Rainey said that she will send Mr. Cox her suggested changes that site would like to see and requested that he bring them back to Committee. Aid. Bernstein stated that tie would like to exclude the area in his ward at Greenleaf/Sherman/Custer where the MUE district would be rezoned. He strongly feels the new proposed zoning ivould be detrimental to this business area because many of the permitted uses listed would not be fitting in this neighborhood setting„ which is more on the residential side. He admits that this proposed zoning works «ell in the Hill Group area but he can not vote in favor of rezoning all the MUE districts. Mr. Wolinski said that this is totally acceptable to eliminate several areas if agreeable by the Committee. \Vith that, id. Bernstein moved to amend the motion to exclude the Custer/Shertuan/Greenleaf AIUE district from this ordinance. Aid. Wynne seconded the motion and Cite tote ivas 9-0 in favor of the amended motion. Discussion followed regarding, Aid. Rainev's concerns with not -for -profit uses being permitted. Aid. Rainey clarified that it is not so much the specific not -for -profit use such as religious or residential care homes. She is mainly concerned «ith and against facilities that take properties off the tax roll in an area zoned for economic cro\tih. Also. resi&fitial care facilities do not fit in MUE zoning districts, but do fit and work well in residential districts. Ater discussion of these concerns, there was a suggestion to hold this item to give staff time needed to respond to some the concerns. Aid. HOitties said that she %%ould prefer to move f-iniard for the Hill Group area if it is appropriate to eliminate and contain specific areas. There was consensus to introduce this evening and bring back for further discussion of the requested amendments and changes. er The vote was 9-0 in the original motion made by Aid. Holmes mith the amendment. 0 L • 0 P&D Committee Mte. Minutes of July 9, 2007 Page 5 Nis. Betty Sue Ester questioned hoty this rezoning really benefits the area. The lofts in this area are too expensive for local businesses and neighborhood entrepreneurs to rent. It also seems no new jobs arc being created in this new Hill Group business area, especially for local people. Ald. Rainey responded that she sees a great benefit if this rezoning causes a vacant building to be re- opened and used for business and economic development in an area that literally had none. It will bring business and people to the area. Chair Tisdahl agreed. (P6) Ordinance 28-0-07 — Plan commission Re•:ommendation for a Zonine Mat} Amendment Aid. Bernstein moved to approve and refer back to Committee along with Ordinance 27-0- 07, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote n•as 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P5) Sidewalk cafe for Tvne 2 Restaurant — 17W Orrinmon Avenue Aid. Jean -Baptiste moved approval, seconded by Ald. Bernstein. The Vote `vats 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P71 Central Street Master Plan — Presentation_ by the la_kota (I-Mpp and Consideration of Recommendation M• the Plan Commission Mr. John L.aMotte of the I_akotn Group gave a full presentation and overview of the final draft (available in Planning Division Office or the City of Evanston Wcbsite). The final draft came in two sections: 1) Strectscape Design Study, and 3) Executive Summary with the Introduction of the Process. Negatives/Positives, Implementation. etc. Citizen Comments were made by Mr. Jeff' Smith, hir. Joe Hill, his. Mary Rosinski, Mr. John Walsh. There was discussion as to whether they should introduce the Master Plan now and hold until tite zoning recommendation can be attached for approval on one package. The Alderman whose wards are affected by this Master Plan both support this plan and d❑ not wish to hold for the zoning recommendations to follow Aid. Moran moved approval of the Central Street Mnster Plan and to pick up the zoning aspects as they come forward. Ald. Wynne seconded the motion and the vote was 9-0 in favor. Aid. Jean -Baptiste said that he supports master plans concepts, not as a dogma but as a vision. ADJOURNI! TENT The meeting Avas adjourned at 8:56 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jacque a E. fro.. nlee i • Planning & Development Committee Minutes of July 23, 2007 Roost 2200 — 7:00 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, D. Holmes. E. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne Alderman Absent: A. Hansen, L. Jean -Baptiste f Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, J. Brownlee, K. Cox, B. Dunkley, A. Jackson; Vi• Jones, R. Russell, D. Spicuua = Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OFOUORU1II Chair Tisdahl called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. APPROVAL OF TIIE .IULY 9. 2007 MEE.TiNG NIrMJTE5 Aid. Wynne moved approval of the July 9, 2007 meeting minutes, seconded by Aid. Rainey. The minutes were approved unanimously with a vote of 7-0. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Mr. Wolinsl:i informed the Committee that Ordinance 28-0-07 under (P2) in their packets is wrong. A copy of the newly amended ordinance was handed out this evening that reflects was the discussion from the last meeting. (P 1) Ordinance 27-0.07 — Text Amendment to Create a Mixed Use Zoning District Aid. Rainey referred to the memo sent to staff' and said that it is obvious that the language in this ordinance is very important and when she looks at this district; she does not see it as a district that should provide social services. She looks at this as a district to be much more dyttamic and active however it seems like a majority of the uses are social services. She strongly feels the social services should be listed under special uses rather than permined uses. Her opinion is that the social services listed under permitted uses are not conipatible with the activity and businesses that this district should promote. Ald. Rainey proposed that educational institutions. religious institutions. community centers, and cultural facilities all go under special uses. ller reasoning being that if these uses were under the special use category it would allow the Cotnntittee an opportunity to regulate and be able to make specific conditions to modify their business and use to fit within this district or not be approved to operate. if these uses are permitted the Committee would not be allowed that opportunity. Chairman Tisdahl said that she has not problem with such an amendment. Aid. Rainey moved to amend the ordinance to list the following uses currently under Permitted Uses to go under Special Uses: Community Center, Cultural Facility, Education Institutions (both private and public), Recreation Center, Religious Institution. Aid. Wynne seconded the motion. Chair Tisdahl questioned if it was legal to move public schools or separate private and public school uses within the same district. Nis. Jackson informed the Committee that public schools are listed as a permitted use under residential districts and private schools as special uses under this same district. With this information in mind, the consensus P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of July 23, 2007 Page 2 or the committee was to leave public schools under permitted uses and private schools under special uses. The vote ivas 7-0 in favor of the motion for the recommended amendments. Aid. Rainey questioned Vehicle Storage Establishments being listed under permitted uses and commercial parking uses are under specials uses. Site feels Vehicle Storage should be under special uses as well because she considers this as a subsidiary use. what is the reasoning here. Ms. Jackson responded that Vehicle Storage Establishments %%as a permitted use originally in one of the two districts and the Plan Commission took the most liberal approach with this use and decided to keep it under permitted uses. Mr. Wolinski added that the important issue here is creating a nesv district and the Committee has the authority to make changes as long s they are not violating the constitution on making existing businesses non-cenforming. Aid. Rainey questioned the definition of Recreation Center versus Commercial indoor & outdoor Facility, which is already listed under special uses: what is the distinction. Ms. Jackson read the definition for Recreation Facility to the committee and the businesses listed under commercial indoor/outdoor recreation which distinguishes are clarified b,.- the activity level such as ice & roller skating rinks, tennis courts. basketball courts and games versus recreational class uses and lesser activity level functions that recreation centers are used for. The Committee was satisfied to keep recreation centers to be moved under special use category. The vote was 7-0 to approve Ordinance 27-0-07 with the recommended amendments to the permitted and special use categories. (P2) Ordinance 28-0-07 — Plan Commission Recommendation for a Zonins Mao Amendment ' Aid. Bernstein pointed out that the map has been changed however on page 5 of the ordinance the PM numbers still include those parcels that were supposed to be excluded from this new district as discussed at the last meeting. He directed staff to remove all the Pl\ numbers that refer to the area of Greenleaf/SltermantCuster business area. Ms. Jackson . Iso pointed out that in the title where it states h4UE should be changed to ME. Mr. Cox stated that the changes noted do not have to be made in an amended motion since they are only typographical errors. The ordinance stands as amended from discussion at the last meetine. Aid. Wynne moved approval of the revised Zoning Asap, seconded by Aid. Bernstein. The tote seas 7-0 in favor of the motion. (P31 Reauest for Additional 5126.865 in HOME Fonds for ECDA's Condo Conversion at 736-38 Dob� - - - - Mr. NVolinski explained this request is from ECDA: whereas council previously approved funding in the amount of $360,000 for the acti;:isition and rehabilitation of this property some months ago. He noted one of the issues that changed from the time the pro. forma was put together and submitted for actual passage of the a,-propriation %%as the fact that the City code changed to require all condorttiniutn coatiersions to b-- sprinklered. This cost %%s not included in the original pro forma that %%as submitted to the Cit-. and ECDA is asking to be reimbursed in the amount of $126.865 primarily to pay for the fire suppression s-,stem. lie acknowledged members from ECDA being present to address the issu, for further questions. Aid. Horan moved approval, seconded by Aid. Holmes. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of July 23, 2007 Page 3 Aid. Rainey said that she asked for an accounting of the cost of this project. She noted that this is a classic example of why there is no such think as affordable housing in Evanston based on the cost and numbers proving that it is impossible to build within an affordable cost range. At this point, it is still unsure whether any additional cost will come up before the completion of this project She pdihted out that the units are very nice, however even with the amount of subsidy provided, the basement area has no mat updates or changes, the washer and dryers are substantial and the halhvays have not bee updated either. Aid. Rainey said it is obvious that in the regular market these units are not worth the value to be considered in the upper S200,000 price range. Nevertheless. she expressed her support this project and additional funding request and commended ECDA for doing the best job they could do. She noted that they currently have over 30 applications to purchase these units. Aid. Bernstein questioned exactly who is included in ECDA and how their operation is listed out of Fisher Church. Mr. Keith Banks clarified that ECDA is a faith based organization made up of several African -American churches located on the west side of Evanston and Fisher Memorial Church is one of the tnentber churches and the%, use this location as their official meeting place and physical address tinder their incorporation. lie stated that the organization also have meetings at various other churches, however Fisher is their official location. Aid. Bernstein questioned the zoning legality of operating their business out of fisher Church. Mr. Batiks responded that ECDA is a not -for -profit faith based organization and Fisher is just their physical address; their operation is not considered on the level of operating an official business from this locati�-n. Aid. Rainey informed the Committee that one of the issues that ECDA Also ran into was lead point in the back stair case and in order to rectify this problem they had to tear down the porch staircase and totally replace. She pointed this out as another issue that makes these affordable housing projects not affordable. She asked for clarification if this was a Property Standards issue and if the porch was beyond repair. Mr. Wolinski verified that to be true and it was an issue of the beuer of two options to either scrape all the lad paint or completely repincing; the latter was more feasible considering the wort: involved and assurance that no lead was still present. Aid. Rainey questioned staffs opinion in consideration of such requirements and the cost of the affordl bility in continuing such funding for these affordable housing projects and the feasibility; especially looking at the item under discussion this evening regarding the proposed Vacant Building Program. Mr. Wolinski agreed that staff is recognizing the extreme cost involved with these projects and are learning from each project as «ell. lie assured that better and more affordable methods are being considered for future projects. Aid_ Rainey noted the her disapproval of the aesthetics of the fire suppressaot system requi.ements with the connection hose being located an literally hanging in the front of the building and the piping works located outside of each unit. This design is very aesthetically displtasin_ and effects the value of the property and units. She questioned if there was any other way ._i do this and if anything can be done at this point to modify the results of this retrofit requi. Fments. The architect for the project explained the problems «iih the retrofitting of the fire supperssant system and the options that N\ere available. Ile assured that the retrofitting provided was t:i code and that the connection %4.0 rcquirtd to be located in tlae front of the property since the Fire Department %would be unable to cct to the building from the rear. Aid. Rainey requested a memo from the Fire Department re carding this fire suppression installation required for this building be provided at the next Planning & Development Committee meeting. 40 The vote was 7-0 in favor of the motion. P&D Committee Mig. Minutes of July 23, 2007 Page 4 • (P-I) Ordinance 76-0-0 7 -- Special Use Request for a type 2 Restaurant (Cafe Entermise) at 1840 Oak Avenue Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Aid. Rainey. Aid. Berstein questioned why this restaurant had to request a special use for Type 2 operations when it is already operating as a type 1 establishment. He noted that it has always been historically acceptable to do carry out business from a type 1 restaurant; why is this restaurant considered different? Ms. Jackson responded that the applicant requested this special use application on their own accord because of the majority business that they anticipate at this location. Mr. Wolinski added that the applicant/restaurant owner wanted the flexibility to do 60% of their business as carry out without a problem, therefore requesting to have the approval of operating as a type 2 restaurant- Aid. Bernstein accepted this explanation but requested assurance that the main operation of this restaurant remain as a type 1 establishment and as originally approved along with and adjacent to the office use and that this special use only apply to the current restaurant in operation. He would like to have the inability to allow any other type 2 restaurant establishment to come in subsequently upon the possibility of discontinuance of the current restaurant. Mr. Dan Shapiro. Attorney for the applicant, agreed to this condition on behalf of his client. Aid. Bernstein requested to modify the original motion to include the previously stated amendment and condition to the ordinance. Aid. Wynne agreed to include with her motion. The vote was 7-0 in favor of the amended motion. • ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION (PD2) Discussion of Proposed Do«nnavment Assistance Procratn and Vacant Building Program Mr. Wolinski gave an overview of these proposals and the intention is to draft ordinances or resolutions possible for introduction of both these programs at the next meeting. Ms. Spicuzza gave a run-down of the general criteria for the Downpay-ment Assistance Program. She noted the need for larger subsidy to make this program viable; anticipated at forgivable grants of $2$.000 for 100% of Area Median income and up to $30,000 for 809b AMI over longer periods of time and SI5,000 minimum forgivable grant over a period of S years or more. The preferential forgivable time period is over a period of 10 years. She said that other options to this program have been suggested_ ho«.ver any type of balloon payment method was not preferable. This program would be for ov-ner-c-ccupied, first time homebuycrs only. She noted that the administration --would be handled on a contract basis for the pilot progr-am and the cost of $10,000 has been included in the commitment. Aid. Rainey raised questions on the Vacant Building Program and the number of vacant buildings currently existing in Evanston and dic conditions of these buildings. pis. Spicuzzz responded that there are approximately 50 vacant buildings in Evanston at the moment, liowever Mr. Janusz, Asst_ Director of Property Standards. has a better id=a of the conditions of those buildings. Mr. Wolinski explained that there are a number of reasons for current vacant buildings and not all are boarded up and cited by Property Standards. The Committee agreed that they would like to see an updated list of all vacant houses and buildings with some details on the current conditions, ownership, and financial state of the building. They also agrees[ that this information needs to be reviewed before moving any further on this program. PAD Committee Mtg. Minutes of July 23, 2007 Page 5 It was the consensus of the Committee to direct staff to draft a downpayment assistance ordinance for consideration at the next scheduled P&D Committee meeting. Ms. Bettv Sue Ester, 2114 Darrow, suggested that if the City goes forward with these proposed programs should be advertised on the Internet and as many other forms of advertising communication because many people who can utilize these programs are unaware that such tools are out there for their assistance. She agrees that as many assurances and enforcement need to be in existence to keep housing affordable for as long a length of time as possible. She feels that over time more than 1 additional staff person ►will be needed to monitor and keep these programs in operation. She suggested that the City put as much effort as possible in the advertisement of these new programs. Ald. Rainey responded that it is Also the responsibility of all the CHDO's out there to help put the word out on any such affordable housing programs as they come into existence and are made available. (PDI I Zoning Vested Rial+ts Discussion Aid. Wollin expressed her opinion is that Council needs to move on this as soon as possible and develop something straightforward in writing explaining and confirming when a program has vested rights when a moratorium is in place. Mr. Wolinski suggested that his distinction would be at the point ►►hen a completed building permit application has been received in the Building Department. Mr. Hill referred to his memorandum distributed to Council regarding this topic. He referred to the last paragraph of that memo with staffs determination: "That the zoning analysis standard may be too low a threshold when compared to the extensive good faith reliance expenditures required on an applicant or a developer to establish a "vested rights" claim. As a result, staff reconuttends that City Council consider the following as a more appropriate minimum threshold for exclusion from a moratorium: a) in situations of as of right construction, the filing of a completed building permit application, and b) in situations of planned development, special uses or variations, the filing of completed application for planned development, special use or variation as appropriate. In conclusion, Mr. Hill stated his opinion is that the analysis is really an ad hoc case -by -case basis for determining if a project has vested rights. He feels that it is almost impossible to have a blanket standard in the case of a moratorium. Aid. Wynne disagreed; she feels this ►►hole approach is totally political because they should not be tell with the situation for each moratorium to allow for discussion of which projects should or should not be considered to have vested rights. She stated that a blanket standard must be made and in writing to avoid such any situation of being able to have the ability to ncgetiate whether a project has vested rights with a moratorium. The consensus of the Committee ►►as to continue further discussion when time permits at the upcoming P&D Committee meeting. ADJOUILNNIE NT The meeting ►vas adjourned at S:38 p.m. Ikespectfull� bmitted. Jacq elfin E. Broxnlee Planning & Development Committee Minutes of August 13, 2007 t r Room 2200 — 630 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present:::.. S, Bernstein, A. Hansen, L. )can -Baptiste, D. Holmes, E.- Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Woilin. N1. Wynne , Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. AielIo, J. Bro►vnlee, K. Cox,�A. Dean;-& Dunklcy;rW. Hallen, A. Jackson, H. Saver Presiding Official: Alderman Tisdahl DECLARATION OF OUORUM i;Mf- i i, Chair Tisdahl called the ntectinge to order at 7:10 p.m. ' ililr APPROVAL OF THE ,TULN' 23, 2007 MEETING MINUTES Tltc minutes ►►ere approved unanimously with a Grote of 9-0. J ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (Pl) Reauest for Affordable Housine Funds from Connections for the Homeless for HMIS hfatchine Funds Mr. Paul Selden representing Connections for the Homeless explained their request for Affordable Housing Funds support their HMIS Program. HMIS standards for Homeless Management Information System which is HUD mandated and funded. This program is for the agencies under the Evanston Alliance on Homelessness and provides a Continuum of Care with a community to address the van•ing needs of the homeless population and similar people at risk. This program also trades information about the supportive services they provide and the people they serve. ;sir. Selden noted that HUD will provide S45.764 to Connections for the Homeless to support administration of tite HNIIS program, however HUD does require the administering agency to provide matching funds of 20% of the amount funded. and otherwise i9,15- . Connections is requcstin_ 50,000 in matching funds from the Affordable Hetsing Fund similar to the funds that ►sere received from the Mayor's Special Housing Fund in 2005. Aid. Bernstein moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wynne. Aid. Rainey requested snore information cn ►vliat the HMIS product provides, %hat reports are required by HUD, and is information in these reports a possible useful source to the Community. Mr. Selden responded that the HMIS stistem holds a e►ide human services data base which provides information to for%vard to HUD so they can address and assist the homeless risk population ►vith housing needs. He stated that it is not a list that can be shared with the comtnttnity due to the private and delicate nature of the personal information contained in this system. Ald. Rainey informed Mr. Selden that she has ►tiorked ►►ith several committees for the homeless and is aware of this populations needs for decent housing and other human service assistance. She mentioned being aware of many clients that are being placed in several buildings that are in such bad shape that they qualify for condemnation under Property Standards provisions. HUD does their own inspections of their client housing: Mr. Wolinski noted that his P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 08-13-07 Page 2 Property Standards Division inspects rental properties on a rotating basis; therefore the City and HUD may need to share information in common. Aid. Moran directed that Community Development/Property Standards staff come together with Connections for the Homeless staff and share information as they become -aware that will -be useful to both bodies. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. fP2) Request for. Affordable Housing Funds from HousincE OpDortuniry Development Corporation for Revairs to 1930 Jackson , I'' The Committee acknowledged Ms. Mary Ellen Tamasy, new Executive Director of HODC. Ms. Tamasy gave some background information on the building. She noted that this is a tough neighborhood with several crime issues. Tenants have moved into this building and want to leave before their lease is up because they choose not to raise their family in that neighborhood and environment. Nis. Tamasy said that the original funding request was not enough back in 2004 when tite two small rental properties on Jackson were acquired by HODC. She noted that the property at 1930 Jackson has a two flat in from with a 3-bedroom unit and a 4-bedroom unit. The property also has a 3-bedroom coach house in the rear that is handicapped accessible and is occupied by' a family with a person with disability. She said that the two fiat suffered damage to the walls after the %%�ter pipes burst and is in need of outer interior and exterior repairs such as better lighting in and around the property. the addition of thorny shrubbery around the buildings to keep drug dealers front pulling aNsmy the siding from the building to (ride their drugs. all around better is security. also a new roof is needed at this time. She referred to the pictures provided in the packets demonstrating some of the existing damage in the building. Aid. Rainey said that she has some real concerns about this property. She noted that HODC somehow has a good reputation for being property managers, therefore why is this property having such great tenant problems with turnovers and busted pipes in the building. Ms. Tamasy responded that the turnover of tenants is due to the unsafe environment of the neighborhood that the tenants .were not aware of before they moved their families into the unit and most moved out suddenly without any notice in some cases. The pipes burst when the last tenant moved out and called to have the water shut off when they moved. Aid. Holmes said that it seems like the condition of the building is all tite tenants fault when she is aware that this is not exactly the case. She stated her knowledge that this building was not rehabbed very %bell in the first place .with the funds that -were provided originally. otherwise many of these problems should not have arouse within a few years. She also noted that this is the first she has heard of about drug dealers pulling up the siding to hide drugs in the malls of a building. Have the police been infonned of this? Slit made clear that she has kept up vtiith the conditions of this block and knows mane long time homeowners that have lived in the 1900 block of Jackson most of their lives and are good people and neighbors. Ails. Tamasy responded that site can not vouch for m'hat happened under the previous Executive Director's tenure; however site does assure that HODC does screen their tenants well and are not responsible for the actions that happen outside of their buildings within a neighborhood. She also assures that the information was received from tenants living in the building that have witnessed the crime and drug dealing . and reported it to HODC. She said that Police were called on most incidents. r, r P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of09-13-07 Page 3 Ald. Bernstein also stated his problems with HODC's management of buildings. He pointed out that history of police calls and problems at the 319 Dempster building. Ms. Tamasy again stated that the majority of that history was under the previous Executive Director; since her induction, there have been no problems noted at the 3I9 Dempster Building and noted that the previous Director was working on cleaning up this building before she started. The Committee followed with lengthy discussion on the management of other HODC buildings and many questions rose on how this building became to this point of disrepair. Nis. Tamasy referred to the pictures and pointed out that most of this damage came about due to the burst water pipes and having to bust through the walls to get view the damage done. Many of the Committee members were under the impression that the previous tenant caused all this damage from Ms. Tamasy's comments. The Committee questioned if this property has been inspected by City Prop", Standards Inspectors. Ms. Tama*- responded that HUD has inspected this property as well as the City Property Standards Inspectors. They have been cited but have been working to correct their violations. She noted that is why HODC is requesting these funds as sell to have the ability to do an entire rehab of (lie building units and bring up to current code in order to get some good tenants back in this building. The Committee expressed their concerns with tlhe turn- around time of inspections in this are since it is in the Target Area requiring more frequent inspections. Mr. Wolinski responded that Property Standards does have this area on the Target Area inspection revolving time, however the City is not always successful in obtaining access to the building on all scheduled inspection dates due to unforeseen circumstances. AId. Hansen expressed her conceal with this process: she expects and also expects City staff to demand that landlords meet the Target Area Inspection dates, as well as any other building owner throughout Evanston, to adhere to all inspection dates because of the importance of this process. The Committee discussed this matter in further detail_ Aid. Bernstein questioned the properties that were bought and rehabbed by Gary Joyce in that neighborhood back when the Research Park %%as expected to grow and prosper. Mr. Wolinski noted that Mr. Joyce's properties are on Wesley and as far as he knows are still owned by Mr. Joyce. Aid. Holmes pointed out that those properties am also selling for well over $500,000 just one block over. She is concerned with the same thin,- happening to Jackson eventually with developers and not -for -profits buying up the property and then turning around in time to sell for a profit. One of the Committee members menticnrJ that they, heiucl HODC's other property on Jackson is being planned for rehab to sell as affordable condominiums and that is why they are rehabbing this property to move the current tenants frern 1920 Jackson into 1930 Jackson. Ms. Tamasy admitted that there are plans to rehab 19-20 Jae kson for sell as affordable housing units, ho►%ever one of their first priorities htinuld be to assist any- current tenants with displacement assistance, whether it is into the 1930 Jackson building er another location. The Committee discussed further their concerns r. ith tht City's Propem Standards inspection program and how to enforce the importance of all inspection dates being kept by landlords. Mr. Wolinski informed the Committee that since this application on Jackson, he has been discussing this situation with AIr_ Janusz %%ho is initiating a Property Standards sweep of all rental building in this block. He noted that they can not do much about the social problems that are occurring in that neighborhood but can assure that all rental building; will }lane a current up to date inspection that «ill continue on a regularly scheduled basis. Ald. Holmes said that she has been working with the Police Department about the social problems in that block; which seems to stem from ..Rw, one family that has ossified property in that block for many )ears. She expressed her I disappointment that HODC has not come to her directly ,%ith any housing interest or concerns in her surd, she has always had to hear about their interest through other sources. Nis. Tarnasy said P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 09-13-07 Page 4 that she would be happy to %iork'with Aid. Holmes with any upcoming HODC matters in the 56' ward from now on. Aid. Moran moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The vote was 9-0 in favor, of the motion, (P3) Resolution 44-R-07 Institute a Down Pavment Assistance Proernin with HOME funds and Local Affordable Housine Funds Aid. Moran moved approval, seconded by Ald. Wynne. Aid. Rainey asked staff if a letter could be obtained from the banks in the Evanston Housing Corporation regarding an evaluation of the current condition of the housing market. Mr. Wolinski responded that this question %vas brought to him last year regarding the current condition of the market and the concerns with the market getting worse and if it is even feasible to keep the First Time Homcbuyers Program running. He has the same concerns about the continuation of this program, therefore it might be feasible to obtain information from banks on the lending abilities under the current housing market condition. Aid. Holmes recalled the list of Planned Development projects and the affordable housing fees that are expected to be collected from these developers after a certain period of time. She questions where the City is at with the collection of these fees, noting the Mr. Roszak has not paid his share but Carroll Properties has paid their fees upfront before any building/construction has even occurred. Mr. Wolinski responded that Carroll Properties choose to pay their fees up front, which Aid. Holmes disagreed with stating that it %vas more like a proposition made. The regular agreement regarding payment of affordable fees is required upon the first occupancy permit being approved. Aid. lean -Baptiste referred to page 11, #14, and suggested that it would be more realistic to have a 1-year length of time versus 120 days of a recipients death before tite loan starts accumulating interest and the balance being paid off. This gives more breathing time for the beneficiaries to sort things out especially if the person is minor. Aid. Bernstein requested to replace "coming of age" with "21 years of ace". The motion for amendments was made and seconded by Aid. Moran. The vote was. 9-0 for the amendments and 9-0 vote for the approval of the amended Resolution. (P4) Ordinance 79-0-07 — Amendine Section 4-2-2 of the City Code to Prohibit Windo.4dess Rooms in New Construction Aid. Wynne noted that this was not the intention of her reference made. She clarified that she was not referring to all windowless habitable spaces, only sleeping rooms. Mr. Hallen acknowledged Ald. Wynne's request and a ill make the chances and brisig back before the Committee. This item ,�ti as field in Committee until the September 19 h meeting. (PS) maior Variation Reauest for 605 Davis Street The Committee ackno-xiedged Mr. Tim Sheridan, architect for the developer, 605 Davis, LLC. He introduced the representatives of the property owners. Ms. Martha J. Koch- trustee under the Martha J. Koch Trust. He also introduced the real estate broker for the property. Mr. Sheridan noted that the subject property is 60' x 90' and requires : parking spaces and a loading berth. He followed with a presentation and overview of the proposed one-story commercial building fer this site. He noted that the applicant is requesting zoning relief from the loading berth to allow zero loading berth. The Zoning Board of Appeals had a split vote of 2-2 for this proposal- Mr. Sheridan noted that he has since then met with staff to present a revised ' P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes or08-13-07 Page S • • 0 proposal that meets the loading berth requirement but does not fulfill the parking space requirement. He said that both lie and staff felt that the original proposal provided a greater benefit in view of the size of the retail space being proposed. Ald. Wollin brought attention to the private alley behind this property which is not accessible to through traffic. She agrees with staff and Mr. Sheridan that the original proposal offers a greater benefit and she also feels that providing parking is more valuable than the loading berth. However she wants assurance that all load inglu nload ing be done through this private alley. Both Mr. Sheridan and Nis. Koch fully agreed with And assured that this condition was already figured into this proposal for loading and unloading. Aid. Wollin moved approval, seconded by Aid. Rainey to create an ordinance to bring back before the Committee. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. CONINT TNICATIO,INS (PD2) Memorandum from Fire Chief BerLmwskv Rerardin[, 7 6-38 Dobson Fire Sunoression SSystern This communication was accepted by the Committee. (PD3) Chance in Chairmanshin This communication was accepted by the Committee. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, JacquNine . Brownlee S-� • Planning & Development Committee Meeting Notes of September 10, 2007 Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Aldermen Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste,, E- Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne Staff Present: J. Aicllo, J. Carroll, J. Chambers, K. Cox, B. Dunkley, W. Hallett, S. Janusz, B. Newman, D. Spicuzza, J. Wolinsid, L. Woods Presiding Official: AldermanAnjanaHansen DECLARATION OF OUORU111 i Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE INEF.TiNG MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 13. 2007 T*IEETFNG The minutes of the August 13, 2007 meeting were approved unanimously with no changes or corrections. . ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION M) Ordinance 78-0-07 — Amendine Section 4-2-Z&f the City Codc to Prohibit WindowlW Slemine Rooms in New Construction A reference from AIdcrman Wynne to eliminate windowless sleeping rooms in new construction. Aid. Wynne will bring an architect to substantiate reasons why windowless sleeping rooms should be prohibited. This ordinance would not apply to the conversion of lofts, which often have high ceilings: only new construction. Aid. Jean -Baptiste stated that because a bedroom doesn't have a window it doesn't mean it doesn't have light or ventilation. He added that the ordinance is not remedying anything and that it has nothing to do with health or safety, only appearance. Aid. Rainey also disageed with the proposed ordinance, stating that there will never be a bedroom with four walls and no windows. Often there are rooms that have no windows, but a three-quarter wall, described as a den, but is often used as a bedroom by the buyer. Ald. Wynne maintained that the design quality is affected by whether windows are in all bedrooms. She cited a building on Kcdzie and Chicago Avenues that has windowless bedrooms and has poor aesthetic quality. By allowing windowless bedrooms for new construction, it becomes an aesthetic issue for the community. You end up with long "bowling alley" apartments. If this was not allowed, architects would be forced to design more interesting buildings. Evanston is subject only to the International Building Code, while in Chicago they have their own building code, and windowless bedrooms are not allowed in new construction. The Contmince asked Mr. Ifallen of the Community Development Department, who is an architect, his opinion and he explained that in adaptive use there are usually very high ceilings, perhaps 12', with a significant space between the top of the 7' wall and the ceiling, but with new construction you may have a 9' ceiling with a 7' wall, and these bedrooms are awkward and oppressive, and have a poor -quality feeling about them. Aid. Wollin described a "student" apartment/dormitory suggested by a developer, who wanted to maximize Planning & DevrkTmwnt Committee Meeting Page 2 September 10, 2W7 • the number of apartments in a building. Aid. Jean -Baptiste argued that a windowed bedroom does not rcmedy the fact that ar apartment is small. Ald. Bernstein brought up the point that only three un-related people can live in one dwelling unit. Ald. Berstein will look at the model of one such , bulling. Ald. Wynne maintained that the interior design affects the exterior design of the building, and that we do not have design guidelines in Evanston, which allows architecture to fall to the lowest quality allowed. She requested the item be held until she can provide an architect's expert illustration of why %%indowless bedrooms should be prohibited in new construction. The Committee noted unanimously to hold this item in Committee. (P2) Ordinance 82-0-07 - Maior Vnriation Reauest at 605 Davis Street Consideration of a recommendation by the Plannine and Develonmcnt Committee. for a maior variation for the nronenv at 605 Davis Street to construct a one-story commercial building. The aronosed building would reauire one short off-street loadine berth and the applicant requests zoning relief from this requirement to nrovide no loading hcnhs on the subiect nronerty. Mr. Wolinski stated that there was no definite recommendation from the Zoning Board of Appeals, at which there was a tie vote. Committee direction to staff was to draft an ordinance which would allow the variation for the no-Ioading berth_ Aid. NVollin stated that she spoke to the developer, and requested that the rules be suspended and action be taken at Council that very night. The Committee voted unanimously to approve. (P3) Reouest for HOME Funds from 11013C for S194.396 to Rehab 1929 Jackson into Two Affordable Dome Ownershin Units Consideration of the recommendation from the Housing Commission for annroval of the nronosal from the Housing Onnortunitv Devclonment Comoration fHODC) to rehab and remodel two units at 1929 Jackson and convert them to condominiums for sale to low income homebuvers for less than S140.000. Ald. Bernstein asked what the acquisition price was. Mary Ellen Tamasy, representing HODC, stated that they assumed the mortgage of $263,000 to obtain the property, and that it had been valued at over S400,000. The Committee asked about availability of mortgage credit for potential buyers and Ald. Raincy referred to a request made at a previous meeting regarding information on Evanston Housing Corporation. Air. Janusz of the Property Standards Division related comments by some members of the Evanston Housing Corporation that it is more relevant than it has been in the last two ye: ss. Evanston Housing Corporation has discussed interest buy -downs and expanding to re -financing for buyers seeking to avoid foreclosure. They give loans up to 97% of the purchase price. Their credit approval process does not use the applicant's credit score. They look at credit, history, payments, income and employment. The applicant may have a score under 650 and be eligible for a mortgage. All their money is either lent or committed except for S500,000. There is one pre -approval for the building on Dobson. Air. Wolinski added that the issue for the Evanston Housing Corporation in past years was that interest rates were low and the private sector was competitive in their rates. Now that rates are going higher and lenders are having trouble, people will come back to the Evm,.nston Housing Corporation. A discussion regarding HODC's request ensued concerning the accuracy of the itemized costs: contingency, legal fees to subdivide, write condo declaration and legal description for property, architectural, developer fees and construction interest and construction insurance. The HODC property across the street will be rehabbed first, and tenants of 1929 Jackson can move to 1930 Jackson during the rcnov-jtion. Nis. Tamasy stated that home funds will only be disbursed for Costs incwTcd, and Ms. Spicuzza and his. Tamasy will be monitoring costs and adjustments. if Planning & De%vlopment Committee Mecting September 10, 2007 Page 3 . The back porch must be removed and disposed of because of the presence of lead -based paint. Ald. Jean -Baptiste inquired whether the project is eligible for the Cook County Lead Abatement grant. Nis. Tamasy said they would look into the grant. The amount of square footage was discussed (1,200 sq. ft. residential space, each unit). Mr. Wolinski will find out whether the City requires di%ided plumbing for separate water meters and the cost. Aid. Bernstein moved to hold the item until a more accurate list of expenses can be submitted. This item was held until an itemized list of expenses can show: 1) an accurate cost for construction (after 3 estimates are considered), 2) lead abatement grant is determined, 3) an estimate for legal fees is submitted, and 4) an accurate estimate of water meter expense. The Committee voted by majority with one opposed, to hold this item in Committee for further information as listed above. fPQ Ordinance 84-0-07 — Srecial Use Reauest for 2428 Main Street Consideration of a recommendation from the 7_BA to approve a sper_,ial use rcouest fQr fire protxrty at 2428 Main Street to establish a Tune 2 restaurant (Samino's Pb7a). Ms. Sarah Ginsberg, architect, and Mr, Ivan Marinov, owner, were present. AId. Holmes commented that the menu is very extensive and not all Italian food, as advertised. A discussion ensued that wings were also on the menu and a wing restaurant is opening up on the same block. Mr. Marinov stated the wings are not a main dish. Ald_ Holmes also said she has a problem with the 3:00 am. closing. She asked why Mr. Marinov's Des Plaines store closed. Mr. Marinov stated that he sold it because he opened a new store in Hoffman Estates. Ald. Wollin stated that no other store is open past 11:00 p-m- She said 3.00 a.m. is extreme. She asked why so late. Air. Marinov replied that experience shows that a lot of people like to get their food late, and everyone else is closed. aid. Raincy stated that she was glad the stores were being occupied. She pointed out that Steak and Shake is open 24 hours. She stated that she is not concerned about disruption, because it is delivery only. She said she would prefer if it is "delivery only" after midnight. Aid. Jean - Baptiste said that delivery only should be a�-ailable after 11:00 p.rrL A discussion ensued regarding ha%ing pickup and delivery until 3:00 a.m.. 365 days a year, as requested The Committee generally agreed that delivery only after midnight was a good idea, to prevent loitering in the ♦icinity of the business. Aid. Bernstein suggested putting a sign in the adjacent parting lot so that police could enforce "no parking" also, after a designated hour. The owner explained that since delivery is free and there is no minimum order (delivery to be within a 3 toile radius), most people do net pick up their orders after midnight. Ald. Aloran noted that the business is modeled on deii%xn ies and that at least 95% of this business is deliveries after midnight, as confirmed by Air. Marinov. Aid. Hansen commented that 3:00 a.m. is too late for the business to be open. Mr. Wolinski, at the Committee's request, will provide the Committee with the operating hours of Dominos, Pizza Ilut and Gigio's. The Committee stressed the importance of cleaning the outside of the restaurant three times a day. Aid. Bcrnsicin commented that the purpose of the zoning ordinance is not to dictate commerce; that it is up to the business ou-ners what type of restaurant they want to open. Ald. Raincy replied that curb cuts, cumulative at%ct and waste, however, can be regulated. The Committee voted unanimously to introduce this item and refer back to Committee. (P51 Ordinance 85-0-07 — Snocial Use Reauest for 2434 Main Strut Consideration of recommendation from the ZBA to annrove a snecial use reauesi for the nrooetty at 2434 Main Street to establish a Tvne 2 restaurant (Wineston). Planning dt De.zlopmatt Committee Meeting September 10, 2007 Page 4 . sa Mr. Steve Engel, Atty., and Mr. Julius Soro, intended owner of the restaurant, were present. The "Wingstop" is to be open until midnight. Mr. Engel stated that the neatest Wingstop is in Elmwood Park, EL, that there are 550 Wingstops in the U.S. and that they are just beginning to move to IIlinois. There is one in Roselle, IL also. All product and procedures comes from Wingstop, including a highly regulated bourbon baked beans recipe. A provision in their lease prohibits other restaurants within a designated circumference from having more than 5% of their gross revenues coming from wings. It is to be a 48-seat restaurant with a Class D liquor license and take-out (no take-out of beer). Employees are to park on the cast side of the restaurant. The Committee discussed the cumulative effect of too many Type 2 restaurants, i.e. curb cuts, signagc, and litter. The importance of litter pick-up was stressed by Ald. Jean -Baptiste. The Committee discussed the issue of parking for customers and whether parking is adequate for the many cars that arc parked in the parking lot at different hours/days of the week: soccer games, shopping, Starbuck's, dine -in restaurants and other businesses. The Committee agreed to hold a meeting regarding developing a system for enforcing commercial business ordinances such as trash pick-up, parking lot maintenance, landscaping and pricing ordinances, taking the City's budget into account. Mr. Wolinski stated that there arc 32 Type 2 restaurants that are inspected every Monday by the Property Standards Department. litter problems have been brought into compliance through tickets and fines. The big shopping centers are normally inspected on a complaint basis, to allow inspectors more time to inspect residences. Mr. NVolinski stated that he and Ms. Aiello have discussed creating a commercial inspector position, whose salary would be paid by raising the business license foe. Ald. Bernstein stated that we need to mandate the ordinances that are to be enforced. Aid. Bernstein informed Mr. Engel that the approval of the special use guest could be rescinded if they do not comply with the ordinances. Mr. Soro will begin his one -month management training on Oct. 15`s, 2007. The Committee voted unanimously to approve the special use. 0 {P61 Ordinance 83-0-07 — Maior Variation Request for 125-133 Clvdc Avenue Consideration of a recommendation from the 7_BA to annrove a maior variation request for the property at 125-133 Clvde Avenue to establish two new off-street narkine spaces; Aid. Rainey stated that there is no housing behind these spaces. These is an embankment and because the president of the condo association, Matt Rodgers, is also a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, there was a 2-month delay in getting this case heard, because of the lack of a quorum when Matt had to refuse himself. Ald. Rainey also stated that there was no opposition to this issue by the public. She requested that the rules be suspended and a vote taken. The Committee voted unanimously to approve. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION Mr. Wolinski introduced Jill Chambers, the new Assistant Director of Community Development, Building and Zoning Division, replacing Carolyn Brzczinski. She was formerly a Plan Reviewer and managed the Accclla Program for the Community Development Department. The Conunittec welcomed her. fPDD Vacant Buildine Program Continued discussion of the proposed Vacant Building Proeram to arovide combination erants and loans to developers to rehab and resell vacant buildines as affordable housing. ,Additional - _ 'n otmation is transmitted herewith. Planning & DcvOcrpment Commium Meeting Page 5 • September 10, 2007 Alderman Rainey requested a special meeting to discuss foreclosure and mortgage fraud. Ald. Tisdahl stated that the Committee needs a plan and counsel from the Legal Department for gaining additional authority in dosing vacant buildings/owners and what leverage the law provides. Further questions are to be submitted to Mr. Wolinski. Aid. Holmes added that 25 of the ,%mcant buildings are in the 5'" Ward, the majority of which arc owned by out-of-state owners and/or are in foreclosure. Mr. Cox of the Legal Department will investigate. Mr. Wolinski suggested discussing this at the next Planning & Development Committee meeting. Ald. Rainey cited examples of what appears to be fraudulent collecting of rents on a building that was in foreclosure*. She hopes to learn of the City's legal recourse. Mr. Janusz cited an example of a situation where the City has was able to identify a bankrupt lender. The Committee agreed to hold a special meeting to discuss foreclosure and mortgage fraud with an authority on the lending and to discuss information provided by the Legal Deparment. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 0 Bobbie Newman 0 I r Planning & Development Committee . Minutes of September24, 2007 Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: : S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, L. Jean -Baptiste, D. Holmes, E. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne ,Staff Present:..' : J. Wolinski, A. Bishop, J. Brownlee, J. Carroll, J. Chambers, K. Cox, B. Dunkley, W. Hallen, V, Jones, G. Morgan, J. Murphy, D. Spicuaa, L. Woods Presiding Official: Alderman Hansen DECLARATION OF QUORUM Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 6:52 p.m. z° APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 10. 2007 MEETING MINUTES The minutes %%ere approved unanimously with a vote of 9-O. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (Ps) Ordinance 78-0-07 —. Amending Section 4-2-2-of the city Code to Prohibit •Windowless Steenine Rooms in New Construction Ald. Wynne moved approval, seconders by Aid. Wollin. Mr. Wolinski updated the Committee tivt at the last meeting it was the census of the Committee for staff' to come back with a recommendation. He said that staff has invited Mr. John Macsai here this evening who was the resident architect of the P&D Committee to give his opinion on the windowless bedroom issue. He noted that stairs recommendation has been stated before in that they are in favor of this amendment in new construction only. In the case of any rehab construction or any type of existing structure that will be turned into a living space, staff would not be in favor of this amendment. He e3ve the floor to Mr. hlacsai to hear his comments on this subject. Mr. Macsai introduced himself and reminded the Committee that he has testified his architectural expertise numerous times before Council in the past. He has been an Evanston resident for 35 years and has «Titten several articles for the Evanston RoundTable. He is here to give his professional architectural opinion once again to convince the committee not to allow interior windowless bedrooms in new constructK-n. Mr. Macsai stated that almost an), law eventually will be circumvented by smart architects and lawyers and he has witnessed this throughout his 50f years of practice. In fact lie feels some%%hat guilty in testif} ing because since he began practice in 1955, architects have spent much energy in cheapening and ruining the product. However in most cases it was for a good cause to alarm the growing middle classes to afford quality housing. In this he referred to eliminating bearrs. having flat concrete slabs so there %%as no space for recess light, no space for central air conditioning, there has been a change to metal studded drywall which has hurt buildings acoustically, eliminated concrete block, etc. There has also been the invention of the dD-wall fire stud wall which in fact was partly responsible for what happened with the "941" incident_ He further noted many other damaging amendments to the Planning & Development Committee Mlg. 9-24-07 Page 2 building codes that have been made over his architectural career that have affected the quality of new building construction. Nevertheless, he reiterated that the majority of these amendments were made with good faith intentions, including the windowless bedrooms. Mr. Macsai recalled that this particular code allowance was started back in [lie early 1970's when in Chicago a large number of lofts became vacant and useless and the idea of converting these spaces into living quarters became popular. He noted that most of these loft spaces had 1 ]-12' ceiling heights that would allow for lowered partition divider walls between the exterior rooms that had windows and could provide sufficient light to Ilia interior windowless space. This scenario did not really solve the ♦entilation problem, nevertheless it did somewhat satisfy Ilse legal requirement of providing fresh air. However in the case of living spaces with nor more than 8' ceiling heights, the same divider wall situation would not be acceptable, especially in new construction. He pointed out all the negatives with a room confined by being windowless including insufficient light, air and very uncomfortable living space for any human. In conclusion, Mr. Itiacsai's professional architectural opinion in that windowless bedrooms in new construction would be create a totaliY impossible and inhuman condition, not to mention the eventual negative effect it %sill create on the market for the Evanston housing stock. He proceeded to give several concrete examples of why developers are doing this type of new construction with the number one reason being economics and cutting corners to provide the ability to build a develop residential units to the maximum aniount possible within a new building de% elopment. He pointed out that with most new construction the traits are smaller and are being designed with a much shorter exterior call resulting; in a more narrow and deeper apartment multiplied by the lower floor to floor heights; and again multiplying the result by $50 per surface square foot which will allow to loser the sales price of that building by several thousand dollar per unit. This will also allow the ability to squeeze deeper and narrower apartments per floor and overall maximize the number of total units per building area. in short, the developer profits from this windowless bedroom code altov.ance. Mr. hiacsai stated that if anyone thinks that these cheaper units are going to help low income residents afford new housing, it will not. He strongly feels this class of residents also deserve better and higher quality housing and do not deserve lo►v quality construction of any sort to save the developer money in providing affordable units in their developments. He noted that the developer in this case has not offered units for low income residents but instead has bought their conscience for very little money. He urged the Committee to take his opinion into consideration for all the reasons stated and to support (Iris amendment to the current Cin. Code. With no further discussion, Chair Hansen called for a vote. The vote was 7 in favor of the motion and 2 voting nay (Bernstein, Jean -Baptiste). t' ) Ordinance 84-0-07 — St>ecial Use Request for 2428 Main Street Chair Hansen recalled that this special use is for a type 2 restaurant (Sarpino's Pica) and that this item was introduced on September 10"` and rcfcrred back to Committee for staff to provide information on the current operating hours of other pizza establishments in Evanston. She acknowledged staff's chart of pizza restaurant closing times, delivery, carryout and dining operations included in the packet material. She requested for the applicants comments at this time. Mr. Rajul Shah, representing Bond Companies & the owner of the property. He stated that this company understands the concerns of the Alderman in terms of the lateness in operating hours proposed by Sarpino's Pizza and they are ativare that the shopping center is in close proximity to Planning & Development Committce Mtg. 9-24-07 Page 3 residential areas and the concerns expressed with possible loitering in the parking lot. However, he presented a handout to the Committee for the record, illustrating his research done on his own part. This handout included a detailed chart of se%eral pizza establishments and also included the operating hours of Steak & Shake restaurant because it is less than I mile away from their location. Also included was an aerial map showing the locations of all the restaurants. Mr. Shah explained that his chart is an attempt to respond to the concerns expressed by the Committee with loitering at establishments opened with late operating hours, some also within close proximity to residential areas. First, he pointed out Steak && Shake is open 24-hours for carry -out and dine -in service but has no delivery which Ile only uses an example of a restaurant with extended hours allowing customers to be present during all times_ lie especially pointed out Domino's hours of operation which is also close to residential areas, that is open until i a.m. for deliven, and even later to 3 a.m. for carryout. Several Committee members questioned these hours of operation and were under the impression that the delivery and carryout times were the other way around in accordance with the special use provisions that were approved for Domino's. Mr. Shah assured that his information and research presented were %crbally received directly from the manager of Domino's that he personally spoke with. Mr. Wolinski responded that staff will follow up on this and if this is happening, they will enforce that the conditions under the special use permit are followed. In conclusion, Mr. Shah stated that in review of his chart, he only wanted to show other similar establishments with late hours of operation that do not have any noted issues with loitering problems. lie assured that the owners of the property are supportive of Nit. Marinov's restaurant management history and his requested hours of operation. Tlicy are willing to take full responsibility for making sure that no problems will occur with loitering or disruptiv behavior in their parking lot or affecting the residential area. Aid. Rainey stated that she was under the impression that any special use conditions are required to be included with the lease and recorded for the specific location. If not, what makes the conditions and regulations meaningful. Mr. Cox responded that the City has no real control over what is stated in the individual lease between the owner and the tenant for every special use granted. Mr. Wolinski followed tip explaining that a copy of the special use ordinance is required in every type ? restaurant for public display- He noted in the case of Domino's it is hard for staff to regular and enforce the conditions since there have been no complaints on their hours of operation or late night loitering problems. Aid. Bernstein expressed his concern with the City's ability to enforce their ordinances especially since special uses are privileges; not rights. He addressed Mr. Shah as representative of the landlord and if they would have any problems in imposing restrictions on the use of the parking tat. %fr. Shah responded that lie would agree to this condition but would need to present this request to his boss. However he foresees no problem with this and assured that they would be willing to work with Mr. Alarinov to conform to any requirements. fie also stated the landlords' awareness of the ability for Council to pull back on any special use ordinance if there are any issues or recurring problems with the use. With this said, Aid. Bernstein requested that he would life the landlord to put signage in the parking lot warning against any loitering. tie has no real problem wit the closing time as requested by the applicant. Ald. Wynne suggested that she would feel more comfortable if they required the applicant to come back after a i-year period so as the Committee could review their business over the past year and if arty' problems or issues came up within that time. Aid. Bernstein concurred. The Committee followed with discussion over an agretable time of delivery and carry -out hours. Aid. Rainey feels that any pick up/carry out after midnight would be a mistake at this location; however site sees no real problem with allowing the delivery time to 3 a.m. Aid. Bernstein again concurred. He also noted in his opinion there is more likelihood for loitering at restaurant `,, Planning & Development Committee httg. 9-24-07 Page 4 establishments that allow dining late hours or 24-hours such as Steak & Shake, which incidentally has had no problems in the past. 0 Aid. Jean -Baptiste proposed for the Ia year of operation for this restaurant that they allow delivery until 2 a.m. and pick up service until i I p.m. This proposal was agreeable by all Committee members. There .was some hesitation from Mr. Marinov at first, however he agreed to this proposal with the understanding that after 1 year he can come back to request extended hours with no problems occurring. Aid. Sean -Baptiste motioned to approve Ordinance 84-0-07 with the amendment to restrict delivery time until 2 a.m. and allow carry out until It p.m. Aid. Wynne seconded the motion and the vote was 9-0 in favor. The Committee also agreed to a 6-month period versus the I -dear originally suggested for the applicant to come back before the Committee to request extended hours of operation. Chair Hansen chose to address both items (P3) and (P4) together in light of their coinciding moratoriums for the Central Street Master Plan. The Committee members concurred. (P3) Ordinance 90-0-07 -- Extending the Moratorium for New Construction on Central St, from Ashland to 2200 Central for 120 Days (P-I) Ordinance 91-0-07 — Extendine the Moratorium for New Construction on Green Bav Road from Isabella to Lincoln for 120 Days Aid. Wynne moved approval for both ordinances, seconded by Aid, Moran. Mr. Dunkley eave an overview of where the Plan Commission and staff are with the zoning review for the Central Street Afaster PIan. He is pleased with the progress that has been made since the beginning of this zoning review process and in his opinion he would estimate the approximate time schedule for final review and a report being ready for presentation before the P&D Committee for the December meeting. He strongly supports the need for this additional time to accurately and appropriately address the fine details involved with zoning for this Master Plan. He said that absolute assurance is desired in this case to answer and address all concerns presented in hopes of resulting in a final zoning report that the community is in support of any changes that are being proposed. Mr. Dunkley informed thus far there is an agreement ott the overall rezoning coupled with a corridor wide oseriay district. He said the next phase is to go through all of the details of that overlay district to have everyone who has concerns to make sure there is an understanding of .what the implications are for property owners/busincss owners along Central Street and adjacent residential homeowners. He reiterated that the zoning review by the Plan Commission is progressing very well at this paint and is pretty conftdcnt that a final draft can be done and ready for presentation by the December 2007 meeting. Mr. Wolinski informed the Committee that there are three major development projects currently ongoing during this moratorium period that will not be effected. Those projects are the Central Street Theatre project that is progressing .with their demolition phase, the Prairie Condominiums and the rehab of the Transmission Building across from the Theatre project. Aid. Tisdahl stated that she was very optimistic about hose long this process would take for the Central Street Master Plan. She admits that the process has taken much longer than she anticipated, however from all the work invoked that she has witnessed from the beginning of this ordeal, she assures her support for staff and the Plan Commission on all their hard work and their diligence towards completion of this project. !-#4 Planning & Development Committee Mtg. 9-24-07 PaIq ge 5 Mr. Jeff Smith, 2724 Harrison, expressed his support for staffs request to extend these moratoriums to allow sufficient time to complete the zoning analysis and review for the Central Street Master Plan. He agrees with the efforts in trying to develop an ending product that is acceptable by all parties, especially the business and property owners along this corridor. He recognizes the importance of this zoning review and all the tedious work it requires by staff and the Plan Commission to complete in an appropriate manner. Mr. Smith presented a set of photos to the P&D Committee members illustrating what would be allowed to be built with the current zoning in the Central Street corridor as an example of how important this zoning review and recommended amendments will effect the area. Chair Hansen called on a vote for item (P3), Ordinance 90-0-07, the vote vvas 9-0 in favor of the motion. The vote for 91-0-07 ♦vas also 9-0 in favor of the motion. ITEIIIS FOR DISCUSSION (PDI) Vacant Building Program Mr. Wolinski introduced Atr. Jeff Murphy, Supervising Property Standards Inspeclor,ito'the Committee. He noted Mr. Murphy as the key person that has been involved with the vacant buildings and board ups throughout Evanston. Mr. Murphy gave a brief summary of the vacant building status for Evanston at this time. He stated that not all properties on the list are in a state of disrepair for example, the 3 properties listed on Leonard Place. He explained this is a case of where the owner maintains the exterior of • the properties very well but refuses to allow the inspectors entrance for an interior inspection. He stated that interior inspections are required to determine if the property is structurally fit or unsound and in need of demolition. Mr. Murphy also informed the Committee that there are a range of reasons for the basis of a prop", being left vacant by an owner. Those reasons range from foreclosure, death, seniority/inability to take care of property, mental issues, and in some caseswhere an owner may have several properties and simply chooses to keep the house vacant or used for storage, etc. In many cases, there are people that are just very difficult to work with and to encourage compliance. Aid. Bernstein asked legal staff if there is a probable clause rule that can be used to enforce a property owner to allow interior inspections or to takeover the property after being vacant for a period of time. If not, there is a need to Wak into the City having this type of power and authority legally. The Committee discussed the Rehab program, funds available and how the Vacant Building Loan program would work along «ith the current rehab program. Aid. Rainey said that she is very concerned with the current vacant building problem especially in the winter «hen these properties are attractive to squatters. She is also concerned with the funding source for this program. She questions was good will 5600,000 do «hen you look at the cost of rehabbing one multi -unit building or single-family building for that matter_ Aid. Jean -Baptiste asked what the purpose of this discussion is; there is a need for staff to clarify what exactly they are asking the Committee to consider here. Nit. Cox responded that it is helpful for legal staff to get direction on recommended options from the Committee on how they wish to proceed in taking over these vacant properties after being empty for an unacceptable period of 40 time. He will look into the suggestion of funding a probable clause ruling to gain some type of r� Planning & Development Committee Mtg. 9-24-07 Page 6 authority for the Ciry to take over some of these properties. Nis. Spicuzza said that she is looking for direction from the Committee on ways to impose making it easier for developers to obtain some of these vacant properties and apply for Vacant Building loans to rehab the properties. The Committee suggested that a good start would be the properties listed in foreclosure and owned by a bank or mortgage campanv. They would probably be the easiest properties to obtain. Aid. Moran suggested going to our State representatives and he would anticipate their interest and support in the vacant building problem. These are the people who can aid in providing the sufficient teeth needed in an ordinance to enforce the takeover of any property for unsafe ongoing conditions. Aid. Rainey suggested that staff begin with the properties as listed with banks and mortgage companies, as suggested previously, then look at properties that might be HUD owned also. It would be a good idea for staff to call the banks and companies and try to make a deal, especially the houses in foreclosure. id. lean -Baptiste asked if it is even possible with the staff available and the feasibility• in terms of staff taking on this project. Is additional staff needed? , AD,IOURNMEN*T The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m. _.. - .._ _ ...ifl; tfl;_..... Y,;i .. :'illy t, .'! /lit���'�a• :i�: Respectfully submitted. iw Jacque a Bro► inlee - - _ • _ - _r ..-- - . -_}- ._ - •- t J • 0 41 Planning & Development Committee Minutes of October 8, 2007 Room 7-200 — 7:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center i Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, L. Jean -Baptiste, D. Holmes,,-.E. Moran, A. . Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne Staff Present:' J. Wolinski, ].Aiello, J. Brownlee, J. Carroll, K.,Cox, 13.1Dunkley,,G., Morgan, D. Spicuzza Al 71 Presiding Official: Alderman Hansen ! DECLARATION OF OUORUDII Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 24.2007 MEETING MINUTES Aid. Tisdahl moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wollin. The minutes were approved with a vote of 8-0 (Aid, Moran not yet present). ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (Pl) Request for HOW Funds from HODC for S194,396 to Rehab 1929 Jackson into Two • Affordable Home Ownershin Units Chair Hansen noted that this request, approved by the Housing Commission, is from Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC) for HOME funds in the amount stated above to convert the said property into two condominium units for sale to qualified low/moderate income homebuyers for less than S140,000 per unit She reminded that this item was held by the Committee at the September 10'4 meeting requesting additional information which is addressed in the attached memorandum from staff included in Council's packet. Chair Hansen requested staff further elaborate on the additional information provided. Mr. Wolinski acknowledged the presence of Nis. Mary Ellen Tamasy, Executive Director of HODC, and Nis. Donna Spicuzza, COE Housing Planner. Both can address this matter in further detail. Ms. Spicuzza informed the Committee that she wished to address the revisions that were made to the Project Development Cost spreadsheet which a revised copy was distributed to the P&D Committee members this evening. She explained that the developer submitted this revised development budget at the request of the Committee from the September 10'b meeting. She also noted her hand-written revisions/comments on the copy included in Council's packet that she felt needed clarification were actually staff's comments. I41s. Spicuzza noted that she tried to show a match everything up on this development budget with the sources and uses. Therefore, what is shown are hard cost of S198,500 plus S19 00 for contingencies; this amount was up from the original budget of $182,000. She pointed out that these changes are both in the hard and estimated construction costs based on the estimates that the developer received from contractors. She informed that the developer will be receiving additional bids from the contractors once they . have architects drawings to get a better scope of the actual work involved. However, this was a cost that was not incurred originally. Ms. Spicuzza noted that the City's Rehab Construction P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Oct. 8, 2007 Page 2 Specialist from the Property Standards Division has also visited the property to go over the scope of work anticipated upon inspection of the building and the required rehab and construction needs to get a better estimated cost for this rehab project. In view of this, staff feels confident that the proposed budget with the contingency should cover the cost that will be needed for the rehab construction of this property. Ms. Spicuzza further explained that with the soft cost noted, she tried to lump the figures together so that it would be clearer regarding the S6,024 is for financing on the existing mortgage, which is the money the developer will be paying for principal and interest during the construction period. She continued explaining the $15,000 HODC developer fee is also separated out on the sources and uses statement which represents approximately 5.8% of the development budget. Therefore, the rest of the soft costs total $32,372; including the financing and the developer fee, this amount comes to $53,396 as shown in this proposal. Aid. Moran arrived at 7.39 p.m. Aid. Rainey questioned if HODC actually submitted these cost revisions to stag. Ms. Spicuzza assured that all revisions came from HODC and directed staff to do any hand-written changes. She confirmed that the proposed spreadsheet was prepared and submitted from HODC. Aid. Rainey still questioned what was formally submitted by HODC and where this actual documentation is because she w•outd be interested in reviewing the original papers. Ms. Tamasy responded that the original paper work and documentation was submitted to the Committee at the September 10' meeting and she reminded at that time the Committee requested HODC to come back with "better" and more detailed numbers. She stated that this revised Project Development • Costs spreadsheet is in response to P&D's request with more clearly defined and actual costs as best estimated until architectural drawings are done. Aid. Rainey noted that these revisions are higher numbers than what was presented originally. Ms. Tamasy agreed and pointed out that they also had to increase the cost to the hL�mebuyer as a result of this. Ms. Spicuzza added that they also wanted to make sure that there is enough money committed to this project, however the funds will be only be disbursed as cent are incurred and sworn statements arc received. Aid. Rainey said in her opinion, aft_r this project Council needs to look at a different approach and staff needs to seriously consider other ways to spend and use the City's affordable housing funds. She clarified that in Imking at this type of proposals in providing affordable housing for purchase, it appears to offer no options for the qualifying lowJmoderate income homebuyer to make any choices with locations caber than where the not -far -profit organizations have the opportunity to purchase these buildings in refined areas at low costs. She strongly supports the idea and concept of subsidizing tl:e individual qualifying low/moderate income homebuyer specific funds to allow then the oppotunity and option to find other possible affordable housing for sale throughout Evanston versus Ming limited to certain areas. She noted that there are only a very limited number of not -for -profit organizations that receive funding to build affordable housing that all seem to purchase buildings in the same opportune areas of the City where acquisition of properties are beneficial to the developer. She insists that the current approach is confining and bias as to where people can purchase any affordable housing in Evanston. Aid. Bernstein stated that he can support this proposal in view of the Housing Commission's approval as well as staff support. However, he raised question regarding the stated S15,000 developer's fee as the real amount in what they are profiting from this not -for -profit rehab project. He pointed out where the City is actually paying the developer's financing charges, the cost of insurance during the rehab construction period, and also paying for the property taxes P&D Committee h1tg. Minutes of Oct. 8, 2007 Page 3 • during this period as well. He summed up that in actuality; the developer is netting approximately $25,000 in funds and cost they do not have to pay. Aid. Bernstein also is very troubled by the proposed legal fees stated at 56,000. He insists that this Amount is excessive for any acquisition fees for a property of this tcpe, which he questions how the funds for this fee will be disbursed. Aid. Rainey agreed with Aid. Bernstein's concerns which also support the argument and point she is trying to make with the current provisions for affordable housing. Site clarified that it appears the middle man in affordable housing is the reason and cause that makes these affordable housing projects not so affordable. She reiterated her opinion that in consideration of the excessive cost and fees associated in paying the middle man, that the seems the affordable housing funds are being misused and abused by the not -for -profit organization which she reminded are very limited in Evanston. She again concluded that a new approach in utilizing the city's affordable housing funds might benefit in subsidizing the qualifying homebuyer individually upon needs rather than giving out these excessive amounts/dollars to the not -for -profit developer. Aid_ "*loran stated that it is obvious of the hardship in providing and developing any affordable housing here in Evanston. fie further noted that most people qualifying for first-time homeo.Amership in the low to moderate income bracket are in need of the not -for -profit organization that offer their expertise, support, education, and follow-up abilities and assistance to purchase their first home. These organizations are very valuable in what they offer and provide for such assistance to people qualifying for affordable housing. Therefore, his response to the notion of giving out individual subsidies could be detrimental and result in more harm and misuse of affordable housing funds. Aid. Moran strongly feels the developer's fees . stated'requested and any other soft cost associated with assisting the not -for -profit organization with acquisition of the property is not excessive in view of what their mission and objective is in the outcome of their efforts in providing any affordable housing anywhere in Evanston. In fact, Aid_ !Moran said that he views these developer's fees as a way or saying "thank you" and showing appreciation for their efforts instead of considering these cost as some form of taking or abusing City funds. He feels those limited number of not -for -profit organizations tttat have stride in providing affordable housing for purchase should be commended for doing a remarkable job for their relentless efforts. He also recognized these organizations have the expertise to purchase properties, convert to affordable housing and the ability to oversee the projects from beginning to end. Aid. Holmes recalled Committee discussion several months ago regarding different ways of looking at different ways for affordable housing. Her understanding from this discussion was that they were going to look at different ways in %%hich to assist citizens and individuals that quality for affordable housing. Site thought staff was going to come back with a list of options that the P&D Committee could review and consider. She agrees ►with Aid. Rainey's opinion and also feels there are other options for assistance such as down payment assistance, closing costs, etc. especially for working families qualifying for affordable housing. Mr. Wolinski recalled that several meetings ago Council passed a Do%�,n Payment Assistance Program, which is one of the extensions of affordable housing. He also recalled that the vacant building issue at that time which staff is currently working on and reformulating. He stated that the CHDO's provide a certain amount of expertise in the field of purchasing, building and providing education and assistance on affordable housing. Even though it may be possible to provide personal assistance individually and allow them the option to go out and find their own affordable housing, however in most cases the qualifying affordable housing client are not in the position nor possess the knowledge to handle the purchase or the undertaking of any rehab work that may be needed. Mr. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Oct. 8, 2007 Page A Wolinski stated that one of the positive things about working with the CHDO is that the affordable housing client is moving into rehabbed units where maintenance issues are something the homebuyer will not have to face for some time after purchase. He realizes the arguments made regarding the cost of developer fees with affordable housing., however what the CHDO's do provide is the oversight and expertise necessary for the rehab construction project. Also, except for the City's subsidy, the CHDO is taking the risk on these units because their organization is also getting private financing to do the majority of these affordable housing purchases whereas the City is more or Iess providing the gap financing. Aid. Bernstein said that he disagrees with the risk mentioned because the CHDO acquired the property with IHDA Funds and with $263,000 in additional funds. Nis. Tamasy clarified that HODC is proposing to apply for an additional $60,000 of IHDA Funds to bring into this project. Ald. Rainey said that she understands that HODC already owns this property; so the Committee questioned what the actual acquisition is. his. Tamasy explained that HODC assumed a mortgage from a private owner, the property was not in foreclosure. Therefore, Aid. Bernstein noted that HODC's actual cash out of pocket is zero so far. his. Tamasy responded that IIODC has been o►►ding and managing this property now for a number of years. She informed the Committee that the tenants are at median income so they have been breaking even with the rents they are collecting. Aid. Bernstein suggested that maybe the City should be providing the expertise for people to assist them in acquiring property because they are looking at giving $97,500 per unit. He recently looking in the newspaper and witnessed listings for 3-bedroom condos for around $165,000+, although it does not state the condition of the property. It would be more economical for the City to give $97,500 subsidy per unit directly to the qualifying homebuyer to purchase the property versus this subsidy plus the excessive cost to the developer. Aid. Bernstein clarified that he does . not want to take away from the CHDO's rank and status; however his biggest concern is providing the biggest profit and usefulness of for the City's affordable housing dollars. Aid. Rainey agreed and reiterated that this all relates to the point she was making earlier to lean towards subsidizing the individual homebuyer rather than paying the high cost to the middleman. She also reiterated her view on their system of providing affordable housing and ► ily it is not actually affordable at all. She stated that the City needs to become more "active" in the process of assisting qualifying affordable housing clients, versus being less involved in the entire process. Aid. Jean -Baptiste also agreed with Aid. Bernstein in that there is ether available affordable housing for purchase in other areas of Evanston. He informed the Committee that lie was just involved in the closing of a property on Fowler that was purchased at an affordable price. He also agrees with Aid. Rainey in that they need to become more creative in ways to provide assistance directly to the affordable housing client. He requested to Nis. Tamasy that local businesses be hired to assist in the rehab construction project for this property. Ms. Tamasy responded that they will hire as many local subcontractors as possible, however they need to have certain lead qualifications in order to work on these HUD projects. After further discussion, Aid. Rainey requested that staff provide in the form of a survey on City supported affordable housing units including how many units are vacant and the number of applicants that have applied for assistance. The Committee also requested that information be provided regarding what contractors have performed the rehabilitations of these affordable housing projects. Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Aid. Holmes. The vote was 9-0 in favor,of the motion. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Oct. 8, 2007 Page 5 (P2) Plat of Subdivision for 1613 Church Street/Church Strret Villaec. Ald. Bernstein moved approval, seconded by Aid. Jean -Baptiste. Mr. Wolinski informed the Committee that this Plat meets all City standards and the approval of the plat is just a ministerial act on behalf of the Council. Ald. Bernstein reiterated his opinion on these ministerial decisions that are brought before Council for their approval. As long as the item meets all City standards by the involved City Departments, then he views these cases as a waste of the Committee's time. fie suggests that staff look into the possibility of eliminating this step in the future if possible. Ald. Tisdahl recalled the original intent stated from the applicant was to try and give first option and special alternatives to employees of the two school districts. She asked the applicant the status of what types of buyers they have for the "sold" units. Mr. Fleckman responded that they have sold two units to District 9202 school teachers. The votewas 9-0 in favor of the motion. ADJOMN'NIENT With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:09 p-m. Respectfully submitted, • a Jacque ' e >� Brownlee 0 Planning & Development Committee Ni finutes of October 22, 2007 Room 2200 — 7:00 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: ' A. Hansen, L. Jean -Baptiste, E. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wyme Alderman Absent:' S. Bemstein, D. Holmes Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Bro%%rnlee, J. Carroll, K. Cox, S..Jamisz, D. Marino, D. Spicuzza ; .. Presiding Official: Alderman Hansen S.. DECLARATION OF OUORtTNI Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER OR, 2007 MEETING MINUTES The October 8, 2007 meeting minutes were approved unanimously with a vote of 7-0. ITEMS FOR CONSYDF,RATIOY No items listed, ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION (PD1) Staff Response to Alderman Rainev's Ouestions Concerning: Citv Supported Affordable Housine Units Chair Hansen :acknowledged staffs memorandum handed out this evening as an addendum to Council's packet information. She requested staff to elaborate on the information provided. Mr. Wolinski brought attention to the additional correspvndencelinformation handed out this evening to the Committee. First: the memorandum has an attachment listing all of the general contractors who have worked on the affordable housing projects in Evanston for the past 12 years. He noted that although staff does not have all the information for the years prior to 2000, he assured that the information provided is a pretty- good copulation. The second piece of information provided this evening is a list of properties being foreclosed on. He noted staff was anticipating on at least a few lenders being present at the meeting this evening to comment on their procedures and possible approaches to selling or disposing of these buildings, however it appears none of the lenders took up stafrs imitation. Mr. Wolinski acknowledged Mr. Janusz's efforts on putting together this listing of information F.ovided with all the addresses in Evanston that are currently owned by banks and the foreclosure status. He turned comments over to Ms. Spicuzza at this time. his. Spicuzza explained that the first part of staffs memorandum addresses the question about the number of available units that have been assisted by the City and they have been broken up, by ownership and rental units. She noted the following attached chart details the current ownership and status of each emit. She also noted that a few of the units that «•ere subject to recapture in their affordability period were sold by the original owner at market price and the City received a P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Oct_ 2?, 2007 Page 2 ' portion of the subsidy that went into that unit. Therefore, these specified units arc no longer • considered affordable. his. Spicuzza stated that the City has since changed their affordability structure to have a resale restriction now so that the unit will stay affordable and be sold at an affordable price to another income -qualified buyer. She noted that currently there are two buildings that have completed their rehab/condominium conversion work at 602 Mulford (12 units available, I I assisted and 1 being sold at market value), and the 6-unit building at 736-38 Dobson of which two prior tenants are going to purchase units leaving 4 units available for sale. Ms. Spicuzza informed that the latter building has 18 applications and ECDa will conduct an orientation meeting to talk with the applicants and proceed with reviewing submitted mortgage commitment documents. With the 602 Mulford building, the units are structured at various prices so that they are affordable to people approximately at 60% of median income with a selling price ranging from S80,000 to S160,000. She noted that 68 people have viewed the units and RPDC has received 22 applications which they feel are a good mix of income levels to be a match for the prices and units available. Ms. Spicuzza informed that there are also 3 other units that are in the beginning process of rehab which will be available for sale in the near future. . 1. Nis. Spicuzza. said the rental units currently show 7 vacant available units out of a total of 138 affordable fund assisted units. However, she brought attention to the fact that the 22-unit building at 619 Brumntel; affordability period has expired and the loan balance has been paid.ofl: Therefore these 22-units will be subtracted from the 138 total HOME assisted rental units. Nis. Spicuzza directed attention to the addendum information provided this evening, which provides a list of the general contractors who have worked on the affordable housing developments, as requested by the Committee at the October 8'h meeting. She pointed out that there are 7 contractors listed for the ownership developments of %%hick 5 are Evanston based. She reiterated Mr. Wolinski's previous comments that prior to 2000; the contractor information is 40 vague because they are no longer in the data base. She noted that in some of these projects, the general contractor has made an effort to hire focal or minority subcontractors; for instance the project at 1710-12 dodge. Mr. Wolinski mentioned the Community Builders as one of the local minority- based subcontractors that successfully contributed much of the rehab work on the Church and dodge BOOCOO project. He noted that this particular group has expressed interest in working on upcoming affordable housing projects which he ~,would support and recommend as subcontractors. He further noted that this group is also sponsored by ECDC. Nis. Spicuzza said the remainder of the memo addresses the concerns regarding the high cost of affordable housing development because of all the additional costs involved that seem to drive up the expense and create a huge need for a higher subsidy. She ~gent through the topics listed in the memo «hick briefly explain and cover specifically: The use of HOME Funds, HOME BASICS - The Home Investment Partnership Program, Down payment Assistance Program, Costs & Benefits of Affordable Housing Development, Affordable Housing Needs & Availability, and Future Planned uses of HOME Funds. Ms. Spicuzza said there are many HOME Program bonuses included and there is availability of program flexibility to fit certain community needs. She noted that the HOME Program was designed to encourage partnerships bet vicen governments and housing developers and between the public and private sector. Therefore, some of the suggested uses mentioned previously by Aid. Rainey and others, although maybe not as specific as suggested, are possibilities that can be proposed. Nis. Spicu77--i recalled comments that wcre made in response to CHDO's as developers of affordable housing and the high cost involved to subsidize their projects. Nevertheless, she supports the CHDO's experience, knowledge and assistance they provide from the range of P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Oct_ 22, 2007 Page 3 . applying for and securing HUD funds and other financial means, to their expertise in acquiring appropriate properties for rehab and the management involved over the rehab/construction process, to their expertise in assisting income -qualified clients from beginning to end in purchasing properties and continuous support to their clients. She concluded that what the CHDO's provide can not be met in the private sector. (PD2) Meetin-_ with Lenders Who Currently O►yn Vacant'Boarded Buildines Aid. Rainey asked staff to elaborate on the status of each of these properties listed on the foreclosure list handed out this evening; pointing out that most of these auction dates go back sonic time. Mr. Janusz .vent into detail as much as possible on the status of each of these buildings. In most cases, it is unclear from this list if the properly was actually sold, but the original amounts and balance due's shown may differ according to interest, late fees, legal fees or fines that accumulated by the time of sale. Aid. Jean -Baptiste said that the information provided is good but staff is unsure if the properties have even been sold therefore the accuracy of this list is questionable. Ald. Rainey suggested locking or going into "details" of the listing as illustrated on the list. Mr. Janusz informed the Committee that it is up to the institution hove long they sit on a property due to different circumstances. Aid. Tisdahl commented that she is in favor, as mentioned earlier, of placing a higher property tax on vacant boardcd buildings that have continue to sit in that state for n Iona period of time. She requested that the Law Department look into this possibility of placing these properties under a ditYcrcnt tax bracket. Mr. Wolinski noted to the Committce that currently staff is peaked out on beinsz able to do much further research of any time consuming nature, with all that is going on within the Cite and staffs work load. The Committce asked the availability of obtainin= search warrants for some of these vacant/boarded building. Mr. Janusz responded that it is possible in certain cases; usually ones that involve illegal activity similar to the situation at 309-I l Sherman. Chair Hansen made note that no lenders .%-crc available this c%cning to respond or comment on the status of their properties listed in foreclosurc. Mr_ Janusz reiterated the lenders that he had contacted to attend that the responses he received back from them, as indicated on the agenda item sheet. :old. Rainey commented on some of these Iending institutions and their bad lending practices with fraud properties that end up not being worth their selling prices, therefore leaving the properties in an abandoned state and practically «orthless to buy. Aid. Jean -Baptiste suggested that le -al staff look into the ordinance in pace in Bellwood regarding forced demolition of vacant properties. Mr. Cox responded that there is also State legislation that should be taken into consideration: ho%%ever he will research the Bellwood ordinance. :old. Rainey added that Joliet also has an ordinance to take over properties instead of demolition, which she also requested legal staff to tool: into as Mr. Wolinski assured the Committee that staff %Q1 star on tap of this issue and feel strongly that this is a very important dilemina that needs to be dealt with. He noted however, that if the City starts taking_ cvcr some of these buildir s, the amount of subsid% by the Cit} will be another issue and the qurition for each property v ill be what is the most economically feasible means of dealing with the building; demolition, rehab, etc. Aid. Rainey said if the City were to take over some of these properties. such subsidies she «ould support because we %%ould oversee the project just like the CHDO's do, without the middleman cost. She realizes that additional staff would be needed if the City were to take on this responsibility. Mr. Wetinski responded that if this case there are two different issues they need to decide «hat is more important for certain properties; to make affordable or clean up neighborhoods blighted with boarded buildings. P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Oct. 22, 2007 Page 4 ' In conclusion, Ald. Jean -Baptiste said that the City needs to be more aggressive in working with the banks to obtain some of these properties. The City needs to form relationships/partnerships with these banks as well. The Committee suggested stair working with the banks listed on the foreclosure list as a start. ADJOURNMENT The no further business, the matting %vas adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, " 'I ;•7•• 1JL.iMM-.p-r �- 1J�aW►'r�l h��� .' •f .ki Jacgu ine E Brownlee .5�� - .. <. .-�.... 'Eci 111?,I, I' .�t �J}�r.,.i' ;r°. ii• a_ .' .,- .1 ,.i:f ,'lit 1!'. }� i7: .. .'! .'_: _. .. 1S'. ._. . 1.,f a..�! • • a • L_J Planning & Development Committee Minutes of Novensber 17, 2007 Room 2200 -- 7.00 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, A. Hansen, D. Holmes, L. Jean -Baptiste, E: Moran,' `A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl, C. Wollin, M. Wynne StafPresentf J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, J. Brxmmlee, J. Chambers, K.'Cox, B.! 1>6nkley; G. Morgan, R. Russell, D. Spict>m L. Woods Presiding Official: Alderman Hansen DECLARATION OF OUORUM Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.rtt. APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER 22. 2007 &TEMING MINUTES Aid. Rainey moved approval of the October 2-1, 2007 meeting minutes, seconded by Aid; Tisdahl. The minutes were approved unanimously with a vote of 9-0. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Chair Hansen made a special acknowledgement presented by Mr. Wolinski of the single largest permit fee paid at one time since lie has been the Director of Community Development. Mr. Wolinski added that from his knowledge, that this is the largest permit fee ever paid and collected at one time. He displayed an enlarged copy of the check from Northwestern University showing the amount of SI,012,000*. The permit fee %-as for the new Molecular therapeutics & Diagnostics Building that will be built on the east side of Sheridan Road. He informed that a representative from Northwestern University came o%tr to the city as soon as they received the call from Building Division staff that the permit was ready and the final fee had been calculated. Mt. Wolinski noted that there have been larger total permit fee amounts for other major developments in Evanston, such as Sherman Plaza, hoaYver those permit fees were collected in intervals over time of lesser amounts; making this single payment for the entire permit fees for a project at one time. The Planning & Development Committee commended staff for this milestone in City of EvanstonBuilding Department history. (Pl) Request for Families in Transition Fundine from Connections for the Homeless Ald. Jean -Baptiste proved approval, seconded by Aid. Tisdahl. Chairman Hansen acknowledged Ms. Katie Patterson as the representative for Connections for the Homeless. Ms. Patterson gave a brief synopsis of their history with this client they are requesting funds to sponsor. She noted that the client is a single mother with a 4-year old daughter whom their organization has had the opp-cenuriity to build a close relationship with since March of 2004. This client was in their Transitional Housing Program for 2 years from March 2004 until March of 2006 in which she made sirmifizant progress. Connections for the Homeless subsequently continued assisting this client by sponsoring her in the FIT Program from April 2006 until May 2007. During this period of FIT Wnsonship, the client made even more progress by obtaining a better paying job, establishing stable daycare for her daughter, and attending college classes as well. Ms. Patterson explained tbat at the expiration of this Fit sponsorship in May 2007, the client decided not to renew her lease and made plans to move to Georgia where P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Nov. 12, 2007 Page 2 she thought to have a stronger support network. However these plans did not succeed and the client has since been staying with several family members in the area. In conclusion, Ms. Patterson stated that their organization would like to continue supporting this client and recommend a second year for FIT funding because of the noted significant progress made by this individual. Ald. Rainey asked if the client has found an apartment in their affordable cost range and if so, where is it located. Nis. Patterson responded that housing has been found in the area of Custer Avenue. Ald. Rainey expressed her concern with the exact building which the apartment is located in, since it is in her Ward and has the awareness of certain buildings and landlords that she would be worried about taking advantage of a tenant in such a special situation. She requested that Nis. Patterson meet with her directly after this meeting to discuss the specific apartment location for her assurance that proper housing is given in this case. Aid. Rainey noted that she has confidence in Connections for the Homeless in doing a background check on the building and landlord history, however she would like to assist and offer input if necessary on situations within her Ward that she might have additional knowledge on insight on that might not become aware from a regular background check. Ms. Patterson agreed. The rote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. (P2) Reauest for Additional Funds from Reba Place Development Comoration for Rehab of 602 Mulford Aid. Moran moved approval, seconded by Aid. Wynne. Ms. Mary Goering, Project Manager for the 602 Mulford Project spoke on behalf of RPDC and acknowledged the presence of several of their Board members as well. She explained that the City Code has changed since the beginning of their mb3b/condominium conversion project. RPDC is requesting S80, 0000 in additional HOME funds to help cover the cost to install the required fire -suppression sprinkler system. She noted that this money would only help with the hard cost but them are extra costs involved that come to approximately $200,000. She informed the Committee that two other sources of funding besides these HOME funds requested have been pursued and approved from the Federal Home Loan Bank and Illinois Housing Development Authority. Aid. Rainey brought attention to the fact that the cost listed per square foot for these units are higher and more costly, compared to larger condominium conversions with units valued at S400,000+. Therefore, it appears this affordable housing project per unit cost more than what is cost to rehab condo units for sale at market value. Again, Ald. Rainey reiterated her concern stated all along with the high cost of these affordable housing projects managed by not -for -profit organizations. She stressed the importance of the City finding other ways to provide affordable housing because this way is much too costly. Aid. Rainey also noted that she has talked with the tenants of the neighboring building that are complaining about the landscaping and the hideous conditions that they have had to deal with since the beginning of this project. She requested that this developer at least clean up the entire site to make it presentable for the other residents of this block as a courtesy since they keep their properties neat and presentable. Aid. Holmes mentioned her understanding in that as a condition nith these units, the buyer will be contributing to the landscaping of this building and that is why nothing has been done yet until the buyers start to purchase and move into the units. Ms. Goering agreed and explained further this condition that will be part of the purchase of these affordable r P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of Nov. 12, 2007 Page 3 units. She said that it will be a unified effort by the unit owners to contribute so much man time to the landscaping of this building. Aid. Rainey said that is a separate issue from simply cleaning up the mess that remains there and make the grounds at least presentable for the neighborhood. This clean up has nothing to do with their final landscaping plans. Aid. Wynne asked if there have been any closings scheduled to date for any of the 12 units. Mr. Goering responded that there are 6 contracts out at present, however things were held up due to the last stage of II-1:DA negotiations and approvals, which came through in mid September and RPDC has just received 1HDA's commitment letter. She stated that those units that were completed and ready for occupancy approximately a half year ago, RPDC is now free to issue contract to the buyers and move forward from there. She said that 13 completed applications of income -qualified buyers have been received and a few more applications are in process. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION (PDI) Review of the Zonine Ordinance Ms. Aiello opened comment by giving a chronology of what the staff' team has accomplished since they began meeting and discussing the goals and strategic approach for an update to the Zoning Ordinance. She suggests that the Zoning Board of Appeals take on this project of updating the Zoning Ordinance once recognized as an established board for the Zoning Ordinance in the City Code. She noted that the Team has come up with two different strategies, A and S, as described in staffs memorandum. The Team has suggested that phases 1 and 2 be done concurrently followed by phase 3, which involves the review of the larger citywide issues that may require additional study. She turned comment over to Mr. Dunkley to explain in further detail the three phases and the appendix summary of issues. Mr. Dunkley explained the phases in more detail. He pointed out that phase 3 is likely to be more costly and extensive with larger concepts to deal with. He went through the highlights of the summary of issues beginning with Phase 1: Special Use Expiration dates, of the "ZBA Creation" being the Zoning Board of Appeals is not currently recognized as an established board in the zoning ordinance, as stated earlier by Ms. Aiello, and the types of major variations and special uses such as air conditions and additional to non -conforming structures that could be done administratively. Aid. Rainey pointed out that some air conditioning unit variations tan be very controversial and might require more review. Ms. Aiello responded that these variations can still be done administratively to go before the P&D Committee for final review. Also, staff has recommended that restaurant classifications should be revised due to the trend in "quick casual" dining. The recommendation is that table service only be considered as a type I restaurant. Aid. Rainey mentioned that it is very important and depends a lot on restaurant location in this case as well. Aid. TisdahI said that she is interested in form -based coding, and asked what phase this matter would be considered. Ms. Aiello suggested phase 3. Aid. Tisdahl said that she would like to avoid consultant input with this issue. The Committee wanted to know which cases are dominating of the Zoning Board's time. Staff' responded that Air conditioning units and type 2 restaurants are the main cases that come before the Zoning Board. That is why staff would like to see many of these cases be done administratively. P&D Committee Mtg. • • Minutes of Nov. 12, 20D7 Page 4 Ald. Moran stressed the importance of making people be accountable and requiring that the Zoning Ordinance be foPowed accordingly. Ms. Aiello said that would be the ideal however with ever changing technology, this has been one of the biggest issues in following the Zoning Ordinance to the letter. Alai Wollin expressed her concern with actually getting a wide diverse input with the downtown plan because it seemed like the same people attended all the neighborhood meetings in the different neighborhoods. Mr. Dunkley finished explammion of the Implementation Process. Mr. Wolinski added that the phase 3 list is not conclusive because staff realizes that this phase will take on the more extensive items, some continuing from phases I and 2 for further review. Ms. Aiello noted that staff is not asking for the Planning & Development Committee's approval this evening but instead are hooking for a consensus of the Committee on how the would prefer to proceed with the Zoning Ordnance Review; either by Strategy A or Strategy B. Upon this, she said that staff can then more forward and send out and RFP for the Legal staff consultant. The consensus of the Committee was in favor of Strategy A as staff recommends. Mr. Jeff Smith reminded the Committee that the moratorium is going to expire on the Central Street plan very soon, so it is imperative to move forward quickly with the implementation of the recommended zoning changes for Central Street. He agrees with minimizing consultant input at this time due to cost and time constraints. He has much confidence in staffs ability and expertise to complete this stage writhemt consultant input. He also agrees with air conditioners; at least most, do not need to go as major variations and can be done administratively. ADJOURNMENT Jacq�ine Brownlee r Planning & Development Committee Minutes of November 26, 2007 Room 2200 — 7:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present:' S. Bernstein, D. Holmes, A. Hansen, E. Moran, A. Rainey, E. Tisdahl; C. Wollin, M. Wynne Alderman Absent: L. Jean -Baptiste Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Brownlee; J. Carroll, K. Cox,, S.' Janusz; D:, Marino,: D. Spicuzza Presiding Official: Alderman Hansen DECLARATION OF OUORUNI ' - .4. �� t Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 7:58 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE TOVEN!'BER 12. 2007 MEETING MINUTES ' Aid. Wynne moved approval of the November 12, 2007 meeting minutes, "seconded by Aid. Tisdahl. The minutes were approved with a vote of 9-0. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION 3 ;fill~ (P1) Ordinance 103-0-07 — 95-Dav Extension of the Downtown Moratorium Aid. Wynne moved approval of Ordinance 10343-07, seconded by Aid. Tisdahl. f Aid. Holmes expressed that she is not in favor of extending this moratorium. She acknowledged her original position being in support of having a moratorium in the downtovm district while the Downtown Plan Update was under review in order to give the consultants adequate time as well as staff and the Plan Commission time to re%icw and hold public hearings. Her understanding was that this process for the Downtown Plan would be deliberated at an accelerated pace in which the original moratorium period should have given sufficient time. Aid. Holmes strongly feels this Plan needs to move ahead as quickly as possible. She said that she could possibly support no more than 30 days but 95 days is not acceptable in her opinion. Aid. Tisdahl agreed that 30 days would be more acceptable in her mind as well other than the 95 days as proposed. Aid. NVollin pointed out that this requested extension period does not even include the time needed for the zoning review. With this in mind, she would have to agree with Aid. Holmes Position, Mr. Marino informed the Committee that on November e, the Plan Commission met for 4 hours and he expects another d hour meeting tomorrow evening. He supported the Plan Commission and their need for this suggested time extension to finalize their formal review. A draft document covering the scope of work of the planning process has been completed and the special meeting 0 tomorrow evening will cover comments in all aspects of the Platt as well as allow time for citizen .• P&D Comminee Meeting Minutes of Nov. 26, 2007 Page 2 comments. Mr. Marino stated it is assumable that the Plan Commission will finish this review process in December, however the current moratorium will expire on December 8, 2007. 0 Aid. Bernstein stated, in his opinion, this moratorium is really moot considering that the 3 most offensive downtown developments are already in the process. He recalled his initial disapproval of this moratorium for this reason. Aid. Wynne brought to attention that the next 6-8 weeks will be a very busy schedule with the holidays, the upcoming budget season, as well as other important issues coming out of the Plan Commission. She feels this requested time will be needed because of the importance of this matter which should not be rushed into. She is willing to accept and support the 95-days as requested. Aid. Moran agreed with Aid. Wynne and supports the 95-day extension. He said it is imperative that sufficient time be given to adequately review all issues and give considerate time to hear public comments. He stressed that there is no way the Plan Commission can handle this within 30 or 60 days to make a final draft of the Plan. He feels there is a general sense from the community that this moratorium is of significance. He concluded that the requested 95-days is not unrealistic. Aid. Holmes clarified that she is against cutting citizen input short, however at this point, many of the concerns expressed by the public have been heard before at neighborhood meetings, and therefore there is no time for repetitive comments or lengthy dialogue. She feels the Plan Commission needs to do -vhat ever they need to do to move ahead expeditiously at this time to bring closure to this process. • Aid. Bernstein said that he really likes what has happened to the downtown area over the past few years. He noted that it is obvious there will not be a "3-story" downtown area anymore. He said many thought that this moratorium would not let in the proposed 42-story building under review right now with the Plan Commission, however that did not happen. He reiterated his position being against this moratorium from the beginning and sees no sense in it now. Chair Hansen said that she is certain the 95 days will be needed in order to complete this Plan. She supports this request and feels it is not an unreasonable length of time in view of the matter at hand. Aid. Rainey said that she has witnessed very harsh comments from the public regarding this Downtown Plan as presented and was very surprised with many of the viewpoints. With this in mind, she said it is obvious more time is needed to fully address all the issues carefully. However she is against supporting any additional moratorium extensions. With the mixed opinions and -,-iews expressed, Chair Hanson took a role call for the votes Ald. Wollin — no, Aid. Ti-dahl — yes, Aid. Moran — yes, Aid. Holmes — no, Aid. Rainey — no, Aid. Bernstein — no, Aid. Wynne — yes, Chair Hansen — yes. The vote was 44. The consensus of the Committee was to move this forward to Council with no recommendation. • • • 0 P&D Committee Meeting Minutes of Nov. 26, 2007 Page 3 COZ4tHIUNICATIONS (PDl) Ursdate of the Do►►,nto►►-n plan Mr. Marino informed the Committee that at this point, the Plan Commission has been holding public hearings and there is more agreement than disagreement expresses between the members, staff, the consultants, and seemingly with the public. One of the positive issues has been regarding the re -alignment of several streets and changing some of the one -ways back to two-way streets. One of the main controversial issues has been with development frame►►•orks such as height, density, etc. He noted that tomorrow evenings meeting will begin with a presentation on the Real Estate Nlarkct Analysis; approximately for the first 45 minutes followed by approximately 3 hours devoted to citizen comments after a brief presentation from the consultants. Ms. Anne Dienner requested to comment. In summary, her opinion is the expectation of this Plan is to cover the next 20-50 years and because of this, it deserves as much adequate time needed to address all issues involved. Aid. Rainey responded that she wish this was correct, but realistically the next generation can easily come along and amend this Plan. For instance, she reminded that they are now considering mvishing amending the Zoning Ordinance from the amendments that were made back in 1994. ADJOURNMENT The meeting ►vas adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, r .lac elin6E. Brownlee Planning & Development Committee 51inutes of December 10, 2007 Room 2200 — 6:30 p.m. Evanston Civic Center Alderman Present: S. Bernstein, D. Holmes, A. Hansen, L. Jean —Baptiste,: E:: Moran; A. Rainey, F_ TisdahI, C. Woilin.14.1Vynne Staff Present: J. Wolinski, J. Aiello, J. Bro-wrilee, J. Burke, J. Carroll, J. Chambers, K. Cox, R. Dahal, B. Dornaker, D. Jennings, D. Marino, Presiding Official: Alderman Hansen DECLARATION OF OUORU1%1 _ .. Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE NOVF.MBER 26.2007 AIEETINC MINUTES Aid. Rainey moved approval of the November 216, 2007 meeting minutes, seconded by Aid. Wynne. The minutes Nvcre approved with a vote of 8-0 (Aid. Bernstein not yet arrived). ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION (P I I Ordinance 1 OQ-0-07 — 93, Dav Extension of the Downtown Moratorium Aid. Wollin said that she first did not support an extension of the downtown moratorium, however after watching the Plan Commission meeting on television, she can understand the need for more time to discuss and deliberate on the items still remaining to review. Aid. Jean -Baptiste said that they are looking at least another 6.8 months total before : the finalization of this plan, including zoning revie►s• %vhich should promote more office and business development over any new condominium development. Aid. Rainey agreed with Aid_ Jean -Baptiste that this process to finalize the downtown plan could take up to a year lone from now. She feels an extension to this moratorium will only send a negative effect and message over .%hat is happening in the downtown area at this time. The downtown is vibrant and exciting which is attracting more business and retail to tic area. She feels it mould not be fair to exclude certain types of development and would not be willing to support any plan that encourages such. Aid. Wynne said that she: still supports the extension of this moratorium because it is necessary for the Plan Commission to have this needed time for proper deliberation of the remaining issues they need to reviciv- Aid. Hohnes said the downtown area moratorium is much different that the neighborhood moratoriums because it is more diversely used and belongs to all residents of Evanston. She reiterated her position from the beginning that she is still not willing to support this moratorium and any extension of it. Aid. Tisdahl expressed that she is willing to support the 93 days but absolutely no time beyond that. P&D Committee Altg. Minutes of 17J10/07 Page 2 Aid. Jean -Baptiste clarified that when he referred to slowing down on any new condo development is because the market is not doing very good at this time and there still remains an abundance of new empty, unsold condominiums. He stressed that even 95 days is not a realistic time to finalize the plan with the inclusion of the zoning review. He reiterated that it would be beneficial for the economy in Evanston and the downtown area to attract more retail and business uses and any zoning amendments should promote these uses. Ms. Carroll expressed that she would be eery concerned with equal protection issues, therefore she would not encourage differentiating between residential and commercial development. Aid. Wollin agreed with the City ,tanager's position and she also agrees v►ith Ald. Tisdahl that she is not willing to extend any more time pass this requesied extension period. She said, however that she has not heard or is expecting any new office development in the near future and questioned if staff has heard of any future proposals. Mr. Wolinski responded that they are not expecting any new developments with office use only, however there are several residential developments with commercial/retail on the first floor. Aid. Jean -Baptiste asked Air. Wolinski what staffs projection is of time with all the Committee meeting expected to get through the Downtown Plan process. Mr. Woliaski responded that this would depend on the discretion of the Committee Chair on how they want to handle the allowable length of time for citizen comments, additional Consultant presentations and involvement, etc. Aid. Tisdahi requested staff to have all the Plan Commission transcripts up-to-date, forwarded to the PIanning & Development Committee members for review; this could help eliminate a lot of repetitive citizen comments and testimony. Aid. Rainey said that they may need to allow citizen comments, regardless of whether they testified at the Plan Commission hearings, because some comments could pertain to discussion that occur at those meetings. Aid. Jean -Baptiste suggested that there needs to be some type of compromise be made and clarified from the beginning of Planning & Development's consideration of the Downtown Plan. With no further discussion, the vote was 5-3 in favor of approving the 93 Day Extension of the Downtown Moratorium. Voting Aye: Chair Hansen, Aid. Jean -Baptiste, Aid. Wynne, Aid. Moran, Aid. Tisdahl, Aid. Rollin. Voting Nay: Aid. Holmes, Aid. Rainey, Aid. Moran. (Aid. Bernstein had not yet arrived.) (P2) Reouest for an Extension of Planned Development Ordinance 57-0-05 — 1603.1629 Orrington Avenue Mr. David Reitman from DLA Piper US LLP, representing the owners of the property, addressed the P&D Committee. He explains that they first appeared before this Committee on April 11, 2007 to discuss extending the January 14. 2008 construction completion date stated in Ordinance 57-0-05. Since the April 116 meetinE date. they have had several meetings and discussions with City staff regarding further development of the original plan; presenting and revised site plan and a proposal for a cost sharing mechanism in which the City would participate in the cost to relocate the existing access ramp_ Mr. Rcifman assured the Committee that they are still working very strenuously with the City to finalize these outstanding issues. He requested on behalf of the owner, for an extension date of to April 30, 2008 to allow ample to complete and finalize the mentioned items. Aid. Bernstein arrived at 7:25 p.m. Ly ' • r P&D Committee Mtg. = Minutes of 12/10107 Page 3 Mr. Wolinski reminded the Committee that the January I4* expiration dote is four days after their first meeting in January, 2008. Some discussion and questions followed from the P&D Committee members. Several questions were asked about the amended site plan and the specific chances that were made. The architect pointed out the changes, as bulleted in the letter dated December 6, 2007 from Mr. Rcifman. He noted the slight difference in configuration of the ground floor commercial space from the original PD, the addition of 4 parking spaces; equaling 24 versus 20 in the original PD, proposed relocation site of the existing parking garage ramp on Otrington, and the construction of 18 on -street parking spaces versus the 12 permitted in the original PD. They are also requesting the release of the condition to construct a one story at grade link between the 1603 and 1629 Otrington buildings. Aid. Moran reiterated his concerns from the introduction of this project with regards to density and air flow for the intersection. Therefom he could not support any extension for this proposal. Aid. Wynne moved approval, seconded by Aid. Rainey. The vote was 8 In favor and I voting nay (Aid. Moran). Mr. Wolinski alerted the Committee that the PIanned Development construction period for the 1700 Central Street development will expire soon and suggested that this item be considered for their first or second meeting in January, 2008. (P3) Ordinance 108-0-07 — Special use Request for 809 Davis Street Aid. Wollin moved approval, seconded by Aid. Moran. Tile applicant and general manager, ]fir. Stephen Lee, for the type 2 restaurant named Red Mango was in attendance. Aid. Bernstein stated that he has no problem with this business going into the Sherman Plaza building. He asked the hours of operation and if any actual cooking will be done on the premises. Mr. Lee responded the hours of operation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. and their business requires no cooking on site. He informed the main menu items are liquids and frozen smoothies and yogurts. Aid. Bernstein requested that the condition to have no cooking on the premises be included as a condition with the Special Use. Mr. Cox assured that this has already by done. Mr. Lee assured the Committee that he has been made aware from the Zoning Board of the compliance regulations with the litter collection policy and garbage pick-up plan. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. Aid. Wollin requested to suspend the rules for this business since Council will not meet again for over a month from now. The other Committee members concurred. (P4) Resolution 69-R-07 -- Honorary Street Name Sign "Dr. Mike Martin Drive" Aid. Wynne moved approval. seconded by aid. Rainey. The vote was 9-0 in favor of the motion. ITENIS FOR DISCUSSION Chair Hansen made an announcement regarding item {PD3} "Foreclosed Propett} Presentation"; that the representative from Washington Mutual cancelled. Aid. Rainey added that it is probably P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 12/10/07 Page 4 .— due to the closing of ali their Savings & Loan Offices that recently took effect. She noted that . this will affect many E%•anston home owners. She also informed the Committee that Fannie hlae announced that they rill be charging a finance surcharge which will also have a tremendous effect on their loans from here on out. (PDD Staff Reauest for a Reference to the Plan Commission to Amend the Zoning Ordinance to Enable the Zoning Board of Anneals to Conduct Hearings and make Recommendations on Text Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance Mr. Wolinski opened comment recalling the discussion which occurred at the November 26, 2007ff P&D Committee meeting whereas starequested for a reference to the Plan Commission to amend the Zoning Ordinance to enable the Zoning Board of Appeals to conduct hearing and make recommendation on text amendments with the forthcoming update of the Zoning Ordinance. Staff is requesting the Planning & Development Committee for their approval to support staffs recommendation as mentioned. He recalled discussion at the November 26e' meeting when staff gave a presentation outlining to strategies (A & B), which die Committee supported staffs recommended approach with strategy B. Mr. Wolinski noted that stratM_ - B recommends a 3 phase approach and he %vent through the summary of issues as outlined in the appendix to staffs memorandum. Aid. Tisdahl disagreed %+•ith a/c units Icing considered as minor variations due to the many discrepancies it has caused with several of her constituents and other cases she has heard of that have caused conflict between neighbors. These a/c units can be very detrimental to neighboring properties in many cases. Therefore, she feels a/c units should retrain as major variation cases. Staff responded to Aid_ Tisdahl's concerns and explained the process where the property osier can appeal the Zoning Administrator's decision if the matter is not satisfied at this level. Because . there are so many of these cases, staff feels administrative reviews would relieve the ZBA's load and only forward appeals to them. Staff finished their summary of the appendix list. In conclusion, staff requested die Committee's support and approval to make a reference to the Plan Commission as noted above. Aid. Dloran moved to support staffs request, seconded by Aid. Rainey. The vote %vas 9-0 in favor of the motion. (PD'_) Presentation of Dou•nto%vn Traffic Model by Consultants T.Y. Lvn and John LaPlanie Mr. Marino made opening comments siating that the Downtown Traffic Model provides an overview of current conditions, the impact of proposed and approved development projects and includes recommendations from the can_=ultant. Mr. Dahal introduced the consultants Mr. John LaPlante and Air. Tim Gustafson. Mr. LaPlante gave a pe%%er point present -.ion including example diagrams with moving vehicles at specific problem inte-•:ections. The presentation covered the 1. Purpose of this Do%%nto%%r Traffic Model Update; r. as Model O%•ervie%v demonstrating level of service intervals at signalized intersections; 3. Traffic Input covering sipal timing information, street configurations, appro%ed developments and proposed developments; -.Scenario Results demonstrating total net%%ork performances for different scenarios; 5. Simulations; concluding with 6. Preliminary Recommendations for the follo►ving irarrsections: Chicago Avenue/Sheridan Road, Ridge Avenue -'Emerson Street. Ridge Avenue/Church Street, and Benson Avenue/Elgin Road. 0 P&D Committee Mtg. Minutes of 12/10:'07 Page S The Planning & Development Committee members thanked the consultants and commended all their work presented. The Committee supported the recommendations made by the consultants. ADJOURNAIEN'T With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Respectfully submitted, �\— rl ► ��-1'Y► R Jacqu the i� Bro..ztlee • 0