Some people in Evanston are pressuring Northwestern to fork over money for fire and police services; others are pressuring NU to surrender some of its buildings to the rule of a preservation commission.

Evanston should focus on the more pressing issue — the debate over the historic district — and let the debate over Fair Share fade into the distance. Trying to make progress on both issues simultaneously will not work. The issues could become clouded, and focusing on too much at once could be counterproductive.

After all, everyone knows the university and town have squabbled and whined over Fair Share for ages now. If Evanston and NU haven’t even been able to settle this pesky issue in the past 100 years, there is no way they will be able to settle it — plus another issue — this year.

The latest plea from Evanston residents — a March vote asking City Council to step up its efforts — is just one stop on a long train ride to nowhere.

The historic district debate was flung into the mix in October, and will go before Evanston City Council in May. It needs to be dealt with now; in 100 years the buildings in the proposed district could be damaged or gone.

The debate also influences potential homeowners in the proposed district. Prospective homeowners should know if a home will be subject to strict guidelines for minor repairs.

If this debate is drawn out, movement into the area could drop.

Some residents and experts say the historic district is needed to preserve architectural and structural features unique to the area. But many other residents and experts disagree.

By creating a historic district that includes NU buildings, any decision about renovations to the buildings becomes part of a political struggle. And the thought of more political struggles already has NU administrators worried.

Just a few weeks ago, University President Henry Bienen wrote a letter to 10,600 members of the NU community asking them to write their aldermen in protest of the historic district. Bienen usually does not write letters just to say, “Hi, kids, just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you. Hope your day is going well.” He means business on this historic district stuff. This issue is huge, and NU is not going to sit around and wait for Evanston to get its act together.

So, Evanston, let go of Fair Share for now. Get nitty-gritty serious about finding a real solution to the more immediate issue at hand. The historic district is too important to be written off as another part of the town-gown debate.