Making the proposed Oakton Historic District a reality could take one to four years, assuming the community still backs the plan, its supporters said Sunday.
Jack Weiss, 62, of the 1100 block of Mulford Street, said he will spend the next few months contacting residents who voiced concerns about the district at a Nov. 1 community meeting. District proponents then will distribute a newsletter to community members outlining their responses to the points raised at the meeting.
A second community meeting to discuss the district has been scheduled tentatively for sometime in January, Weiss said. If the community favors the district at that point, Weiss said he and others will begin documenting the historic elements of each house in the district. Then they will use this information to apply to become a national historic district. They also will attempt to have the area declared a local historic district.
Weiss has said he will not pursue the historic district project without “overwhelming support” from the community. District supporters say they are not worried by the number of concerns raised in recent weeks.
“The fact that these people ask questions means they’re involved,” said Evanston resident Vito Brugliera, McCormick ’55. “The dialogue will be good. It will make the community a little more cohesive, and people will get to know one another.”
The proposed district would be bound by Oakton and Howard streets and Ridge and Asbury avenues. It would become the fourth local historic district in Evanston.
One advantage of historic district status is an eight-year “tax freeze” for residents in the district who do restoration projects on the exterior of their homes, Brugliera said.
The “tax freeze” helps residents because the assessed value of their homes remains the same for eight years, while those who live outside historic districts or don’t participate in such projects have to have their homes reassessed every three years. In order to qualify for the “tax freeze,” residents must spend at least a quarter of the assessed value of their houses during the project.
When the freeze ends, the value of an improved house gradually is increased to market value over four years.
The idea that the freeze drains valuable dollars from the Evanston tax base is misguided, Brugliera said.
“(The city) more than makes up for it at the end of 12 years,” he said.
Other residents are not as convinced that the “tax freeze” will be such a benefit.
“Most of these are very modest homes,” said Evanston resident Tad Gage, Medill ’77 and ’78. “It’s very difficult to do 25 percent of the (assessed value).”
Advocates of the district have stressed the historic value of the bungalow, the area’s chief architectural feature. The bungalow is a one-and-a-half story building constructed principally of brick and limestone with large basements and great numbers of windows in most rooms. It was a popular home design in the Chicago area in the 1920s.
“A lot of these bungalows have not been butchered,” Brugliera said.
Gage agreed that there are many historic elements in the area but said the addition of condos and various changes to houses raise some doubt in his mind about whether the historic district designation is appropriate.
“Yes, (the neighborhood) still has a lot of character,” he said. “But it’s far from pristine.”
