Evanston’s Zoning Committee voted 2-1 Tuesday to recommend that the city rezone a business district around Main Street and Chicago Avenue to limit construction of tall buildings to the downtown area.
The proposal will be presented to the Plan Commission on Feb. 11 and, if approved, to the Planning and Development Committee in mid-March. However, commission members said there is an urgent need to change the district from its zoning status as a large business district to a mixed-commercial designation, which has shorter caps on building size.
Those proposing the change have said several recently constructed condominium buildings now tower over the community and cause increased crowding.
The Zoning Committee members will urge aldermen on the Planning and Development Committee to prevent a “canyon effect” of tall buildings in an area on Main between Hinman and Chicago avenues.
Zoning Committee Chairman Stephen Knutson dissented with his committee on the issue of how tall buildings should be in the area, but he agreed that the zoning needs to be changed.
“We think it was an oversight,” he said. “It wasn’t dealt with like the rest of (the area).”
Evanston City Council placed a building ban on the Third Ward, which includes the disputed area, and will vote to extend the moratorium 90 days at its Feb. 9 meeting. If aldermen support the extension, they would have until May to change the zoning before any more construction begins.
Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) was present at the meeting but could not speak during the hearing. She was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
The proposed zoning change would cap the building height at 67 feet. Committee member Doug Doetsch said the cap would prevent buildings from reaching zoning limits of up to 125 feet.
“Any consistency up Chicago is important,” he said. “The street is an entrance to the city.”
Knutson, who lives in the neighborhood, said he disagreed with Doetsch and would like to see large housing and shopping complexes.
“This neighborhood needs some pizazz,” Knutson said.
Doetsch proposed that aldermen on the Planning and Development Committee set a limit on the height of construction but still consider the possibility of making exceptions, if a proposed project is worthwhile. He said having a strict rule is not necessarily the best approach.
“Every solution that we’ve talked about has yet another problem,” Doetsch said. “I guess what I’m saying is, nothing’s perfect.”
