By Andrea CastilloThe Daily Northwestern

City officials and residents discussed plans to promote new business and residential development along Central Street in northwest Evanston during a community workshop Thursday night.

The main concern for citizens living along Central Street was development near the triangle formed by Gross Point Road and Central and Crawford streets in an area known by some as the “gateway of Evanston.”

“An issue is the types of businesses going in west of Hartrey (Avenue),” said Bobbie Newman, executive secretary for the city’s planning division. “(People) want more fun shops.”

Many residents said during the meeting that they felt the development had become unsightly. Some suggested including more landscaping and limiting the height of buildings.

Outlining a plan for the entire community before building would alleviate the concerns of residents, said Evanston Planning Division Director Dennis Marino.

“We got tired of developing each parcel of the city individually,” Marino said. “We wanted to have a plan so we don’t have a debate every time a building went up.”

John LaMotte, a consultant with The Lakota Group, suggested a number of changes to spur development, such as creating 18-foot-wide alleys to provide more space, establishing 15-minute parking zones in certain retail zones and improving crosswalks.

A ban on new construction is already in effect along Central Street as a blueprint while future growth is finalized.

Northwest Evanston resident Ron Danholt said any new development in the commercial district of Central Street west of Hartrey Avenue could push out small businesses.

“I understand there’s a desire not to change the character of Central so dramatically,” he said. “So on one hand, we (don’t want) only Fortune 500 companies to come in. … The danger on the other (hand) is we demand so much of the developers that when buildings get outdated, there’s no incentive to move in.”

Reach Andrea Castillo at [email protected].