By Vincent Bradshaw and Matt PresserThe Daily Northwestern
One month ago, the Evanston City Council approved an inclusionary housing ordinance, ending three years of debate for affordable housing.
Monday night, the aldermen could revise the ordinance and reintroduce items that were removed from the final draft that passed at the Oct. 23 meeting. The amendments appear to be an attempt to create affordable and regularly priced housing units within the same compound – a stipulation that was removed from the original proposal.
Ald. Anjana Hansen (9th), who proposed the amendments be considered tonight, is suggesting that 10 percent of the units be reserved on-site for families making less than the area median income. For an Evanston household of four, the median income is $72,400, according the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Hansen also suggests that developers be given the option to pay $40,000 per affordable unit instead of building on-site units. The money would be deposited into an affordable housing fund. Aldermen would be required to review the fee-in-lieu annually.
The proposed amendments also allow developers to take an “alternative equivalent action,” such as paying for off-site affordable housing construction or for the dedication of vacant land.
If the proposed amendments present a financial burden, the developer can appeal to create fewer affordable units or for a reduced in-lieu payment.
The proposed amendments closely mirror the original inclusionary housing proposal before it was amended to its final version during the October meeting. As it stands, the ordinance requires that future developers pay $40,000 times 10 percent of the entire housing stock into a fund. It does not require any affordable housing to be built as part of the housing stock.
Before aldermen amended and passed the ordinance, it included language that allowed developers to choose whether to build property on-site or pay a fee. After that meeting, Hansen told The Daily she was against the changes but that she voted in favor of it so that Evanston would have an ordinance.
Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste (2nd), who proposed much of the final ordinance, declined to say what he thought about the changes until the council meets tonight. He did say, however, that the council has time to make changes. Ald. Hansen could not comment on the issue Sunday evening.
Ald. Edmund Moran (6th) said he plans to suggest that on-site affordable housing be mandatory.
“I think Ald. Hansen has done a very good thing in reintroducing the concept of inclusionary housing back into the inclusionary housing ordinance,” he said.
Aldermen also will discuss a recommendation by the Plan Commission to create regulations for the location and appearance of solar panels Monday night.
The proposed amendment addresses the location of solar panels, including making allowances for roof-mounted solar panel installations so long as they aren’t visible from the street.
“The question is about the aesthetic issue,” Jean-Baptiste said. “We need the technology, we want it installed, but we want it to look a certain way.”
The City Council also will decide whether to approve the city’s purchase of three surveillance system cameras – two for the Evanston Police Department and one for Evanston Township High School.
If approved, the cameras would cost the city $91,500.
Although Jean-Baptiste was unaware as to whether ETHS already has cameras, he said he thinks they aren’t a cure-all.
“I think that there’s a lot of work to be done to help shape behavior,” he said. “The cameras don’t remove the problem.”
Reach Vincent Bradshaw at [email protected] and Matt Presser at [email protected].
