After a contentious debate, Evanston’s Planning and Development Committee unanimously approved a controversial townhouse development west of downtown Tuesday.
It will go before City Council on April 11 for a final vote.
The project, at 1613 Church St., was originally proposed on Nov. 18 as 42 units, but was later changed after neighbors complained. The amended proposal includes 40 townhouses placed on an abandoned lot that previously housed a lumber yard.
“We want to build something we’re proud of and that’s going to be good for the community,” said Walter Kihm, a developer with Cyrus Homes.
But nearby residents, like Joan Safford, Law ’76, said 40 housing units is still too many. She called on Evanston resident Brian Gratch, Kellogg ’89, who presented evidence that the developers’ initial proposal, showing their profit to be about $1.6 million, understates this figure by about $3 million.
“At 30 or 33 units, there’s certainly sufficient profitability for this to be a viable project,” Gratch said.
Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) called the current status of the site “horrendous” and wondered why residents would object to the proposal.
“How can you stand there and say this project is not of benefit?” Rainey asked. “That site looks like a garbage dump. I would not allow that in my ward.”
Martin Stern, a development consultant for Evanston, said there are errors with Gratch’s findings, but suggested the developers made mistakes of their own. He estimated the profit margin will be about $146,000 more than what was anticipated as a result of an “inadvertent double count.”
“This is a risky project,” he said. “I think a compromise was reached and the numbers are accurate.”
Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste (2nd) suggested that if there is $146,000 in additional profit, then an additional $50,000 should be attributed to an affordable-housing fund, making a $100,000 donation from the developer.
But Ald. Edmund Moran (6th) said the City Council lacked the power to mandate developers’ affordable-housing contributions.
The committee also considered an affordable-housing development at Church Street and Darrow Avenue. Discussion lasted almost 3 hours, but aldermen decided to continue talks at the next meeting.
Neighborhood resident Lester Blair called it a “consolidation of low-income people stacked on top of each other.”
“We do not denounce low-income housing,” Blair said. “We promote it and want the best construction for that location.”
Fifth-generation Evanston resident Tosha Wilson, a city police officer, said many of her co-workers commute from such cities as Joliet because of rising housing costs in Evanston. Now, she too might move.
“It hurts me when I can no longer be what I’ve always been,” Wilson said, “and that’s an Evanstonian.”
Reach Matt Presser at [email protected].
