After several years of discussing, planning and revising, the Evanston City Council adopted the Downtown Plan Monday night.
The council passed the Downtown Plan with the hotly contested central core district by a 6-3 vote, with Alds. Melissa Wynne (3rd), Steven Bernstein (4th) and Elizabeth Tisdahl (7th) dissenting. The Planning and Development Committee voted Jan. 14 to establish the central core, featuring a 35-story height limit on all buildings, including the controversial Fountain Square Tower, 708 Church St.
Many residents attended the meeting to voice their displeasure with the council’s vote. Among them was Hank Goldman, an active opponent to the adoption of the district.
“I don’t recall anybody speaking in favor of excessive heights anywhere in Evanston,” he said. “I certainly don’t remember anyone clamoring for towers and huge buildings.”
Jim Corirossi, president of the Downtown Residents Association, agreed, saying the opinion of Evanston residents should have been the most important factor in writing the Downtown Plan.
“The DRA believes zoning should reflect the views of Evanston residents,” he said.
Despite the onslaught of opposition, no council members who voted in favor of the plan rose to explain their views, drawing grumbles from some audience members. Aldermen traditionally do not respond to citizen comment.
The council also unanimously voted to adopt the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which will not increase property taxes. The budget includes a $100,000 donation from Northwestern to the city’s salt dome.
Aldermen decided to vote on the budget Monday, despite objections from Ald. Ann Rainey (8th), who wanted to wait until the next council meeting so she could first meet with her constituents.
“I’m going to vote yea,” she said. “But I find this method of passing the budget deplorable.”
Residents had differing opinions about the new budget.
“I guess I’m known as one of the complainers about the budget, and I really want to thank the staff,” Evanston resident Mike Vasiliko said.
Michael Saltan joined Vasiliko in his praise for city staff, but he also expressed his scorn for the council.
“I won’t vote for any of you,” he said, “even for dogcatcher.”
Earlier in the night, the Planning and Development Committee voted 6-3 to approve the Downtown Plan.
Rainey lent her support to the draft, saying that the overall project had been overshadowed by the height limitation debate.
“As I watched this plan get developed over the year, it was always in my mind that this was a downtown Evanston plan and not based on one issue,” she said. “I still support the work we did at last two meetings.”
Again, Wynne, , Bernstein and Tisdahl voted against the amended plan, all citing objections to the Fountain Square proposal.
Although the city has spent a lot of time and money on the plan, Bernstein said he could not approve it given the current economic conditions.
“Right now, in this economy, some of the original theses of this downtown are no longer true,” he said.
Bernstein said he did not want to “cherry-pick” the plan, but he would have liked to see more initiatives that dealt with issues such as traffic patterns and parking considerations.
The draft poses several valuable benefits for the city, but no plan should be accepted without a stronger consensus, Wynne said.
“There is much in this plan that is absolutely adoptable,” she said, “but not with a central core that is so clearly not wanted and not needed in our town.”
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