Northwestern’s controversial Rebuild Ryan Field project met mixed reviews from the Land Use Commission late Wednesday night: the nine-member body unanimously recommended approval of NU’s plan to build a new stadium, but voted 7-2 against the zoning amendment that would allow it to host concerts at the venue.
The University’s plan to host public-facing concerts at the stadium has been the largest point of contention from Evanston residents, particularly stadium neighbors, since NU announced its plans last fall.
But, at the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting, University officials said again that NU would not demolish the existing stadium unless it can host concerts at the new one to offset maintenance costs.
“The stadium project as proposed is inextricably linked to the approval of a text amendment that permits a limited number of concerts,” Dave Davis, NU’s neighborhood liaison, told commissioners. “This project cannot and will not move forward without this approval.”
The commission’s veto of the zoning amendment, however, will not halt the project’s move toward city approval. The Land Use Commission does not hold legislative power but serves as an advisory unit for the final decision-maker: City Council. The two separate proposals – one proposing the reconstruction and the other allowing NU to host concerts – will still move to a council vote this fall.
Just before the commission’s final vote, its chair, Matt Rodgers, introduced an amendment that would strike a clause calling for no more than six concerts, as well as several other elements of the original text amendment.
Rodgers’ amendment would have allowed for concerts but would “leave it to the city to sort out all the details to allow those concerts to take place,” according to commissioner John Hewko. The commission rejected the amendment 6-3.
Commissioners then voted against the zoning amendment without Rodger’s amendment, citing the change the stadium will bring to the surrounding residential neighborhood. Only Hewko and commissioner Myrna Arevalo voted for the original proposal.
Though Rodgers voted in favor of his amended version, he ultimately voted against the proposal.
“One of the things that I’m looking at is what is the highest and best use of the property,” Rodgers said. “I think that with the text amendment as it’s written currently, Northwestern is really playing to the highest use but I think some of the neighbors in the neighborhood are really looking for the best use to be the use that currently exists.”
The meeting started with a 25-minute presentation from NU officials and several of the University’s consultants hired to help plan the project. Presenters spoke against neighbors’ claims that noise from concerts could have negative health impacts.
“We, or most of us, attend concerts,” said Kate Jahnke Dale, NU’s zoning consultant. “We allow our loved ones to attend concerts. Do we suffer these negative health impacts from doing so? No, we go.”
Early Thursday morning, NU spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso released a statement saying the University is “disappointed” in the commission’s decision.
“However, we remain encouraged by the support of thousands of residents who support this project, and we are hopeful the City Council will vote to approve the new stadium in its entirety,” she added.
After NU’s presentation, the commissioners questioned the University about the details of the rebuild and NU’s plans for concerts, including groundwater diversion and unloading equipment to set up concerts.
The commission voted separately to approve the planned development and the special use amendment for Ryan Field, which would allow the University to rebuild the stadium solely for its current use: hosting seven football games each year.
Several commissioners argued that rebuilding the decrepit stadium, which was last renovated in 1996, would be beneficial for the community, even without the proposed rezoning.
“You take a current stadium … that looks like hell and build an even smaller stadium that looks a heck of a lot better,” Hewko said.
But NU officials have said the rebuild will not move forward without the approval of concerts, despite having decreased the proposed number of annual concerts from 10 to six in August.
The meeting was the third installment of the Ryan Field project’s hearing in front of the Land Use Commission — a routine step for zoning projects seeking city approval. The debate surrounding the project led the commission to hear 13 hours of testimony over the course of one month.
The proposal will now move on to the Planning & Development Committee and City Council. City rules do not clarify whether a rejection by the Planning & Development Committee, made up of seven councilmembers, would prevent a council vote.
The project requires two votes from City Council: one for introduction and another for action. The council meets this Monday to discuss the 2024 city budget, but the items could appear on the council agenda at subsequent meetings.
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