Facing vocal backlash from residents over the pace and scope of Envision Evanston 2045, City Council on Monday delayed the wide-ranging plan’s controversial zoning rewrite and split off the comprehensive plan.
The decision comes two months before the intended date to adopt Envision Evanston and follows several community meetings where residents expressed concerns over the impacts of the zoning proposals and the plan’s fast-approaching deadlines.
Mayor Daniel Biss publicly announced Envision Evanston last February, promising a 20-year development plan that includes targets for zoning, transportation and economic development. The proposal outlined a five-phase plan to solicit community feedback before officially adopting the plan. Currently, the city is in the final phase, which is anticipated to end this March.
On Monday, in response to a referral by Alds. Clare Kelly (1st), Thomas Suffredin (6th) and Devon Reid (8th), city staff asked the council for direction concerning the program’s timeline.
The council voted to suspend the meeting’s usual public comment rules, allowing almost 100 speakers to address the council for a minute each. Most residents advocated for more time to fully develop the proposal, with many specifically criticizing the zoning plan.
Then the council had extensive conversations with staff and Matt Rodgers of the Land Use Commission. With Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) absent, the council voted 8-0 to divorce the zoning plan from Envision Evanston’s comprehensive plan. And many councilmembers echoed community concerns over the current timeline.
“I think it’s possible to act with urgency without rushing,” Suffredin said. “I think that’s the balance that we need to hit tonight.”
Later in the meeting, the council voted 5-3 to ask the Land Use Commission to make a recommendation on the comprehensive plan by the end of February, in line with Envision Evanston’s original deadline. Kelly, Suffredin and Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd) voted against the motion.
The vote followed an unsuccessful motion led by Kelly to push the comprehensive plan to the end of the summer and the zoning plan to March of next year.
“I feel bad for our city,” Kelly said. “It just feels like we’re really not handling this to the best that we could on behalf of our residents and this beautiful city.”
The council then voted to request the Land Use Commission provide a recommendation on the zoning plan by the end of August. Only Kelly voted against the motion.
Biss, who previously called delaying Envision Evanston “immoral” in an interview with the Evanston RoundTable, expressed a less urgent sentiment Monday. He encouraged councilmembers not to vote for the project until they felt it was ready.
“When we get this right, it’s going to pay remarkable dividends,” Biss said.
Email: hannahwebster2027@u.northwestern.edu
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