Highly-debated environmental and housing policies will take center stage at Monday’s City Council meeting. Both the Healthy Buildings Ordinance and amendments to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance are up for adoption, after the former was delayed during the council’s Jan. 27 meeting.
Also on the agenda: The council will vote on introducing the Illinois Stretch Energy Code, which allows local governments to adopt higher efficiency standards for private facilities. Additionally, staff will present findings on long-term options for the city government’s relocation, just days after announcing the timeline for moving the city’s base-of-operations to Davis Street.
Healthy Buildings Ordinance returns to council chambers
The council’s chaotic, nearly six-hour meeting on Jan. 27 ended without a vote on the HBO, which was unanimously introduced Jan. 13.
If passed, the ordinance would require that buildings over 20,000 square meters be energy efficient, eliminate on-site emissions and use renewable energy by 2050.
Last month’s delay stemmed from a letter requesting slow passage of the ordinance to allow time for stakeholder engagement and clarification on flexible compliance options. The letter boasted signatures from prominent Evanston developers, University President Michael Schill and the superintendents of both Evanston Township High School District 202 and Evanston/Skokie School District 65, among others.
The updated ordinance — with amendments from Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th), city staff and the Building Electrification Working Group — is mostly unchanged from the version that appeared before the council last month. The few changes centered on the ordinance’s alternative compliance plans and fine structure.
Changes to Inclusionary Housing Ordinance up for final vote
The council will also vote on whether to repeal and replace the city’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
The updated ordinance would increase the minimum requirement of affordable units from 10% to 15% for privately funded buildings. It would also increase the minimum number of units required before standards to apply to buildings, which would support small developers, Senior Housing Planner Uri Pachter said at the Jan. 27 council meeting.
The council introduced the measure with an 8-1 vote Jan. 27. Only Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) voted against the ordinance, saying she could not support the ordinance because of its elimination of on-site requirements. Rather than mandate on-site units, the proposed ordinance would levy steeper in lieu fees on developers who choose to bypass the on-site requirement.
If passed, the changes would go into effect April 1.
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