North Cook News

City leaders in Evanston now plan to meet on April 10, to take a final vote on a major housing decision after Evanston City Council member Clare Kelly deemed changes being proposed for the project as “a little bit problematic.”

Top Evanston officials had been scheduled to cast their final votes on the proposed 44-unit affordable housing development on Church Street at a March 27 meeting before late issues arose. Up until then, the project had been working its way through several branches of government before landing before the city council earlier this month for preliminary approval. As the project that would make it easier for a proposed land swap between the housing developers and a church set to rebuild on neighboring property moves forward, residents from all over the city have turned out in droves to make their voices heard on the issue.

Among the issues that have sparked the greatest debate are questions about parking, traffic and the financial viability of the project. Already another proposal reduces the number of units being planned from 44 to 33 and also calls for a drastic reduction in commercial space.

“The Land Use Commission that was an essential component, when they made their decision was the commercial space and we've now lost about 75% of that commercial space,” Kelly said in a video from the meeting posted to YouTube. “This is really important for this part of the community. And, you know, I also am concerned that when Mr. Canning presented this to the Land Use Commission, he very plainly stated when they asked if the proposal could be reduced by a floor. He said it wasn't feasible, that no, it couldn't.”

At the meeting, residents pressed council members to reconsider their granting of special use permits and variances to the side-by-side developments, especially the housing project. Still other 5th Ward residents, where the project is slated to go up, asked the council to give them something else in their community that all residents can enjoy.

And then, there were those who came to celebrate the project, giving thanks that more than half of the units in the building are pegged to be affordable housing. Church leaders also openly expressed their embrace of the project.

In the end, Kelly took under advisement some of the requests being made by residents, eventually moving to send the measure back to the Land Use Commission for further review. After further debate, the decision was made to table the motion until early next month.