Ward Zoning and Planning Committee Meeting: 4/30/08

Tonight′s meeting was led by Mike Volini and Doug Fraser.

Doug provided the Alderman′s Update:

• Potholes: The Alderman′s office is going over every street and alley in the ward to survey & record this winter’s damage. The intent is to develop a prioritized list of trouble spots. The ward office asks for your help by reporting potholes and/or street damage to Ernie Constantino, ernie@masmith48.org. Please give the address and a brief description of the damage or if possible, provide a photo.
• Uptown Theater: It is still stuck in court and the 2 parties trying to bid on the property have succeeded in gaining a continuance. More information to follow as it becomes available.
• Edgewater Historical Society: It′s seeking to gain historical status on the following homes: 6233 N Winthrop; 6032 N Winthrop; 6018 N Kenmore; 5822 N Winthrop; 5812 N Winthrop; 956 W Sheridan; 6331 N Sheridan; 6219 N Sheridan; 6205 N Sheridan; 6200 N Sheridan; 6106 N Kenmore; 5948 N Sheridan; 5940 N Sheridan; 5852 N Sheridan and 5733 N Kenmore. The Alderman will be providing a letter stating her position on the matter within a week or so, as the subject will be discussed and voted on at the May Zoning & Planning meeting. Carmen-Winona will be voting in the affirmative in accordance with our vote at the last block club meeting.
• Crime & Community Organizing: The alderman, ward officers, city officials & police will be gathering throughout the ward as a show of community and would like neighbors and respective block clubs and associations join them at the following locations and dates. In all cases the suggested time is 5:30pm to 7pm. Come out to meet your neighbors and city officials. The locations and dates are:
  • 1144 W. Thorndale (NE corner of Thorndale & Broadway) on Tuesday 5-20-08
  • 5233 N Clark (NE corner, near Women & Children First) on Tuesday 5-27-08
  • 1113 W. Granville (Loyola Campus Police office) on Thursday 6-5-08
  • 958 W. Lawrence (Heiwa Terrace, NE corner of Lawrence & Sheridan) on Wednesday 6-11-08
  • 5002 W. Broadway (W side of Broadway at Argyle) on Tuesday 6-17-08
  • 1100 W Bryn Mawr (NW corner, future Nookies) on Tuesday 6-24-08
  • 5501 N Clark (NE corner, next to Gordono’s Pharmacy at Catalpa) on Tuesday 7-01-08
  • 1119 W. Berwyn (E of Red Line, next to Blue Hydrangea) on Tuesday 7-08-08
  • 4921 N Marine (Margate Park PupTown) on Tuesday 7-15-08
  • 5009 N Sheridan (NE corner, next to Somerset at Argyle) on Tuesday 7-22-08
  • 940 W. Ardmore (end of Lakefront path) on Tuesday 7-29-08
• Bad developer legislation has been drafted and MAS intends to introduce it to the City Council in May.
• Anyone interested in signing up for the Section 8 listing needs to obtain the forms from the ward office and complete and return no later than May 15^th, 2008.
• Care For Real will be having a walk for hunger on June 14, 2008. Please contact Ingrid at 773-769-6182 or its office at 6044 N Broadway for information and/or donations. Care For Real is the area’s food assistance program. It should be noted that it serves the needs of the hungry in our area. Currently it has been assisting some 1450 people monthly; this is 3x the monthly average over last year. Please do what you can to help our neighbors in need.
• Plans are being drafted to improve McCutcheon School and Buttercup Playlot. More on this in May, but we are looking at a probable 2 year project beginning in 2009.
• Plans are being drafted for presentation that will address the safety of pedestrian crossing at Foster & Sheridan.

Presentation:

Dan Burke, Chief Bridge Engineer and staff, presented plans for Lake Shore Drive and the bridges at Wilson and Lawrence. Funds have now been made available to resurface LSD from Irving to Foster. This will be an interim repair and the expectation is that it should hold for a number of years. The work should begin in late July 2008. As for a long term solution, a complete restructuring of northern LSD is some 5-10 years out, once federal funds have been secured and the expected cost is around $200 million.

The Lawrence and Wilson LSD Bridges will be completely reconstructed. These are historic bridges, erected in 1933. They will be completely replaced according to the original plans, and all architectural elements will be restored including a replica of original lighting. When work commences in 2010, it will be done in 3 stages. The LSD will be brought down to 3 lanes in each direction and the meridian garden will be removed and paved over temporarily, then replaced per Park District specifications at the completion of the bridge work. The exits will be closed at Lawrence & Wilson. The work should be completed late 2011.

New ward zoning and planning business:

• 1475 W. Foster: A special use for a parking lot for Northside Federal at Clark and Foster was tabled until next month so that there could be additional discussions regarding the project amongst, UCC and the adjacent associations.
• 5401 N Broadway: A zoning change from B1-3 to B3-3 was ad for to allow the operation of a general restaurant. The owners of Durkins propose to establish at Broadway & Balmoral a ‘non-white table cloth restaurant” called Burke′s Public House. Sandwiches, burgers, pastas and salads plus alcoholic beverages in a casual setting and on the southside of the establishment an outdoor sidewalk café. All adjacent associations and block clubs approved the proposal. A motion was made to approve, seconded and the vote was 24 yes, 0 nays and 0 abstentions. Carmen Winona voted yes.
• 5349 N. Clark: Special use was asked for the Restoration Salon. This new establishment needed the special use approval as it is within 1000 feet of another similar storefront. The owner, Tim Webber, has a location at Sheffield and Webster as well. This is a higher end salon and supported by Anderson Chamber as well as the other adjacent associations. A motion was made, seconded and passed with a vote of 23 yes, 0 nays and 1 abstention. Carmen Winona, following the lead of the adjacent associations and in support of the entrepreneurial owner-operated shops in the area, voted yes.

The next meeting is May 28, 2008.