Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards
Chicago City Council
Development
Politics
Remote
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Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Note-taking by
Theodore Wu
All Saints Saint Anthony Church, Daycares, Lincoln Village, Seth Warner House
Live reporting by
Isabelle Stroobandt
All Saints Saint Anthony Church, Daycares, Lincoln Village, Seth Warner House
Izzy Stroobandt
@izzystroobandt
Good morning, Chicago! I’m live tweeting today’s City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards meeting at 10am for @CHIdocumenters #chidocumenters
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09:15 AM Feb 22, 2022 CST
@CHIdocumenters Should be starting up any moment, follow along via my thread or live on the stream: livestream.com/accounts/28669…
We have a quorum! Now moving onto approval of the minutes from the last meeting — moved to pass by Ald Lopez, the report is approved.
Tunney is going through a series of items to be deferred - the motion passes.
Matt Crawford is here speaking about the Seth Warner house in the 37th ward — in Austin near the Oak Park border. https://t.co/TCIwNUJdFO
The house was built prior to the Chicago fire — in 1869. https://t.co/KNxktf1BSP
The ordinance, asking for the site to be designated as historical, passes.
Now onto the approval of a number of signs across the city — there is a motion to pass with no objections — the orders are passed. Moving into the regular agenda…
.@ward32chicago is speaking about an ordinance to classify a segment of the North Milwaukee right of way from the centerline of N Sacramento on the SE to the centerline of W Logan Blvd on the NW as a pedestrian street.
Now onto ordinance regarding 1932 N Fairfield, applicant is proposing to establish a third residential unit and to construct a partial third floor addition to the existing building.
There are no objections to the motion— the item was amended to a type 1 — and it passes. Moving quickly …
Now onto 1925 S Racine Ave — applicant is Cedarwood Real Estate, LLC — requesting to convert the ground floor retail unit to a residential unit for a total of 5 at the property
Now to 2601-25 S Wabash Ave/46-63 East 26th St: Graham Grady speaking on behalf of Smash INTERACTIVE, LLC.
It’s in the 3rd ward, proposal is to rezone to b3-1 in order to establish a video production studio as an interim use until the completion of a proposed E-sports stadium, as approved as PR#1496 https://t.co/H9NB7YSZ1A
“In order to not have it sit unoccupied and deteriorate,” @AldPatDowell3rd said she supports the ordinance. https://t.co/7yTpEeiteD
It’s a corner lot, so they have both range of addresses listed — originally I said 46-63 East 26th St, but they’re correcting it now to 43-63 East 26th St — and 2601-25 S Wabash
Now onto an ordinance concerning the Lincoln Square shopping center, nothing changing to the building but they’re asking for a change in the zoning because it was originally done incorrectly
Tunney says it seems “nonsensical” for this space to have been zoned originally as a residential space
Steve Valenziano from the Department of Planning said “I don’t know originally why office uses were left out at that time,” Ald Stone was overseeing the ward at that time.
Now onto 600 East 75th Street: change request is to rezone from B1-1 to C1-1 to establish a cafe serving wine, cheese and deli food products on the first floor with one existing dwelling unit on the second floor
The applicant also proposes to make interior and exterior improvements to bring the building into code and make it liveable.
This is in the 6th ward, Ald Sawyer said they met with the Park Manor neighborhood association and got a favorable response. “We fully support this project,” Sawyer said.
Tunney praised Sawyer for correctly pronouncing charcuterie (lol)
Given the aldermanic vacancy in the 11th ward, the aldermen will take a vote on the motion after the presentation but there was a number of support letters submitted on behalf of the alderman.
Thomas Moore is speaking — the applicant wishes to rezone the property in order to allow a kids play center for kids at a nearby school.
“There was absolutely no objections,” Moore said. “This is a community benefit, it helps the working parents in the area.”
They’re requesting a chance from M2-2 to C1-2, and he’s submitted substantive narrative plans that’ve been accepted. There are no questions from committee members
Now on 500-518 W 28th Place, aka 2815-27 South Wallace — requesting a change from M1-1 to C1-5 to allow adaptive reuse of existing buildings to establish day care centers for children and adults within the existing buildings. Mark Kupiec is speaking:
It’s the old St Anthony’s Sacred Heart campus — they put in a request to resolve some parking issues originally but are now requesting instead it be changed to a B2-2 neighborhood commercial district instead of C1-5
Anna Robles from DPD said there are no changes to the plans but the substantive narrative had to be submitted so that the narrative itself could reflect the change to B2-2.
Proposing an adaptive reuse of the buildings to a daycare and adult activity center, “developer has been working for more than a year on this project, planning it,” Kupiec said. “Neighbors are very supportive.”
Someone from the community gave feedback that the project would be stronger with more parking — the applicant went back and changed the plan, a the demolition of the convent building is planned now to provide space for parking.
Community response to that plan is positive — “we’re still saving the church,” Kupiec said. “We sacrificed the convent.”
“It’s Not easy to find an acceptable reuse for a church building,” he said.
“It’s Not easy to find an acceptable reuse for a church building,” he said.
“I think the city should come up with some good ideas proactively, instead of reactively, to work with the members of city council to address this,” @48Ward said about the growing number of churches in Chicago currently left vacant.
Now 2910 W Touhy Ave is requesting to establish a dwelling unit within the existing residential buildings basement, for a total of 3 dwelling units.
Virtual community meeting was held, no objections from the neighbors.
Now 1200 W 35th St: requesting to consolidate a split parcel under the same ownership to allow the approval of parking for the Bridgeport Art Center.
Change request is from C2-4 and M2-3 to C2-3, like the rest of the building.
There’s a neighboring condo association that, upon review, submitted a letter of support to the committee
Now to 3216 S Princeton Ave - requesting change to meet the bulk and density requirements of the B2-2 for the construction of a new 8,522 sqft single-family house and alterations to an existing 7,822 2-story, 3 dwelling unit and a garage building at the rear
Now 526, 528 and 530 W 41st Street requesting a change from M2-3 to RS3 to develop three new 2 story single family homes on the lots. Each will have a basement and detached 2-car frame garage.
The item passes, the next item is “essentially a repeat” Tunney said
The address for this second item is 543 W 40th Place, to develop a new 2 story single family home with a basement and 2-car garage.
Everyone within a 250 ft boundary around the properties received a letter re: a zoom community meeting on Feb 17,2021 — “we had no one objecting,” Kolpak said
Now onto 2848 N Sayre Ave — requesting a change from RS2 to RS3 — “a matter of housekeeping,” Kolpak said.
To divide the existing lot into two to construct two single family homes.
Moving to 6334-38 W Irving Park Road requesting a change from B3-1 to B2-3 to develop the property with a 3-story, 9-dwelling unit building with 9 parking spaces
Now 3319 N Elston Ave requesting a change from M1-2 and C1-1 to C1-2 for adaptive reuse of the building, parking will remain
Now onto 1200-1208 W Hubbard St — Mark Anthony’s Italian restaurant and an adjacent vacant lot — 440-442 N Racine: requesting change from M2-2 to C1-3 to allow an outdoor patio at garage level, expand the existing restaurant into the patio area, obtain a packaged goods license …
… (so people can pick up take out), bring two existing dwelling units into conformance with the zoning district and make related renovations
Presented this to the neighbors of River West during a community meeting and there were no objections
Ald Burnett: “great restaurant, been in the ward for a while … everybody goes there, so they have no problem”
Now 5943 W Race Ave — Requesting change from RS3 to RT3.5 to add a garden unit to the existing 2.5 sorry, 2 residential dwelling unit masonry building for a total of 3 dwelling units with 3 parking spaces.
“This property has long been neglected,” Tyler Manic said. The applicant presented at a community meeting and received universal support for their efforts to preserve the building
Now 1653-1739 W Webster, 2075-2189 N Elston requesting to add “sports and recreation, participant-indoor” as permitted use in sub area A
Originally approved in 2018 for commercial use within four sub areas, A, B, C and D. https://t.co/bxBPkj0q8b
There are 260 parking spaces and 80 will be available on a first come first serve basis
Now 432-38 W 119th St requesting a change from B1-1 to C1-1 to allow the operation of an auto repair shop with an accessory hand car wash facility in the existing one-story brick garage building
The applicant previously operated a non-conforming auto repair shop at the location, they would make interior and exterior improvements to bring the property up to code
now 11043 S Ashland Ave requesting a change from RS3 to C1-1 to allow the proposed extension of an existing tavern with music and dance located in a RS-3 district
They want to add food to the business, so they’re looking to build an additional kitchen and need a rezoning
Moving to 215-225 W 31st St: 3101-3109 S Wells St: requesting change from B1-1 to BS-3 to allow a 1500 sqft expansion of a gas station building
They held a community meeting, no issues. https://t.co/24Z3SySJmE
Now 4201 W Kamerling Ave requesting a change from RS3 to RT4 to comply with use standards to allow for a third dealing unit to be added to the basement level
Now on 3432 N Ashland Ave requesting a change from C1-2 to B2-3 to construct a 5-story masonry building containing 42 dwelling units, 12 parking spaces and 53 bike spaces in a transit-serviced location (!!!)
Directly located on Ashland Ave CTA buss corridor and short walk to Southport and Paulina brown line stops.
Required by the ordinance to only require 30 spaces for bicycles but they’re going above that
8 units of affordable rental housing, as required by ordinance — “looking to develop a dense residential project similar in scale to nearby developments on the block,” Warren Silver said.
These are rental units — In @AldTomTunney ward — “Im sorry to say we’re losing Loyola Press, but this was a good reuse of the corridor.”
Motion to defer the next item — at 1647-1649 W Irving Park Road — made by private attorney Sara Barnes
Now onto 2324 W Cullerton Street — requesting change from RT4 to B2-3
The proposal is to rezone the property to convert the main residential building rom three units to four units and to convert the rear residential building from two dwelling units to three — for a total of 7 on the lot. There will also be two parking spaces (none before)
Applicant seeks relief through this type 1 application and through the transit-oriented provisions of the Chicago Zoning Ordinance, to eliminate the remaining required five parking spaces
This is a project that’s been under review for some time, was proposed 1-23-19, but residents in the area are in support according to Ald Sigcho Lopez
The item passes — moving to the last item on the revised agenda
3110-3112 N Kedzie Ave requesting change from B3-1 to C1-1 to redevelop the property to a coffee shop/bakery/restaurant — Metric Coffee Co. — and coffee wholesale and distribution business in the rear. Small outdoor cafe in summer and 3 parking spaces in the back alley.
They’re not aware of any objections to the property, there are two letters of support — from Ald and from the community
That’ll do it, folks — motion to adjourn made at 12:09 and the meeting is over.
Agency Information
Chicago City Council
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