The Evanston City Council officially passed the long-debated Central Street Plan and the Lakefront Master Plan at Monday's meeting.
"Passing these two plans here tonight is recognition of the fact that Evanston is very much a can-do place," Ald. Edmund Moran, Jr. (6th) said.
The Planning and Development Committee voted unanimously to pass final text and map amendments to the Central Street Plan, before the council's approval last night.
The controversial amendments allowed a special use for a possible dormitory at 1620 Central St.
National Louis University has the lot under contract. It hopes to create a dormitory for its PACE program, said Jack Lawlor, attorney for the university. The PACE program offers postsecondary education to people with disabilities, with the goal of helping the students become independent adults.
Neighbors voiced their concerns about additional traffic, noise and privacy invasion with a dormitory located nearby. Others, not opposed to a PACE dormitory, worried that Northwestern University or another school would be able to erect a dormitory at that location in the future.
Ald. Steven Bernstein (4th) encouraged the council to not just consider PACE while voting on the amendments, because a special-use amendment will not expire if the lot's current occupants leave.
In other words, the lot could still be used as a dormitory by a future owner, such as Northwestern. But without the addition of "dormitory" as a special use, National Louis University cannot use the lot.
"I'm concerned about the process," Bernstein said.
The Lakefront Master Plan was approved by the Planning and Development Committee on Jan. 22 after months of debate. The plan will improve natural areas and public use through dune-like landscaping, pedestrian trails, public bathrooms, and other amenities.
The council also voted 6-3 to reinstate a moratorium on downtown construction which expired Dec. 11, 2007. The 45-day freeze on development will last until March 13. The original moratorium was created to give the city time to finish its Downtown Plan, which has not yet been finalized.
Reach Kirstin Maguire at
kirstinmaguire2007@u.northwestern.edu and Sean Walsh at seanwalsh2007@u.northwestern.edu.
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