News
Downzoning Debate
March 3, 2011
| Chicago lost more than 200,000 residents in the 2010 Census (and they're always the last place you look). With a new city council and mayor coming in May, downzoning and landmarking may be big issues in keeping residents and businesses happy and in the city, says Howard & Howard economic development wiz Tom Ramsdell. | |
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| Downzoning, or further limiting the allowable density of residential units on a given site, has been a common practice, especially on the North Side, for decades. Aldermen often advocate downzoning at the recommendation of their constituents and aren't turned down by the city council. If the developer challenges the decision to downzone, aldermen often request that the subject neighborhood be landmarked instead, which disallows tearing down of any buildings in the landmarked area. Tom is currently representing longtime businessman and former developer Al Hanna in a lawsuit against the city in which non-historically significant areas have been landmarked to prevent further commercial and residential development. | |
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| The landmark districts Tom is pushing to get de-landmarked for Hanna and another plaintiff are an eight-square block area in Lincoln Park (pictured), and a 25-square block area in the East Villageneighborhood. After the Appellate Court invalidated the Chicago Landmark Ordinance in 2009, the case is back in trial court to determine the validity of the two landmark districts, but Tom doesn't expect a decision on it for another one or two years. He's hoping that the new administrations will bring in a stronger central planning division to encourage consistent zoning throughout thecity's 50 wards, and rewrite the Landmark Ordinance. While Tom thinks that Mayor Daley helped bring the CBD into better shape, he says Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel should focus on allowing denser commercial and residential development, especially near public transportation. | |
