Residents Vote To Disapprove Proposed Winnebago Avenue Lot Development
By jongraef at May 31, 2012 | 1:26 am | Print
In a 35-13 vote, Wicker Park and Bucktown community residents disapproved of a proposed three building, 54-unit residential rental project in the 1st Ward along Winnebago Avenue, starting at Leavitt Avenue. The new development would be in the new 32nd Ward, as defined by January’s new ward redistricting vote. Currently, the property is in the 1st ward.
The vote took place in the community room of the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chicago Public Library branch, where a 75-minute meeting to discuss a zoning change for the proposed project occurred. Residents cast their ballots throughout the meeting. A community member then tallied up the ballots after all the votes were cast.
During a lively question-and-answer session punctuated by bursts of crosstalk, some 60 residents expressed concerns to representatives from project developers MCZ Development, project architect John Hanna, and attorney James Banks, who represents the developers.
In addition to Hanna and Banks, MCZ Development head Michael Lerner addressed questions regarding potential change in property values, property density, project management, car and foot traffic, and clean-up of the property, a former junk yard.
But while project proponents stressed what they saw as the positive benefits the development would have for the neighborhood, residents ultimately were not convinced by their arguments.
The meeting took place at the behest of Ald. Joe Moreno (1st), who expressed tentative support for the project at the meeting’s 6:00 p.m. start time. Moreno used his history as a resident to explain that, while “not all developments are good,” he desired development on the property.
“I’m leaning toward the support of this [project] for several reasons,” Moreno said. “One is because it is an empty lot, and I’ve had conversations with several neighbors on Winnebago who are impacted by the uncleanliness and vagrancy [in the lot].
“Secondly, for a reason that’s important for me, is affordable housing. The more units we have, the more affordable units we can provide,” Moreno said. [Moreno speaks often of growing up in affordable housing.]
City code dictates that 10 percent of units the size of the proposed development must be dedicated to affordable housing, defined as being rented at 60 percent of the neighborhood median income.
Additionally, Moreno said that, as initially proposed, he “wasn’t that excited” about what was then a 60-unit project.
After meetings with the Bucktown Triangle Association, Wicker Park Committee, and the Bucktown Community Organization, the developers then proposed the current unit count of 54. Under the previous Planned Development for the project, the unit count was 45. The developers seek to take the project out of Planned Development, and to re-zone the property.
Constructing the buildings requires a zoning change, and a meeting to discuss the change is required by the Alderman, but not the city.
After a brief question-and-answer session with attendees, Moreno left the library community room to attend another meeting. Representatives from MCZ Development then took the lead of the meeting to discuss project details in depth.
According to MCZ Development, the proposed building would be a total estimated 42,000 square feet, and would be located at 1711 – 1753 N. Winnebago Avenue. The property would be for three five-story buildings. All 54 units would be rentals, and there would be 78 parking spots.
Two of the buildings would have 17 rental units, while the third would have 20. The units would be a mix of one, two, and three bedroom rentals priced at $2,000 per month. Construction on the property is estimated to take between 12 and 15 months.
Supporters of the proposed building praised the developers for coming up with a plan for developing a project for a property long seen by some residents as a nuisance and an eyesore.
One resident, a young male appearing to be in his 20s, said during the meeting, “I like the project. I think it’s great. It’s better than nothing. Good luck.”
Another resident, an older man with a young female child by his side, identified himself as the president of the development across the street from the proposed buildings, stated he was strongly for the proposed project. He said the vacant property currently contributes to “criminal behavior and property crime.
“I think it’s an excellent idea, and I applaud these people for coming in here and trying to develop this property,” the man said. “It’s going to be excellent for our community, and you people have every right to question the little details, but the big picture is that we need this in this neighborhood. If you lived here, you would want it.”
Detractors meanwhile decried what they saw as too much density in a neighborhood with too much traffic. Additionally, residents who were against the project compared the size of it to a big-box store, and questioned the wisdom in the influx of renters to a community area largely made up of property owners.
For her part, Dina Petrakis, a resident who said she lived on Leavitt Street, objected to what she saw as a limited amount of green space on the property, as well as the fact that only one foot of sidewalk would be available for such space as a result of the plan.
“We’re all neighbors here. You’re taking every possible square inch, as far as I can tell, and I just don’t think it lends anything to the neighborhood,” Petrakis said. “That little one foot strip of green space is not going to ameliorate the fact that if I look up, it’s cool, but if I’m walking, I might as well be walking next to a prison.”
Resident Todd Pugh agreed with Petrakis’s assertion.
“Regardless of whether it’s owner or rental, it’s a very pretty building,” Pugh said.
“In the drawings up there, it looks like it has a generous setback. But in looking at the diagrams, there’s no setback,” Pugh said. “And that is completely out of character for Winnebago. It might be OK for Western Avenue or Milwaukee [Avenue], or even the Gold Coast, but that’s not the character of the neighborhood we’re in.”
A setback is the distance that a building is set back from a street or road.
Representatives took the criticisms in stride, but insisted on the economic viability of their project. In an interview after the final vote count was announced, architect John Hanna said they would consider the suggestion of some residents to reduce the number of proposed parking spaces in order to increase the amount of green space the property may have.
“We’re going to look into that,” Hanna said. “We might make a couple of concessions. Who knows? It’s up to the Alderman now.”
-By Jon Graef
Articles Bucktown Business Featured Neighborhoods Residential Updates Wicker Park
Marmite, 11 months ago
The building shows a very blank face to the street at walking level. Whoever said it is prison-like was right.
The architects ignored what we’ve learned in the last 50 years about good urban planning, that this kind of closed design at street level creates a dead zone. Since there will be such a large stretch of what is essentially a wall, it’s going to create quite a long dead zone.
Instead, they should be designing it to encourage people to spend time in their front yards gardening and sitting — like all of the other houses in Bucktown have. It’s what contributes to a lively neighborhood.
Austin Milbarge, 11 months ago
Prisons are all that John Hanna knows how to design.
If the greedy developer won’t donate the tainted land he bought via foreclosure (a steal I heard) to the city for a park, then they should at least build single family homes with BACKYARDS.
That’s what buyers want these days.
Anonymous, 8 months ago
Agree …he ruins neighborhoods..families….takes hidden assets to lead double life..pays off with political contributions..secret phones,affairs,totally copies some other architects ideas and calls his own..he should be in investigated..although hard to track down cash use..relationship with females(lawyer) too…some can be confirmed..his dishonesty is appalling…I didn’t get a porch either..he uses sarcasm and dismissing people and what they want built..cheap repetitive design..over and over..investigate this fraud in business and family.
John Connor, 11 months ago
Ald Moreno is taking campaign contributions from MCZ, check the D-2′s online.
This is a rush project which will further congest the neighborhood.
We are already at a breaking point with traffic!
Scott, 11 months ago
Totally agree w/ Marmite, the street level wall is very “urban fortress-like” for pretty much the entire block because most of the ground floor is taken up by parking. I’m actually not opposed to the density; if they’d done their homework they probably could have shown they are no more dense than many other past projects in the area. A project this size, however, should have its parking below grade and then the street level would be residential. Even if they just sunk the parking half way, it would be a big improvement. Finally, I don’t believe it’s correct that the BCO approved anything about this project. It has definitely not been presented to the BCO Zoning & Planning Committee.
Kate, 11 months ago
We stand opposed to more massive developments in Bucktown. Take your garbage to another neighborhood, we don’t want it.
PMJE, 11 months ago
The BCO did attend previous meetings with the developer and other community groups, but the BCO has not formally voted on the project and therefore cannot be said to have supported or not supported the project.
jongraef, 11 months ago
Scott/PMJE,
Thanks for reading. If I remember correctly, the Alderman stated the project had the approval of the three community organizations. I’ll review my notes and correct accordingly if I’ve misunderstood Moreno’s remarks. Thanks again!
Jon
jongraef, 11 months ago
Indeed, I misunderstood the Alderman’s remark. The sentence has been deleted from the post. Thanks for the comment!
Jon
Megan, 11 months ago
And will parking be limited on Leavitt or the street at least resurfaced between Winnebago and North to alleviate the 54 units-worth of extra traffic in an already heavily congested area? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nearly been clipped while driving and mowed down while walking/biking/running in that intersection. This lot should be a park. I don’t understand in what way the neighborhood “needs” the development.
George Olmos, 11 months ago
In addition to the comments above one item I found interesting is that they were going to build something to match the neighborhood. How many metal panel buildings do we see in this neighborhood and without room for landscaping. This building is beneficial for the owners not for the neighbors. The congestion will be terrible and when their project fails we will be left with a poorly kept eyesore. MCZ knows what it got into when it bought the land if they were not prepared to build on it with what was planned that is their fault. We have all taken hits to our pocket books over the past decade and its not our duty to bail these guys out. Hopefully Moreno lives up to his word and takes the votes into account. Also as he pointed out being a former resident of wabansia; this being the case he should ensure the design of what is ever built here matches the community and not some cheap development constructed to fit the developers budget.
Levi, 11 months ago
I like Megan’s idea, why can’t the developer just give the lot to the city??
Didn’t this guy earn enough money in 30+ years of being a developer?
What ever happened to giving-back to the community???
Is he and his family starving?
Steve, 11 months ago
First all you guys who are chastising the developer for not giving his land to the City for a park loose all credibility because it just isn’t going to happen. Also, it is an awful place for a park. The posters with thoughtful comments about the development are correct. The height and density are generally appropriate for this highly challenged, urban location. The first floor, however, is brutal, but could likely be improved. Lowering the parking 1/2 a level like 1825 Winnebago up the street would be a good idea. Last, on the traffic, these 54 units would only represent maybe 2% of all the units in the Bucktown Triangle. Also, it is my understanding that one of the community groups is asking for more than 1 to 1 parking. As apartments they may not even need 1 to 1 parking. They could lower the parking ratio to say .75 to 1 and immediately reduce the number of cars by 1/2.
Phil, 11 months ago
Steve, just cuz the lot owner CAN develop on it, doesn’t make it right.
Our neighborhood NEEDS more greenspace. Period.
Matt, 11 months ago
“Secondly, for a reason that’s important for me, is affordable housing. The more units we have, the more affordable units we can provide,” Moreno said
Moreno’s job is to protect and maintain the community’s interests, not his own. There is already plenty of affordable housing in the area, especially in comparison to other similar neighborhoods. If anything, the condo development that was recently completed on Wabansia shows there is a shortage of private residences. The alderman needs to focus on protecting the neighborhoods property values and his corresponding tax base. Also agree with previous comments about traffic issues/road maintenance. The area already receives heavy traffic and the roads are poorly maintained. This section of Leavitt is the only place in the area where the street is two-ways yet it receives the least amount of maintenance.
Would be great to see this turned into the park but it’s unrealistic to think the developer is going to just hand it over. Whatever ultimately gets developed needs to have ample green space, blend into to the neighborhood and be a value add to community and existing property owners.