- Target:
- Alderman Burnett, Alderman Solis, Alderman Ervin, City Planners, and 2015 Local Aldermanic Opponents
- Region:
- United States of America
Local residents are concerned with the lack of holistic planning and vision for the West Loop neighborhood.
A proliferation of one by one high density developments have left the neighborhood with traffic congestion, lack of public parking for local businesses, green space, and constraints to our school and other community resources.
This is our attempt to have neighborhood voices heard. We are beginning with this small swath in the heart of the West Loop - the area from Green Street to Ashland and Washington to Jackson.
We, the undersigned, are residents of the heart of the West Loop. Because we want to remain in the West Loop - many of us to raise our children and grandchildren here - we are united on the principles detailed below.
We recognize that establishing a family friendly area in the heart of the West Loop for families of all kind requires long-term planning — not spot rezoning that leaves residents, land owners and developers uncertain about the future.
Accordingly, we agree to the spirit of the principles below:
*There is a strong desire and need for a development plan for the West Loop. This plan should be embraced by all three of its Aldermen who should pledge to work together with us to establish a vision for the neighborhood.
*A moratorium on up-zoning in the heart of the West Loop – a swath of property bounded by Green Street on the east, Ashland Avenue on the west, Washington Street on the north and Jackson Boulevard on the south – is desperately needed. This is supported by the City of Chicago Near West Side Area Land Use which states "planned development applications should be in substantial compliance with underlying FAR [floor area ratio]. PD’s [planned developments] should not be used to up-zone sites."
*This moratorium is fairer for everyone as it eliminates uncertainty and unnecessary expenditures of money and time by developers and residents on proposed projects that are inappropriate for the neighborhood.
*Projects within this swath that do proceed under existing zoning should do so subject to important expectations: adaptive reuse of existing buildings is preferred to new buildings; new buildings will be low rise with ample parking, including for non-residents to reduce street parking congestion; and residential buildings will be owner-occupied, predominantly larger units.
*The moratorium will allow for the development of more diverse retail, particularly those owned by local business owners, who otherwise cannot compete for space with developers of high density, rental residential buildings.
*The neighborhood needs infrastructure that it has long been promised: a library, a field house, expansion of Skinner school, additional green space, and street improvements. The up-zoning moratorium should continue until this infrastructure is provided.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Maintain Zoning - Keep Heart of West Loop Family Friendly petition to Alderman Burnett, Alderman Solis, Alderman Ervin, City Planners, and 2015 Local Aldermanic Opponents was written by West Loop Residents and is in the category Government at GoPetition.