Bigger not always better for Evanston residents

Paul Barker, an Evanston resident who lives on Oakton Street, said growth has him really worried. "When is it too much?" Baker asked. "The idea of a 50-story building horrifies people. Where along the spectrum do we want to be?"

Such a building was proposed by Evanston developer Robert D. Horner this year. Horner designed a 37-story tower rising 421 feet on the Fountain Square block. Residents were so incensed by the idea that Horner was forced to retract his proposal.

The proposal was only one controversy in Evanston's downtown development plan. Residents have called on the city to rein in unregulated development. They say bigger buildings, which bring more people and traffic, can destroy Evanston's small-town feel. Meanwhile, condominiums and office space mean more tax revenue for a city that is perennially short of funds.

So where does the city find a balance?

The city council commissioned a team of architects and consultants to formulate a plan for Evanston's downtown future. The planning started on June 7 and included a "charrette"-a week long intensive planning session between residents and designers-that concluded last week.

The timing for this plan coincides with a development boom in Evanston. With its trendy shops and restaurants, access to mass transit and suburban tranquility, Evanston has been named "the best market in Chicago" for residential and business space. Eager developers have proposed high-rise developments for downtown. Yet residents have taken the initiative to stave off free-for-all development-even if it costs them.

"This is the democratic process taken to the fullest," said Tom Rath, manager of membership sales and development for the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. "But it can slow down the progress."
The architects who worked with the residents estimated that over 200 participated in the charrette. Some of the residents cautioned against too much expansion.

That philosophy has turned away at least one eager developer. Horner said the strength of the rental market made the building feasible and the increase in tax revenue would have helped shrink Evanston's nearly $100 million pension fund debt. Ultimately, Horner abandoned the project because of delays; he decided to invest elsewhere.

"The general perception is that height is bad, density is bad and additional traffic is bad," Horner said in a phone interview. "There hasn't been a story on the positives."

"People have always been and always will be against change," said Mary Ellen Tainer, managing broker at the Evanston branch of the Rubloff real estate agency. She said people would rather move into new developments than spend the time and money fixing up existing homes. By discouraging developments Evanston residents are hurting themselves, Tainer said. But this does not detract from Evanston's overall appeal, she added.

"Evanston's housing market is stronger than it's ever been," Tainer said. "There's a ton of variety for housing."

But according to the Illinois Association of Realtors, the total number of condos sold in Evanston dropped 25 percent for this quarter (April-June) with a total of 148 condos sold compared to last quarter totals of 197 (January-March). However, individual home sales rose 27 percent.

Horner's development at 1890 Maple Ave. remains on the negotiating table. Designs for this building were presented to city council May 29 but no date has been set for the council's final approval. It has the potential to generate $860,000 annually in tax revenues for the city, developers said.

"There's distrust among people that if government has more money, it will spend more money," Horner said. "Residents don't believe the new tax revenue will offset their sales and property taxes."

The resident-driven planning commission has implications for Horner and other developers. For example, architects suggested a park in place of high-rise condos on the fountain square block. Residents called for the change during the charrette.

"We're not going to compromise what's right for the downtown for a fiscal solution," said Dennis Marino, planning division director, said in a charrette meeting.

Any new buildings proposed by developers must meet the regulations set by residents and architects. And this, Horner said, compels developers to convince residents that development will be good for the city.

"They have to work within the existing process," he said. "They have to work with residents in a way that has a positive message."