Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 | View in browser
7th Ward Meeting Recap
Proposed event-based resident only parking program
The proposed program will establish an event-based resident-only parking restriction in the neighborhoods surrounding the NU athletic campus. The restriction will be in effect during men’s basketball games, graduations, and special events at Welsh Ryan Arena.
The proposed Special Event Zone (the SE Zone) will include the residential blocks west and north of the North Shore Channel, east of Green Bay Road, and south of Isabella Street. The metered spaces on Central Street and Poplar Avenue will not be affected.
On “event days,” a Residential Parking Permit or a Special Event Permit will be required for any car parked on the street within the SE Zone. Contrary to the suggestion made at the January 16 community meeting, we cannot rely on the License Plate Recognition (LPR) system to know whether a vehicle belongs to a resident within the SE Zone. The LPR only knows whether or not a vehicle is registered in Evanston.
Residents who live in an existing residential parking district (Districts 6 or H) may already have purchased a residential parking permit, which will allow them to park on the street on event days. Districts 6 and H residents who have not purchased a residential parking permit AND residents whose homes are within the SE Zone but not within Districts 6 or H will be eligible to register their vehicles for a Special Event (SE) Permit, which will allow them to park on the street on event days.
Residents who live in buildings in District 6 whose residents are not eligible for residential parking permits will not be eligible for SE Permits either.
Residents will be able to purchase guest passes for people visiting them on event days. Residents who have a residential parking permit are already eligible to purchase guest passes: $2 for 10 passes; maximum 40 passes/quarter. Residents who register for a SE Permit will be eligible to purchase SE guest passes: $2 for 10 passes/maximum 10 passes/quarter.
The City will install signs throughout the SE Zone that will spell out the details of the special event parking restriction. It will include web information where people can find a list of the dates of the special events when the parking restriction will be in effect.
This will be a two-year trial program, ending two years from the date of approval by City Council.
The proposed parking program will be considered by the Transportation and Parking Committee at its next meeting on February 26, 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, Room 2404. The proposal will then go to the City Council for consideration and approval in late March/early April.
McCulloch Park renovation
On January 8, City staff hosted an initial neighborhood meeting to solicit residents’ ideas for improvements to McCulloch Park. Staff and design consultants from Terra Engineering provided an overview of the project, discussed the site conditions, and engaged the residents in a productive discussion about what they liked and disliked about the park currently and what features they wanted there in the future.
The design consultants are using the residents’ input to develop several different concepts for the park and will present these at a second neighborhood meeting on February 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Chandler-Newberger Community Center. Using residents’ feedback on these different concepts, the consultants will prepare a proposed final concept for additional resident comment at a third meeting on March 4.
Information about the project, including a summary of the residents’ input from the first meeting is available on the City website.
Central Street Bridge reconstruction
Reconstruction of the Central Street Bridge is expected to begin in the spring of 2021. The south half of the bridge will be rebuilt first, and the north half of the bridge in 2022. Two-way traffic will be maintained at all times during the project.
Green Bay Road Improvement Project
Work is underway to develop a project proposal to improve the safety for all modes of transportation along the Green Bay Road corridor between McCormick Boulevard and Isabella Street. An initial public meeting was held on December 11 to provide an overview of the project and solicit community input.
Consultants with Kimley Horn are working on a revised project proposal based on this input. The revised proposal will be presented at a second community meeting on February 20, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Evanston Ecology Center.
A webpage with information about the project, including the presentation from the December 11 community meeting, is available here.
Evanston Arts Council grants available
Toby Sachs, Vice Chair of the Evanston Arts Council, announced that the Council’s annual grant cycle will kick off February 1. Applications for grants up to $5,000 are invited from arts organizations and are due by April 1. There are also less formal grants of up to $1,000 for individual artists and organizations, available on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Details, criteria, and the application process for all Evanston Arts Council grants are available here.
Space concerts scheduled for August
Jake Samuels, Talent Buyer for SPACE, discussed plans for a four-night series of concerts at Canal Shores this summer, to take place August 6-9. An announcement about the artist line-up is expected in mid-February.
WorldChicago seeks short-term homestay hosts
WorldChicago is seeking short-term homestay hosts for 15 students and three teachers from Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic who are coming to Chicago with the Youth Ambassadors Program for Latin America from March 23 through April 4. The students are ages 15 through 17 and are selected for this distinguished program through a competitive, merit-based process sponsored through the U.S. Department of State.
Home hosts provide a bed, meals, and a glimpse into everyday life in the Chicago area. Youth take part in educational programming on weekdays from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with evenings and weekends free to spend with their hosts.
Homestay hosts include families of all shapes and sizes, single professionals, retirees, returned Peace Corps volunteers, travelers, teachers, city dwellers, suburbanites, and more, all united by a common interest in learning about the amazing diversity of the world’s cultures, while sharing a piece of their own.
For more information, visit worldchicago.org or contact Brian Peckrill at bpeckrill@worldchicago.org or 312-254-1800 ext. 100.
Eleanor Revelle
Alderman, 7th Ward
312-459-0644
erevelle@cityofevanston.org
www.cityofevanston.org
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