Alderman Revelle Speaks Up for Neighborhoods and Against Zoning Change for NU

The City Should Uphold Its Zoning Standards:

A Guest Essay By Eleanor Revelle

From Evanston Roundtable

"Northwestern University has requested an amendment to Evanston’s zoning code to allow professional sports events and for-profit entertainment events on its athletic campus on Central Street. The Evanston City Council should deny this request.

Allowing professional sports and for-profit events would undermine the protections that our zoning code is expected to provide to area residents. (read the whole statement)

These residents bought their homes with the understanding that the athletic campus was used for collegiate sports and commencement events. They have learned to cope with the crowds, the traffic congestion, the parking hassles, the noise, and the bad fan behavior that come with having a Big Ten athletic facility as their neighbor. They did not bargain for an additional set of major events attracting a non-collegiate audience with unknown regard for NU and its neighbors.

It should be noted that uses on the U2 campus have increased significantly since the stadium was built in the early 1920s, in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Over the years, area residents have had front row seats to the construction of additional facilities for more and more sports teams, each with its schedule of practices and games and each with its own set of fans. The U2 campus is already a tight fit in the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Approving the amendment would set an unwise precedent.

A two-year pilot sounds reasonable, but Northwestern could use the pilot events as precedent in arguing for additional and bigger events in the future. Indeed, NU-City history is replete with examples of pro-sports events held on the U2 campus (most in violation of Evanston’s zoning code) that were later used as precedent to argue for still others.

In 1970, for example, Evanston sued NU, unsuccessfully, in an attempt to stop a professional tennis tournament at McGaw Hall. Meanwhile, NU and the Chicago Bears reached an agreement for the Bears to play the Philadelphia Eagles at Dyche Stadium. The Bears sought an injunction to prevent Evanston from enforcing its zoning ordinance to stop the game, and the Bears’ attorney used the earlier tennis match as evidence for the injunction.

It was this concern about precedent that led then-7th Ward Alderman Steve Engleman to oppose a 1996 application for a zoning amendment and special use permit to allow an Ameritech Cup Tennis Tournament at the Welsh Ryan Arena. As he wrote to a resident: “While a women’s tennis tournament may appear to be benign, its allowance would eventually make it easier for other events which would have a more drastic impact upon you, your neighbors, and the residents of the Seventh Ward.”

In a unanimous vote, the City Council denied the zoning application.

The proposal does not meet the Standards for Amendments in our zoning code.

It is not consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of our Comprehensive General Plan. In the section on Institutions, the Plan sets as a goal that “Evanston should support the growth and evolution of institutions so long as the growth does not have an adverse impact upon the residentially-zoned adjacent neighborhoods.” The Plan goes on to note that “enforcing the standards of the City's Zoning Ordinance is essential if proposed changes would disrupt the residential character and environment of surrounding neighborhoods.” [pages 57-58].

It is not compatible with the overall character of the existing development in the immediate area. Given this concern, the City has pushed against repeated efforts by the University to host commercial events on the U2 campus. In denying NU’s petition for a variation to permit professional tennis matches, for example, the City Council in 1977 found that the proposed variation “would alter the essential character of the locality by increasing the intensity of the use so as to detract from the essential character of the surrounding residential neighborhood.”

The Illinois courts have agreed with this sentiment. When NU brought suit against the City, claiming that Evanston’s ordinance prohibiting commercial activity in the U2 district was unconstitutional, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s dismissal of the complaint and noted that “there would appear to be substantial differences between the impact of a predictable number of intramural or inter-collegiate athletic events and an unpredictable number of commercial athletic events.” (74 Ill. 2d 80 1978).

It is likely to have an adverse effect on the value of adjacent properties. As the City Council noted in 1977, NU’s proposed variation “would be injurious to and depreciate the value of other property and improvements in the neighborhood in which it is located due to increased traffic congestion, pedestrian traffic, noise and litter, all of which would be an unavoidable consequence of the proposed intensification of use of the property.”

Our U2 zoning provides safeguards “to ensure that temporary uses shall not impose an undue adverse effect on neighboring streets or property.” The City Council should hold fast to the existing standards."

Ms. Revelle serves as alderman of the Seventh Ward.

Forums:

In  2019, a decision which went against residents, the zoning ordnance and the comprehensive plan was mad by the last city council  which voted 5-4 against the residents and in favor of Northwestern request to change the Evanston Zoning Code so they could make more money on their tax free property,  by essentially renting out the stadium to for-profit venues.

In  2019, although 5 members of the 80th city council did not think that think that Northwestern had to meet the necessary standards dictated by our zoning and comprehensive plan to be allowed a zoning change of use. 4 of the council members realized we should uphold our codes and support the neighborhoods.  Northwestern had not met met the burden of proof required to change the zoning ordinance and those 4 voted voted against the request.

The University District U2 is zoned for amateur and university sponsored events only! NU wants commercial use 

This change would confer special privileges on them and they  less than 1%,.  on broadcast and other revenue stream  which the city will never see. The city receives a home rule  tax for tickets. https://www.cityofevanston.org/how-to/home-rule-taxes 

In 2018 NU made $54,000,000 from the NFL and another $37,000,000 from the other sports totaling around $91,000,000 and Evanston received about $1,400,000  from taxes from ticket taxes. 

The council has changed and the 4 council members who voted with the residents and for our governing documents are still on the Council. 

Evanston Residents from all wards objected to the pilot program because  the impact on the 5 surrounding neighborhoods, business Nu is doing just fine financially we don't need to change our zoning and ordinance to help them make more money by selling out the residents who do pay taxes. 

NU does not need special privilege zoning, write your council members, and the Mayor Biss.  Let the know that equal application of the municipal code applies to all entities. Follow the council 5:00 Monday - sign up  to speak if you like https://www.cityofevanston.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/16621/19 

In  2019, a decision which went against residents, the zoning ordnance and the comprehensive plan was made by the last city council which voted 5-4 against the residents and in favor of Northwestern request to change the Evanston Zoning Code so they could make more money on their tax free property,  by essentially renting out the stadium to for-profit venues.

In  2019, although 5 members of the 80th city council did not think  that Northwestern should have to meet the necessary standards for a change, as dictated by our zoning and comprehensive plan .  On the other hand, . 4 of the council members realized we should uphold our codes and support the residents and neighborhoods. They voted NO because Northwestern had not met the burden of proof required to change the zoning ordinance ,and those 4 voted voted against the request.

The University District U2 is zoned for amateur and university sponsored events only! NU wants commercial use 

This change would confer special privileges of use for NU andenable them to make millions on broadcast and other revenue streams,  which the city will never see. The city receives a home rule  tax for tickets. https://www.cityofevanston.org/how-to/home-rule-taxes 

In 2018 NU made $54,000,000 from the NFL and another $37,000,000 from the other sports totaling around $91,000,000 and Evanston received about $1,400,000  from ticket taxes. 

The 81st council has 4 new council members,  and the 4 council members who voted with the residents and for our governing documents are still on the Council. 

Evanston Residents from all wards objected to the pilot program because  the impact on the 5 surrounding neighborhoods, business Nu is doing just fine financially we don't need to change our zoning and ordinance to help them make more money by selling out the residents who do pay taxes. 

NU does not need special privilege zoning, write your council members, and the Mayor Biss.  Let the know that equal application of the municipal code applies to all entities. Follow the council 5:00 Monday - sign up  to speak if you like https://www.cityofevanston.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/16621/19