Central Street Neighbors Association Est. 2007

If you own property or a business on Central Street between roughly Ashland and Marcy ... or on Green Bay north of Lincoln ... you may want to attend one of these two meetings.  The first meeting is this Tuesday night April 30 at 7:00 p.m.(details below).

A proposal to create a Special Service Area (SSA) on Central Street will be discussed. Per the proposed map above the area under consideration includes many residences on Central outside the east and west business zones. It appears that any new taxes proposed to support the proposed SSA will apply to all properties within the SSA ... including businesses and residences.

Alderman Eleanor Revelle has invited residents to a 7th Ward meeting, Thursday, April 25, 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., at the Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.

The agenda will include the following topics:

• Possible formation of a Central Street Special Service Area (SSA)
• Canal Shores news: 100^th Anniversary plans
• Proposed additional uses for the Ryan Field campus
• Robert Crown Community Center — Update and Q&A
• Other 7th Ward News

Notices went out two weeks ago for hearings for major variations, special use permits and map amendments for a Fast Food restaurant with a drive through that includes rezoning residential property. The hearing scheduled for Wednesday, April 10 at the Joint Meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Plan Commission has been postponed. New notices will be sent by the City when the hearings are rescheduled.

Join us Thursday, March 28, 2019 for the CSNA Annual Meeting and a program on Property Tax in Evanston.  Our featured speaker will be Fritz Kaegi recently elected Cook County Assessor. Fritz will speak on "Creating a Fair, Transparent and Ethical Assessor's Office"

The meeting will be held in the 1st floor Multi-Purpose Room at Three Crowns Park 2323 McDaniel Ave. Evanston. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. A brief CSNA annual meeting, including board elections, will take place at 7:00 p.m. followed immediately by the program with Assessor Kaegi.

Refreshments will be served. The meeting will end at 9:00 p.m.

All Evanston residents are welcome to attend.

Ald. Eleanor Revelle has scheduled a 7th Ward meeting for Thursday, January 24, from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., at the Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.

The agenda will include presentations about the following:

• The City’s efforts to expand affordable housing options in Evanston, including recent actions taken and additional strategies contemplated.
• The Evanston Development Cooperative, a new enterprise whose mission is to build energy-efficient, affordable housing while creating jobs in the community.
• The successful completion of the Evanston Habitat Project, a two-year initiative that has restored and enhanced natural habitat along our North Shore Channel.
• Ideas and resources for residents interested in incorporating natural habitat in their gardens.
• 2018 statistics and other information from the Evanston Fire Department.

Also attending to meet residents is the new Evanston Chief of Police, Demitrous Cook. Cook will engage in a conversation about his career to date and his views on policing in Evanston.

After many twists and turns there have been several developments on Harley Clarke. The result is that Harley Clarke will not be demolished. 

After the Council voted earlier in the year to enter into talks to demolish the mansion and negotiiate with the Lakefront Dunes group, in October the City’s Preservation Commission unanimously denied the City’s application for a Certificate or Appropriateness to demolish the building. The City automatically appealed that decision.

The Commissioners of the Board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago voted 5-4 on Nov. 15 to grant an easement across Canal Shores Golf  Course at the 10th Hole for access to property owned by the Keefe Family Trust. This property is just north of Isabella Woods.

There are many steps to be taken by a number of governing bodies before any roadway is built. CSNA will continue to monitor.

To learn more about the easement and its history, visit the website for Canal Shores at www.canalshores.org.

On Nov. 1, the MWRD Commissioners deferred action on the Keefe Family Trust request for an easement to build a road at taxpayer expense to the Keefe property adjacent to Golf Terrace, Isabella Woods and along the 10th hole of Canal Shores Golf Course. It was clear that the votes to oppose the road were not there on the 1st.