“Together we have a stronger voice.”
Neighbors Oppose Pro Sports at Ryan Field
The following is from a press release from Most Livable City Association:
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
The Chicago Stars Professional Soccer Team will be going before the Land Use Commission as soon as Feb. 11, asking for permission to stage 16-18 games per year at Ryan Field, potentially permanently (a 5-year lease with the option to extend indefinitely). Attendance could regularly hit 10,000 or higher—the Stars’ game at Wrigley Field drew 35,000. Games would go for hours on Wednesdays and Fridays, and some Saturdays and Sundays, March to November. The stadium isn’t even finished and already they want to multiply the number of huge events with all the noise, crowds, and traffic problems they bring.
As you know, Evanston zoning law prohibits the use of Northwestern’s Central Street athletic facilities for professional sports. Trying to get around that law, the Stars are applying for a “unique use” permit. Such a request will require a 3/4 majority of the city council to pass IF at least 30% of residents within 500 feet of the “unique use” object. It’s difficult to see how 16-18 yearly professional sporting events at a tax-exempt stadium owned by an educational, “not for profit” institution in perpetuity is “unique”; we think “outrageous” is a better description.
With this quick timeline, we need to organize immediately. You can help! Here’s what you can do:
1. Email your Council member to express your opposition to the “unique use” application. In a small community like ours, council members usually listen to constituent opinions on issues they’ll be voting on. Several have stated that they will vote based on who they hear from, so please send an email as your first step. We cannot emphasize enough how important this is!
· Councilmember Bobby Burns – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Clare Kelly – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Matt Rodgers – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Parielle Davis – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Shawn Iles – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Juan Geracaris – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Krissie Harris
· Councilmember Tom Suffredin
· Councilmember Jonathan Nieuwsma
2. Sign the online Change.org petition and email or text it to anyone else you know who might sign it, this included people who may not live in Evanston but are stakeholders in the community.
3. If you’re a resident who owns property within 500 feet of the stadium area, sign the legal protest petition objecting to the “unique use” application! We will be knocking on your door in the next two weeks but if you don’t hear from us, contact lderemo@mostlivablecity.org and we’ll come by. In 2023, over half of you signed petitions objecting to the zoning change to allow commercial concerts. Let’s hit the same target now!
4. Show up at the Land Use Commission, Planning & Development Committee, and City Council meetings, and sign up for public comment and make a brief statement about why you’re opposed. If you can’t show up to the meetings, you can send a written public comment via email here.
5. Write letters to local publications such as the Evanston RoundTable, and post comments on articles about the outrageous “unique use” ask.
We all have to live by the rules; this professional sports team shouldn’t get to rewrite them. Let’s work together for our city and our neighborhood!
The Board of the Most Livable City Association
The Chicago Stars Professional Soccer Team will be going before the Land Use Commission as soon as Feb. 11, asking for permission to stage 16-18 games per year at Ryan Field, potentially permanently (a 5-year lease with the option to extend indefinitely). Attendance could regularly hit 10,000 or higher—the Stars’ game at Wrigley Field drew 35,000. Games would go for hours on Wednesdays and Fridays, and some Saturdays and Sundays, March to November. The stadium isn’t even finished and already they want to multiply the number of huge events with all the noise, crowds, and traffic problems they bring.
As you know, Evanston zoning law prohibits the use of Northwestern’s Central Street athletic facilities for professional sports. Trying to get around that law, the Stars are applying for a “unique use” permit. Such a request will require a 3/4 majority of the city council to pass IF at least 30% of residents within 500 feet of the “unique use” object. It’s difficult to see how 16-18 yearly professional sporting events at a tax-exempt stadium owned by an educational, “not for profit” institution in perpetuity is “unique”; we think “outrageous” is a better description.
With this quick timeline, we need to organize immediately. You can help! Here’s what you can do:
1. Email your Council member to express your opposition to the “unique use” application. In a small community like ours, council members usually listen to constituent opinions on issues they’ll be voting on. Several have stated that they will vote based on who they hear from, so please send an email as your first step. We cannot emphasize enough how important this is!
· Councilmember Bobby Burns – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Clare Kelly – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Matt Rodgers – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Parielle Davis – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Shawn Iles – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Juan Geracaris – Planning & Development Committee member
· Councilmember Krissie Harris
· Councilmember Tom Suffredin
· Councilmember Jonathan Nieuwsma
2. Sign the online Change.org petition and email or text it to anyone else you know who might sign it, this included people who may not live in Evanston but are stakeholders in the community.
3. If you’re a resident who owns property within 500 feet of the stadium area, sign the legal protest petition objecting to the “unique use” application! We will be knocking on your door in the next two weeks but if you don’t hear from us, contact lderemo@mostlivablecity.org and we’ll come by. In 2023, over half of you signed petitions objecting to the zoning change to allow commercial concerts. Let’s hit the same target now!
4. Show up at the Land Use Commission, Planning & Development Committee, and City Council meetings, and sign up for public comment and make a brief statement about why you’re opposed. If you can’t show up to the meetings, you can send a written public comment via email here.
5. Write letters to local publications such as the Evanston RoundTable, and post comments on articles about the outrageous “unique use” ask.
We all have to live by the rules; this professional sports team shouldn’t get to rewrite them. Let’s work together for our city and our neighborhood!
The Board of the Most Livable City Association
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