Zoning Consultant Contract Needs Your Input

The City of Evanston, having passed the “Envision Evanston” plan by a bare 5-4 majority, is moving to the zoning change that drove that plan all along. The City will next hire a zoning consultant firm. That step may seem arcane and boring, but who is hired, and how, matters.

The City has issued a "Draft Scope of Services" for the “request for proposals” (“RFP”) that will define the consultant's job. The City is accepting comment on this draft through today, Feb. 18. If you haven't already, please take 5 minutes today to read the rest of this post and provide a comment to the City. Links below.

Many in Central Street Neighbors are concerned that the initial respect given to planning such as the Central Street Master Plan vanished from the Envision Evanston final draft, though few Evanstonians asked for that. The Scope of Services should specifically direct zoning consultants to review existing planning and its rationale before taking pickaxe and bulldozer to what exists.

Please take 5 minutes to submit a comment today, Wed., Feb. 18, online or by email (click either one; if e-mailing, use your own words, tho we added a sample subject line):
    • ONLINE:    City of Evanston | Feedback: Zoning Update Draft Scope of Services
    • E-MAIL:     envisionevanston2045@cityofevanston.org

As an FYI, the Evanston Action Coalition recommends urging that the Draft be revised to include, among others, the following points:
    •    Legislative Direction Should Come First
ID of specific development types (infill, TOD, missing middle, adaptive reuse, etc.) should follow explicit direction, not be consultant-driven.
    •    Transparent Public Engagement
How any public input is “weighted” should be publicly disclosed and authorized by City Council, with both raw and adjusted results available.
    •    Independent Impact Review
Housing and affordability impact analysis should be independent and should inform the final draft zoning text and map before adoption.
    •    Infrastructure & Fiscal Impacts
Impact analysis should evaluate Evanston-specific conditions, including infrastructure capacity (water, sewer, stormwater), schools, public safety, redevelopment feasibility, and long-term tax base implications.