By Jim Sterne
News Editor
Sheil Park Neighbors (SPN) packed the small room rented to them in the Sheil Park Field House, 3505 N. Southport Ave. The boundaries of this organization are from Racine to Southport avenues and Belmont Ave. to Addison St. but the flyer that called these people together also said, “Even if you live outside the boundaries, you can come to our meeting and voice your concerns.”
In the last 20 years, Southport Ave. has gone from antique stores, storefront theater, and Army surplus stores to prime retail, first class restaurants, theater, coffee shops and boutiques and a number of new condos and single family dwellings. Not only are there more people living in the neighborhood, more people are attracted to the entertainment and shopping venues.
“I’m tired of the drunks yelling and tearing up my yard,” said a man who did not want to be identified. “There are just too many people here and you can never find a parking spot.”
Parking, parking, and parking were what many attendees had on their mind on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Over 50 people came to discuss the relationship between new development and zoning. Others added that the area has insufficient green space, but an abundance of new families with children who want a convenient recreational area.
All these issues come into focus on a proposal to build condos on a one level manufacturing site at the corner of Lakeview Ave. and Melrose St. Mat Wilbur of Macon Construction Group, 3209 N. Lakewood Ave., the owner and developer of the property, updated attendees.
“Last time we met I agreed to study the idea of putting townhouses or single family dwellings on the property and I have had a few responses,” he said. Wilbur was quick to add that what can be built must satisfy market forces as well as bankers who will loan the money. “Last year I could have sold single family dwellings in the one and a half million dollar range but the market is soft now. There is still demand for condos but even that market is not what it was.”
Wilbur’s initial plan, proposed at last month’s meeting, called for 17 condos on the 18,000 sq. ft. with about 24 parking spaces.
Wilbur’s group proposed to cut back to 16 units with 22 parking spaces. Wilbur assured the audience that he will build quality brick structures similar to other buildings he has built in the neighborhood and he urged them to visit his Web site, www.macongroup.com, to see for themselves. “I live in this neighborhood, and I work here, and I take a lot of pride in my work,” he added.
“This is the crux of the problem,” said Cary Chubin of the 1300 block of W. Henderson St. “It is a little offensive to us when you take the total square footage of the property and say you could, by law, build up to 24 units.” Chubin is referring to the oddly shaped 5,000 sq. ft. triangle on Melrose St., and the alleyway which is not an alley but private property. By including those parcels Wilbur is able to increase the number of units built by adding height. “You [Wilbur] say there are six lots and we say there are four with a worthless attachment,” Chubin said.
“I don’t see any problem with parking,” said Tom DeKoven of the 1200 block of Newport Ave., which brought a few jeers from the attendees. “Well, I do have trouble when the Cubs play,” he added. “This is the least dense area around here, just go a little farther east and you see real density. This whole area demands density — the shops on Southport need the customers.”
But Chubin had his own reservations about his position. “I don’t want to be an elitist about this. Building single family dwellings are so expensive that they will affect the diversity of the neighborhood.”
“It is not that we are against the high buildings going up, we just don’t want to see it happen on side streets. The higher buildings have their place on Southport or Belmont avenues,” said Mark Cozzi, treasurer of SPN, who moderated the meeting.
“The other problem residents have is finding out just how to go about zoning or rezoning,” Cozzi said. “There seems to be no formal system for getting thing done, for getting zoning questions addressed or for getting a park.” It was suggested that the candidates for Alderman in the 44th ward have a debate to address these problems and to clarify their positions on these issues.
Sheil Park is in Ald. Berne Hansen (44th) ward. He has announced that he will not be running again because of health reasons.
Mary Iwanicki, an SPN director, passed around a petition to sign. “We need a park in the neighborhood for our children. According to two studies done in the 90s by the city, this area is ‘under-parked’.” The petition is for a park or a playground on the old Swartz Manufacturing land on School St. between Lakewood and Racine avenues. “We need to demonstrate that our Lake view community supports this project, and how much our neighborhood would benefit from it. We don’t want this potential land for a park to slip away like the Roscoe/Racine location. What we need is more Green Space, not more condo development,” the petition says.
The property is for lease by Hansen Real Estate Co. but again there were complaints of never finding out what is going on. “We’ve got to get the Alderman here at these meetings so he can answer our questions,” Cozzi said.
Other attendees responded with bitterness about a park that they were told by Ald. Hansen was “a done deal” and then a builder built condos on the land.
“You can’t just ask the city to buy the land, they don’t have the money,” a participant said. “We should investigate CorLands. They buy the land and sell it back to the city for cheap under the stipulation that the land becomes a park.” CorLands enabled community groups to get a park in Roscoe Village near the intersection of Addison St. and Lincoln Ave.
As the one hour meeting stretched almost to two, the group hastily called for discussion of the Brown Line renovation to take place at their next meeting and a vote for the new officers to be cast.
The nominees are: Mark Cozzi - President; Rich Rosenblum - VP; Jay Sinder - Treasurer; Tom Moran - Secretary; Andy Kofoid, Cary Chubin, and Mary Iwanicki - Directors.
SPN will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Sheil Park, 3505 N. Southport Ave., at 7 p.m.
For more information email cozzimark@hotmail.com. |
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