- The Planning and Development committee would like to find out what is important to our community. What are some of the things that we as a larger organization need to look after or look into? Please complete this survey.
- There was open dialogue about the potential organization name. The Operations Committee will meet on 10/2/14 and send follow-up communication about a potential organization name.
Meeting Notes
Intro (Liz)
o Background: born/raised in Edgewater, lives on 2200 block of Race, involved in CGNA (neighborhood association east of us) starting in 2008, doesn’t always want to be the person speaking at meetings, etc.
o Benefits of neighborhood association: (1) community input regarding development, (2) safety and crime prevention with CAPS, (3) raising awareness with aldermen of community issues/needs
o Neighboring associations including Ukrainian Village to the north (formed based on historic district), CGSA to east, Smith Park to the west all suggested we form our own association to promote our own agenda.
o Turnout at first meeting was significant; folks provided input on what they like about the neighborhood, what they don’t like, opinion of biggest issues and why they’d like to form a neighborhood organization. Liz provided summary of inputs.
o Turnout at second meeting was high; each of three committees held their first discussions
o Overall status: discussing how to become an organization (slow process) and ensuring we’re doing outreach in the right way
Community Affairs Update (JW)
o Reminder about committee purpose and agenda; see email from JW for details
o Committee is in the process of arranging their second meeting with 10 – 15 folks from email list who volunteered to sit on committee
o Recent committee actions include arranging the meeting venues (i.e., Kate and Stephanie), facilitating hand billing for 9/20 meeting, attending CAPs meeting
o Committee has lofty ambitions; in addition to purpose/agenda, committee might like to partner with Mitchel School to write a neighborhood history
o Solicitation for folks to report shenanigans in Superior Play Lot, especially when park is closed, and to keep park clean (e.g., pick up trash in park)
o Audience asked questions
(Tiffany) Any consideration for sub-committees to focus on a subset of the committee’s agenda items? JW: no.
Planning and Development Update (Andy)
o Committee includes ~5 people who are considering guidelines for how planning and preservation might work; nothing set in stone (yet)
When would someone (e.g., owner/developer) appear before organization (e.g., are we interested in owner adding a floor to his/her building)?
What are our presentation requirements (e.g., what content should be available to organization when owner/developer wants to “do something” to his/her building)?
How should notice be posted when zoning request is made?
o Guidelines are ratified by organization and committee ensures guidelines are followed
Intent is to bring goings-on to attention of residents, decide as a community what we would like to see happen and take community’s recommendation to the alderman thereby broadening alderman/developer relationship
Intent is that folks in community become aware of potential changes ahead of changes going into effect, with clear expectations for developers
Assuming alderman is agreeable, when owner/developer approaches alderman, he points owner/developer to appropriate community organization and their guidelines
Owner/developer presents to org, org makes recommendation to alderman and alderman supports people’s will
o Committee hosts regularly scheduled monthly meetings (i.e., preset dates 12 times per year)
Dates/times/locations posted and alderman is aware
Committee meets regardless of known owners/developers intent to attend
Committee reviews documentation submitted by owner/developer per guidelines and notifies community
o Committee introduced survey - solicitation for what folk are interested in the committee pursuing, in priority order
o Solicitation for additional committee members: architects, attorneys, developers, urban planners, etc.
Folks approaching the committee will be professionals and will expect to deal with professions on the committee
Committee should meet those expectations
o Cityscape.com à good resource for historical buildings; permits that have been pulled; zoning requests made
o Audience asked questions and provided feedback
What does it take to get an alderman on board with committee’s proposal?
· Some alderman are more agreeable than others and final decisions lie with alderman
· Contrast between Gonella redevelopment (residents watched buildings go up) and new buildings across Damen from Gonella development (CGNA input resulted in changes to original plan)
· If alderman is not agreeable or decides against community recommendation, there could be repercussions (i.e., how people vote in subsequent aldermanic elections) and/or community learns of alderman’s/city’s broader vision
· Good for alderman when controversial development plans arise (i.e., alderman can bend to will of people, saving face with developer)
Operations Committee Update (Tim)
o Shout out to Liz and JW for keeping things going
o Committee’s intent is to keep momentum with respect to forming an association (e.g., establish org structure); committee actions are a work in progress (i.e., nothing set in stone)
o First order of business was to define name and mission statement
Committee proposed 3 name and 1 mission statement; solicited input/feedback via email and social media
Committee received 2 additional name suggestions
Committee hosted vote among 5 names and 1 mission statement
o Committee’s next step will be to draft bylaws, which will include membership structure
o Committee solicited English/Spanish and English/Ukrainian translator
o Audience provided feedback on organization name:
West Town name is too generic; doesn’t offer an identity; our org will be lost; proposed we reopen discussion/vote regarding org name
Leonard: suggested South Village or South Ukrainian Village based on East (Ukrainian) Village section of town being referred to as such for 25 years
Anne: running for alderman; West Town Neighbors Association might result in developers reaching out who are outside the org’s boundaries; may want to suggest street names
JW: name should convey who we are; not opposed to West Town Neighbors Association; likes Leonard’s suggestions; proposed runoff vote
Steve: acknowledged difficulty in choosing a name/pleasing everyone; reminder about wanting everyone to feel good about the name, which takes time (e.g., explanations); has some experience with the difficulty per the online forums he hosts
Liz: the committee will continue the discussion about the name; cant rely on 200 folks to come to a public meeting to hear arguments/vote; be on the lookout for an email
Denise: will there be a listserve of some kind? Liz response: yes, will come after name
Open Discussion/Feedback/Questions
o Anne: asked about door to door outreach and offered to help; volunteered Steve to help too; offered to find an English/Ukrainian translator
o JW: solicitation for technical skills
o Liz: agreed to put planning and preservation survey on social media
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