Quote:
Originally Posted by the urban politician
^ Yes, that’s a good point. I’m glad that they want more density, but my understanding is that zoning rules are such that you can always build less dense than existing zoning, but not more dense than it.
So by what means did a community process become required? That article didn’t really clear that up unless I missed something
|
The site is split between two zoning categories: the Chicago Joe's building is B2-3, the parking lot is B1-1. The B1-1 side does not permit ground floor residential, so the developer requested that it be upzoned to match the other parcel for a unified development across both lots.
The B2-3 zoning the developer wants would allow up to 41 units with a TOD bonus, but he's only proposing to do 8 enormous luxury units (~3300 SF
each) including two duplex-down units on the ground floor, hence the need for rezoning.
The developer is probably trying to ride the post-Covid SFH frenzy by providing "home replacement" 4-bed or 5-bed condos, just a few steps away from Coonley School. Ironically this type of development would be perfect for a side street in Northcenter, but can't be built there because it's all locked as RS-3 forever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marothisu
^ so im a bit confused in general. Not saying this is bad - its good to demand more density. In general though how does this work? Let's say a developer has some land and zoning they need is already in place, but go to the neighborhood like this anyway with meetings. Even though they don't have to and could build. In this situation, what power does "the community doesn't support this " really have for something like this? Maybe an alderman can be an asshole and block future developments from them but I'm pretty sure blocking a company just because it's an entity you don't like is still illegal? Okay so people already there won't buy a new $2M condo and not support the non existent commercial space?
|
It's not a spite move like other alders have done. The developer needs an upzoning to do what he wants, but he's not entitled to it - the Alderman won't grant the upzoning since it doesn't fit the community's goals. The developer still has the zoning that the property came with originally, and he is free to build whatever that zoning allows. Of course, the B1-1 side doesn't allow much of anything right now - you could put up a two-story building with commercial at ground floor and only 2 apartments above (likely not profitable to build this). The B2-3 side could go bigger, but that side isn't big enough by itself to allow the colossal units the developer wants to build.
Don't cry for the developer in this case, either he will pivot and make bank building a TOD midrise with smaller units, or he will flip the land for profit to another developer who got the message that Ald. Martin wants a substantial project here. He got egg on his face by trying a strategy that is a slamdunk in other North Side wards - threaten density, offer low-density alternative - but Martin (and apparently the community group) wants the opposite in this case.