Zoning Code Rewrite Set To Begin With 'Envision Evanston 2045'

EVANSTON, IL — The window of opportunity to draw up a blueprint for what gets built around Evanston in the coming decades is set to open next month, as city officials and consultants prepare to begin the process of developing a new comprehensive plan and zoning code.

Last spring, the Evanston City Council put out a request for proposals for firms to rewrite the city's comprehensive plan and zoning code. The city's current zoning code dates back to 1993, and its most recent comprehensive plan was completed in 2000.

According to a memo from Planning Manager Elizabeth Williams, the city received four responses. Ten staffers then scored the proposals, assigning the top score to Chicago architectural and engineering consultancy HDR.

At $750,000, the contract recommended by staff and unanimously approved by councilmembers also also had the highest price tag, which will be covered by federal coronavirus relief funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Jon Brooke, the principal in charge of the project for firm has been an Evanston resident for more than 25 years, he said, in a cover letter accompanying the HDR proposal.

"Some initial conversations with residents and business owners reflect the quirkiness of the community, like the lack of names for the City’s neighborhoods, the oddly dim lighting in neighborhoods, and the irony that a former cradle of the Temperance movement, and a dry town until 1972, now sports two breweries and a distillery," it said.

Brooke and managing principal Grace Rappe said their team had heard from residents and colleagues about opportunities for potential improvements, which underscore the need for a a new comprehensive plan and zoning code.

"The town-gown relationship with Northwestern has many positives, but as a wealthy institution, its tax-exempt status, while deserved, has an economic and community impact on Evanston that is not appreciated by many in the community and will need to be looked at during this planning process," their letter said. "Similarly, the transportation network, while robust in places, leaves some parts of the city behind in terms of access to or condition of pedestrian and bike networks and transit service."

According to the firm's proposal, the code rewrite is expected to take more than 18 months and will focus heavily on community engagement and inclusivity.

The first phase will involve the finalization of a work plan and comprehensive outreach to residents, aiming to align the project with city officials' expectations and set the stage for continued community involvement.

In second phase, the consultants will take a deep dive into the city's existing policies and conditions. It will include an equity summit led by urban planner Mitchell Silver to make sure the new plan and code are as inclusive as possible. This phase will also feature listening sessions, data collection and analysis to review different perspectives out what is currently going on in town.

Phase three, spanning about four months, will be dedicated to training citizen planners, setting community goals and further engagement with the public and is crucial to develop the vision statement and goals of the comprehensive plan and the guiding principles of the new zoning code, according to the firm.

The fourth phase is expected to take another four months and will feature the actual development and drafting of the plan and zoning code. Consultants will create alternative scenarios for the cities future and arrange for workshops and interactive tools to get residents more involved in the decision-making process.

In the final phase of the project, aimed at ensuring its recommendations are actionable and have support the consultants will convene an implementation workshop with city leaders and partner agencies. An implementation plan will then be drafted ahead of the preparation of final drafts of the new plan and code.

Dubbed "Envision Evanston 2045," the new planning initiative launches Feb. 6 with a hybrid in-person and remote event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lorraine Morton Civic Center.

Attendees can share their vision for Evanston in 2045 and hear about the effects of the zoning code of various parts of the community, according to city staff.

Many more opportunities to engage in the process are expected over the coming year, along with office hours with city staff where residents can learn more about the project, ask questions and provide feedback.

“Envision Evanston is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of our community,” said Mayor Daniel Biss.

“These efforts will have a huge impact on our community’s progress toward affordability, sustainability, and equity," Biss said in a statement. "This process is a chance for everyone to help craft the blueprint for the Evanston of tomorrow.”