Fall Newsletter - November 2025

The Southeast Evanston Association is relaunching its regular newsletter. We wish to renew our effort to communicate with our neighbors on issues that affect our community. We remain committed to maintaining our advocacy for the shared values that define our neighborhood.
 
To join our effort, or renew your membership, please visit us at:
www.southeastevanston.org/membership

 
City Zoning

Below are the core elements of a letter that was sent on September 28,2025 by the Southeast Evanston Association to the Mayor and our Council Members regarding the proposed 31 story development at 605 Davis. In summary, we make 4 key points:

• The Council ought to respect the conclusion of our Land Use Commission that voted not to recommend the project in its current form. 

• The tax abatement that could amount to $40M that the developers are receiving in exchange for affordable housing units is bad for the City and especially the school districts that are in desperate need of funds. 

• There are too many zoning variants being requested. Zoning is intended to guide development, not to be bypassed to such an extent. 

• The lack of parking being provided will cause spillover onto residential streets that are already crowded. 

   
  What happened? At its November 11, 2025 meeting, the City Council approved the high-rise zoning ordinance on a 5–4 vote. Among the Council Members representing Southeast Evanston, CM Kelly voted No, while Council Members Iles and Nieuwsma voted Yes.

Historical Preservation

Update on HARLEY CLARKE

More than a decade after becoming vacant, the historic Harley Clarke mansion at 2603 Sheridan Rd. is scheduled to reopen in January 2027 as a wedding venue and event space, according to renovator and operator Celadon Partners. The mansion’s future has been up in the air since 2011, and the building has been officially vacant since the Evanston Art Center departed in 2015. In October 2024, City Council picked Celadon’s nonprofit arm for the latest attempt at pursuing a new long-term use for the property — the sixth option pursued since discussions began — and later approved lease terms in March, shortly before the April 1, 2025 local elections. Additionally, there’s a partnership that allows the continued work of the Jens Jensen Gardens group [to maintain the mansion’s grounds].
 

Chicago Avenue Upgrade - Current Plans and Schedule

 
At our Annual Meeting, the SEA requested a City of Evanston official attend to update members on their current plans for the Chicago Ave upgrade.
 
The City received approximately $11M of Federal funds for the upgrading of the Chicago Ave corridor, from Howard to Davis St. in downtown Evanston. They have also applied for $3M in state funding for the same project which is currently estimated to cost about $16M, so the City of Evanston will have to come up with the balance.
 
The project will create a two-way protected bike lane on the East side of Chicago Ave. The street lighting, traffic signals and cross-walks will also be upgraded along with repaving the whole street.
 
Current plans have the project starting in 2028. The City of Evanston engineering staff members are currently developing specific plans and will be sharing these with the public.

SEA will stay on top of this development and report back.
 

Lakefront Protection Ordinance – Update

 
During the SEA Annual Meeting presentation, the floor was opened up for questions. There were several related to the idea of a Lakefront Protection Ordinance, (LPO), which the SEA has historically been pushing for. The City Engineer, Lara Biggs was able to provide an update.
 
Council Member Clare Kelly and 3rd ward resident and MWRD commissioner Cam Davis have been drafting a LPO and intend to release it in the coming months. 3rd Ward Council Member Iles has also been involved in this effort.
 
The SEA will monitor this developing story and let you know what is happening once the draft ordinance is released. 
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/11/06/climate-panel-signs-off-on-lakefront-protection-ordinance/

https://citizenportal.ai/articles/5751394/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/City-Council-Approves-Lakefront-Protection-Ordinance-Referral-to-Planning-and-Development-Committee
Note – SEA Board President, John Kennedy has reached out to Council Member Clare Kelly for an update.

 
Putting Assets to Work – City Initiative

The City of Evanston is launching the Putting Assets to Work (PAW) initiative and wants to hear from you! They have hired a firm to gather community input to help reuse, reimagine and enhance key public properties—including the Police/Fire Headquarters, Civic Center, and Noyes Cultural Center.
They are collecting ideas here: https://evanstonpaw.org/about

Note: The board of SEA feels that the sale of public assets is generally not a good idea. In particular, we feel that the Noyes Center is currently a City of Evanston asset that is serving residents well and needs to be supported.
 

SEA Board:

John Kennedy –President
Sheila Sullivan – Vice President
Mimi Roeder – Secretary
Martha Ash – Treasurer
Board Members:
John Walsh, Marcus Thimm, Laurie Zoloth, John Storey Williamson, Steve Test, Linda Damashek, and Emily Williams Guthrie (non-voting)

Click Here to review the SEA Annual Meeting Presentation from Assistant City Engineer Chris Sous on the Chicago Avenue Multimodal Corridor Improvement Plan- October 28,2025

Annual Meeting Minutes- October 28, 2025

SEA Members in attendance –

John Kennedy, Martha Ash, Mimi Roeder, Fred Ash, Sheila Sullivan, James Kirk, Helen Hilken, Dia Walsh, John Walsh, Thomas Judge, Susan Sobczak, Debbie Mara Evans, Kelley Hughes-Liao, Shirley Dugdale, Zafiro Papastratakos, Andrea Liss, John Storey-Williamson, Josh Bowes Carlson, 3rd Ward City Of Evanston Council Member Shawn Iles, Steve Test

Guests- Chris Sous and Lara Biggs from the City of Evanston Department of Engineering 

The annual meeting of the Southeast Evanston Association was held on Tuesday, October 28th at the Firehouse Grill, second floor.

Ø  7:03 PM – Call to order

o   John Kennedy provided an overview of the organization’s activities this past year and future objectives.  John noted that Josh Bowes Carlson led the organization to inoculate trees against Dutch Elm Disease, as well has organized candidate forums during the local 2025 election.  Josh kept the SEA organization moving even through CO-VID.  John gave Josh the gift of a book about the history of Evanston. 

o   John described the mission of the organization (see below*).  We have resumed monthly board meetings.  We are looking at the infrastructure in our organization including the website and communications, membership levels and discerning issues on the horizon.  John would like to have a better understanding of member views.  Zoning codes will be at the forefront of city discussions in the future.

Questions and Comments:

o   A question was asked about stabilizing the lakefront erosion; what is the plan to keep erosion at bay?  It appears to have stalled out due to lack of funds. A lake front protection ordinance is being worked on by Council Member Clare Kelly.  Erosion plan funds were applied for during COVID through FEMA, but those funds are no longer available.  The city also applied for a grant for Sheridan Road to upgrade the area to keep erosion at bay, as well as at Greenwood Avenue at the lake.  Assistant City Engineer, Chris Sous, also applied for a state grant feasibility study at Sheridan Road near the Calvary Cemetery.  The public was involved in the lake front stabilization plan.  The city is now in the midst of implementing that plan. The city is also working to improve the native habitat plantings with the Parks and Recreation Department. 

o   Balance of programming vs. passive use of lakefront; it seems that the balance is being lost.  At what point is the lakefront too commercialized and overused for events and concerts?

o   CM Kelly was asked by Sheila Sullivan (SEA Vice President) to share the lakefront ordinance draft document and says she will make it available to the SEA; Sheila Sullivan plans to follow up with Council Member Kelly to make sure the SEA can see it before it is made fully public. 

o   Lakefront management and development is worth keeping our eyes on. 

o   The Parks and Open Space Master Plan was passed in 2024 and is available for viewing on the city website here.

o   What is SEA’s role in involving itself in areas outside of our boundaries?  We use our mission statement as our guide.   

*SEA Guiding Mission Statements

SEA and its Board aim to fulfill these essential tenets of our bylaws with the help of our members:

·         Preserve the essentially residential character of Southeast Evanston through developing citizen participation in the processes of city zoning and planning. 

·         Maintain and improve practices and regulations affecting Evanston land use. 

·         Aid in the solution of community problems and encourage informed citizen participation in community affairs. 

·         Foster research, education and study of various aspects of legislation directly affecting our community.

·         Provide a clearinghouse for information on community affairs. 

·         Actively monitoring development along the lakefront, as well as events and uses that are scheduled and requested. We believe in an active, healthy and vibrant lakefront, that allows people to freely enjoy nature without overcrowding or misuse. 

We welcome thoughts, concerns and efforts to collaborate with our organization.  Our email address is info@southeastevanston.org.

 Ø  John Kennedy - Presentation of Proposed Slate:

o   John Kennedy – Interim President since June 2025.

o   Sheila Sullivan – Vice President

o   Mimi Roeder – Secretary - 1st term ending in October 2027

o   Martha Ash – Treasurer - 1st term ending in October 2027

o   John Walsh – Board Member

o   Marcus Thimm – Board Member

o   Laurie Zoloth – Board Member

o   John Storey-Williamson – Board Member

o   Linda Damashek – Board Member

o   Steve Test – Board Member

o   Emily Williams Guthrie – Board Member (non-voting) 

Ø  Motion – Josh Bowes Carlson moved to adopt the slate as presented.  John Walsh, 2nd.

Motion passed in a unanimous voice vote  

Meeting adjourned at 7:45PM 

Presentation by City Staff

·         There was a short presentation by Chris Sous, Assistant City Engineer.   City Engineer, Lara Biggs, was also present.  The city staff person spoke to the current plans for the rebuilding of the Chicago Avenue Corridor and the addition of a protected bike lane.

·         Click here for the complete presentation. 

October 21, 2025

To:          Members of Southeast Evanston Association

Fr:           SEA Board

Re:          Annual Meeting Agenda and Request for Nominations

Our Mission

• ·         Preserve the essentially residential character of Southeast Evanston through developing citizen participation in the processes of city zoning and planning.

• ·         Maintain and improve practices and regulations affecting Evanston land use.

• ·         Aid in the solution of community problems and encourage informed citizen participation in community affairs.

• ·         Foster research, education and study of various aspects of legislation directly affecting our community.

• ·         Provide a clearinghouse for information on community affairs.

• ·         Encourage community activities in the Southeast Evanston area.

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Southeast Evanston Association will be held on Tuesday October the 28th at the Firehouse Grill, second floor.

·         Note:  Nominations to the Board need to be sent in ahead of the meeting to be considered. Use this Link to nominate a resident or member.

·         Doors open at 6:30 PM. Appetizers will be served. Drinks are available. You may also purchase dinner and dine during the proceedings.

·         7:00 PM - Meeting starts

o   John Kennedy will provide an overview of the organizations activities this past year and future objectives.

·        

Presentation of Proposed Slate:

o   John Kennedy – Interim President since June 2025.

o   Sheila Sullivan – Vice President

o   Mimi Roeder – Secretary - 1st term ending in October 2027

o   Martha Ash – Treasurer - 1st term ending in October 2027

o   John Walsh – Board Member

o   Marcus Thimm – Board Member

o   Laurie Zoloth – Board Member

o   John Storey-Williamson – Board Member

o   Linda Damashek – Board Member

o   Steve Test – Board Member

o   Emily Williams Guthrie – Board Member (non-voting)

·         Election of Board Members and officers

Presentation by City Staff

·         We are expecting a short presentation by a City of Evanston staff person on the current plans for the rebuilding of the Chicago Avenue Corridor and the addition of a protected bike lane. 

Sincerely,

John Kennedy – Interim President on behalf of the SEA Board:

Mimi Roeder, Martha Ash, John Walsh, Zafiro Papastratakos, Marcus Thimm, Laurie Zoloth,

John Storey-Williamson, Emily Williams Guthrie, Linda Damashek, Steve Test

 __________________________________________________________________

Council finalizes draft Envision Evanston comprehensive plan after four-month deliberation process, sets tentative November 11, 2025 review.

https://www.envisionevanston2045.com/

We welcome thoughts, concerns and efforts to collaborate with our organization.  Our email address is info@southeastevanston.org.
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City of Evanston Helpful Tools and Information -

City Council Email list:

dbiss@cityofevanston.org, ckelly@cityofevanston.org, mrodgers@cityofevanston.org, siles@cityofevanston.org, kharris@cityofevanston.org, parielledavis@cityofevanston.org, jnieuwsma@cityofevanston.org, bburns@cityofevanston.org, tsuffredin@cityofevanston.org, jgeracaris@cityofevanston.org

City Portal with up to date information

https://cityofevanston.civicweb.net/Portal/Default.aspx

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