Newsletter – April, 2026

The Southeast Evanston Association (SEA) is an accredited 501 c(4) Illinois non-profit organization, incorporated in 1969. We remain committed to:

Preserving the essentially residential character of our neighborhoods through citizen participation in city zoning and planning.

Maintaining and improving practices and regulations affecting Evanston land use.

Aiding in the solution of community problems and encouraging informed citizen participation in community affairs.

Fostering research, education and study of various aspects of legislation directly affecting our community and providing a clearinghouse of information on community affairs.

Important Topics This Month:

·         Housing4All – Evanston’s strategic housing plan

·         Putting Assets to Work (PAW) – The City’s plan for some of our buildings

·         Lakefront Protection Ordinance (LPO) – Protecting our lakefront

·         The Mayoral succession problem – Elections have consequences

·         Zoning 101 training session – Preparing for the coming zoning discussions

Housing4All

The Evanston City Council is about to adopt the “Housing4All Strategic Housing Plan”.  As stated in the executive summary:

“The purpose of Housing4All, the strategic housing plan, is to establish Evanston’s first comprehensive and actionable housing strategy — one that provides clear direction for how the City will address housing challenges and opportunities through 2036.”     

This plan is meant to guide the city in implementing the housing elements of Envision Evanston 2045 and is important because it will be a reference for the city in upcoming policy debates over zoning, parking and the development issues. 

The plan summary states the following challenges as housing-related:

Evanston’s “economic and racial diversity are at risk, and although diverse overall, Evanston’s neighborhoods are economically and racially segregated. Housing costs are rising rapidly, outpacing income growth. Renters are significantly cost-burdened, paying more than 30 percent of their incomes on housing, and purchasing a home is increasingly difficult, particularly for younger people.”    

The plan has many pages of census data detailing household incomes, net worth, racial and age makeup, as well as the renter and homeowner status of the residents in the nineteen census tracts that make up Evanston.  The plan uses this data to identify where neighborhoods in the city lie on various continuums of those factors and to identify where housing cost burdens, meaning households paying more than 30% of household income on housing, are most prevalent.  It should be no surprise that housing affordability presents the biggest problem in areas where household incomes and net worth are the lowest, leading to a high percentage of households with high housing cost burdens.  The plan states “strategic action is needed to assist Evanston’s cost-burdened households. “ 

From the executive summary:

“The City will use three objectives to address these challenges:

1.  Protect residents from displacement

2.  Preserve affordable housing units

3.  Create new housing units  

Additional discussion on this proposed Housing Plan can be found HERE.   

Putting Assets to Work 

"Putting Assets to Work" (PAW) is a strategic approach for local governments to generate new revenue from “under-utilized” public assets—such as land, buildings, and infrastructure. The key aspects of “Putting Public Assets to Work” include:

·   Inventory and Assessment: understanding the City properties’ true market value.

·   Alternative Revenue Generation: PAW utilizes techniques like long-term ground leases for development (e.g., affordable housing initiatives).

·   Urban Wealth Funds (UWF):  Public assets create recurring revenue streams that are managed by independent, professional entities to provide additional revenue to the City. 

Evanston chose the following assets:

·               The old Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center (2100 Ridge) - The building is currently empty since the City government moved into 909 Davis, which the City argued was due to the extensive repairs needed for the building.  

·               Noyes Cultural Arts Center (927 Noyes)- The Daniel Burnam designed Noyes Center is a vibrant hub of music, theater, creative writing and the visual arts and is generating a small profit for the City. The City claims that it is in need of an extensive rehab

              Police/Fire Headquarters (909 Lake)- The Police headquarters needs more space and a general rehabilitation.  

Current status

The City received a federal grant to pursue PAW and hired outside consultants last year to facilitate community input on what to do with these buildings. The PAW consultants plan to end public input in June or July 2026, leaving enough time to conduct a feasibility analysis for the most popular proposals.  Then in September of 2026, there will be a Recommended Action Plan presentation to City Council regarding the 3 noted properties.

The next community input session: 

Putting Assets to Work (PAW) Community Meeting -Tues, April 28th, 6-8 PM, Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center Aud, 1655 Foster St 

We recommend:

1)      Attend the April 28th meeting and subsequent meetings to provide ideas, and express opinions regarding ideas already suggested for the future use of 3 City-selected properties.

2)      Visit the Consultants’ website http://evanstonpaw.org/ to express your ideas and review those that have been submitted. The consultant has stated directly that there are no pre-determined uses for the properties so all suggestions are encouraged.

SEA Board Position

The board feels strongly that the Noyes Center should remain a community arts facility.

An idea that we feel has merit and may be the most economical approach to the police/fire headquarters, is to temporarily move these headquarters into the old Civic Center on Ridge, then rehabilitate the existing building.  For more details click HERE.    

Lakefront Protection Ordinance Update

The Southeast Evanston Association (SEA), active since 1969, has consistently prioritized lakefront stewardship and land‑use oversight. We continue to support the preservation of the public ownership and access to lakefront land, while strengthening regulations around its use. Our long-term advocacy helped to lay the groundwork for the Lakefront Protection Ordinance (LPO), which was formally recommended by the Evanston Environmental Board (EEB) and is currently set to be voted on by the City Council.  

The LPO recommendations include: 1) stronger restrictions on selling or leasing public lakefront land, 2) the preservation of public access to the lakefront, and 3) provisions that will make it harder for future City Councils to amend the LPO to potentially weaken its protections. The enforceability of item 3 is a concern. The LPO is built around the Public Trust Doctrine, making the city a steward of our shared natural resource, preserving perpetual public ownership and access to all currently public lakefront areas into perpetuality. This means prohibiting the sale of an interest in public property within the Lakefront Protection Zone (LPZ) under all circumstances, as well as protecting access and natural areas within the LPZ in the event of a lease. 

SEA Board Position

The LPO has been reviewed by the EEB, SEA, and other subject matter experts under the direction of Council Member Kelly, and the LPO is expected to come before City Council for discussion and potential adoption in May-June 2026. SEA fully supports adoption of this essential piece of legislation by the City of Evanston.

The Mayor and Congress

Now that Mayor Biss is running for Congress and will almost certainly win in the general election in November, Evanston has a succession problem.  

Recent changes in state laws require strict timing to allow for a special election to be called.   This means that if Evanston wants to have an election for mayor on April 6th, 2027, Mayor Biss would have to resign by October 18th, which is 15 days BEFORE the November 3rd election. If the Mayor does not resign by October 18 and is then elected to Congress on November 3, the remaining 2+ years will be filled by a sitting Council Member who is appointed by the City Council, leaving Evanston with a Mayor who was not elected by all the residents.  

While one could understand the reluctance of an office holder to resign BEFORE they know the outcome of an election, the voters in the 9th Congressional District have not elected a Republican since 1947.   The question is whether Daniel Biss owes it to Evanston residents to step aside in time to hold an election for his replacement?  

While Mr. Biss was non-committal about his interest in higher office prior to the 2025 Mayoral election, if he had been honest about his interest in running for Congress, would the outcome have been different?  

SEA Board Position

We feel strongly that Mayor Biss should resign in time for an election to be held in 2027 for the remainder of his term.  

If you feel the Mayor ought to resign by October 18 2026, prior to the November election, please send him an email (dbiss@cityofevanston.org) and copy your Council Member expressing your view. Voters should be heard on this matter.

Zoning Education Project

With the formal passage of Envision Evanston 2045 in January 2026 and a Request for Proposal for a municipal zoning consultant released on April 16, land use deregulation will be underway shortly. The Southeast Evanston Association (SEA) is working to develop a zoning education project to help residents more fully participate in this critical public process. Residents may become frustrated because they don't understand zoning, at least to the degree necessary to feel confident discussing issues with other residents, Council Members and City staff.  

We are working with other Evanston neighborhood groups such as the Central Street Neighbor’s Association (CSNA), Evanston Action Coalition (EAC) and Downtown Evanston Resident’s Association (DERA) to formulate a relevant curriculum. A venue has been secured for an in-person training event; there will also be a social media component of the training. The groups would like to hold an initial training session by the end of May. Stay tuned for more information.

City Council Contact Page - Click Here 

SEA Annual Membership Drive

If you haven’t renewed your SEA membership yet, we hope you’ll consider doing so. Your support strengthens our efforts to educate residents and maintain vigilance. We are currently monitoring and providing input to City Council and city staff on zoning, pedestrian safety, lakefront protection, and historic preservation matters.  Please renew your membership here. If you are not sure of your renewal status, please get in touch with us. 

For a listing of SEA Board Members, click here.

CITY ZONING UPDATE- OUR POSITION

February 23, 2026

Dear Evanston City Council Members,

The attached letter contains a statement from the Southeast Evanston Association (SEA) concerning the revised Draft Scope of Services for the Zoning Update. 

The Southeast Evanston Association (SEA) appreciates the City’s incorporation of public feedback into the revised Draft Scope of Services for the proposed Zoning Update released on February 19, 2026. Several of the procedural clarifications we identified—including expansion of the anticipated impact analysis to include infrastructure capacity, school enrollment, displacement risk, and fiscal sustainability—are meaningful improvements to the revised document.

However, SEA remains concerned that the revised Scope of Services continues to contemplate a consultant-led concept development and drafting process prior to explicit legislative determination by the City Council of the scale, scope, and implementation parameters of the zoning update itself. Should the City proceed with the zoning update process, SEA believes it is essential that the consultant's role remain analytical and advisory, rather than policy-setting, and that land use policy direction originate from elected officials through public legislative action.

In addition, the revised Scope of Services still does not clearly define whether publicly-owned land, institutional campuses, historic districts, or overlay areas are included within the contemplated scope of rezoning analysis. SEA therefore believes that the independent impact analysis contemplated in the revised Scope of Services should explicitly evaluate the likely effects of proposed zoning changes on designated historic districts, contributing structures, lakefront access and open space protections, and established residential building patterns prior to development or testing of initial zoning concepts.

The process needs to be rigorous, legally sound, and respectful of established community frameworks before it proceeds to City Council. Our comments provided in the attached statement will assist in this endeavor. We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback.

Sincerely,

Sheila Sullivan

Vice President, SEA

Newsletter - January 2026

The Southeast Evanston Association is an Illinois non-profit corporation. We remain committed to maintaining our advocacy for the shared values that define our neighborhood.   

Envision Evanston 2045 (EE 2045) – Evanston’s 20 Year Comprehensive Plan
On January 26th, a vote will be taken by the City Council to adopt the latest draft of EE 2045 plan. While the SEA Board has concerns with elements of the plan, we recognize that the process has been a long and contentious.  The Council will almost certainly adopt the current plan with only minor changes to language. The next step in the process is to develop a new zoning code that is to be based on the core policies expressed in the Comprehensive Plan.

• The Evanston Roundtable has an excellent summary of the EE 2045 process that can be found here.

In the past, SEA has had some significant concerns around several of the points in the plan.  We have been heavily focused on a few zoning matters:

Ø  Advocating for maintaining single-family zoning.  The current EE 2045 plan calls for abolishing single-family zoning and allowing for up to 4 housing units to be built on residential lots.

Ø  Advocating for height limitations for tall buildings on Chicago Avenue and throughout downtown Evanston. 

Also at the January 26th City Council Meeting, a vote will be taken on another proposed ordinance: Short Term Rentals - https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/01/13/vacation-rental-ordinance-moves-forward-with-a-few-proposed-changes/

The current edition of the ordinance includes:

• A reduced total number of units that could be offered as short term to 145 from a proposed 180.

• Increased restrictions on the distance between rental properties

• Requires the owner or property manager to live within 3 miles of the rental property

Lakefront Protection Ordinance (LPO) – Update
Council Member Clare Kelly and 3rd ward resident and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner, Cam Davis, have been drafting a LPO, which has been shared on the city website. 3rd Ward Council Member Shawn Iles has also been involved in this effort.  SEA has been working with CM Kelly to make improvements to the draft, specifically citing more clarifications about the consequences of either the City or Northwestern University ignoring the Ordinance. 

Main/Forest Pedestrian Alliance
A group of 3rd Ward residents have become concerned about pedestrian safety, especially in the area near Lincoln School. The area is a dense neighborhood, with many pedestrians – dog walkers, people walking to the trains and the beach, people taking their children to school. At the same time, commuters driving south are routed through this neighborhood, creating a toxic mix. The stretch of Main Street between Forest and Sheridan is also quite dangerous, with southbound motorists racing to the light at Sheridan Road. In 2023, an elderly man was struck by a car and killed.

A proposal was put together in cooperation with Traffic Engineering to:
Ø  Put a raised intersection at the corner of Main and Forest

Ø  Put a raised crosswalk at Main and Michigan Avenue

Ø  Install lighting that will shine directly down on the sidewalk in both these dangerous spots

This is an ambitious proposal, but, if implemented, can be a model for the rest of the 3rd Ward and the city. 

Parking
Council Member, Shawn Iles recently worked with city staff members to remove the short-term parking space areas in front of the former Starbucks space on Main Street.  By removing the short-term designation, other businesses such as Kuni’s, Oceanique and Lucky Platter will benefit. 

City News
NU To Bring Chicago Stars Soccer Team to Ryan Field With A 5 Year Lease? 

Chicago Stars and stadium opponents building campaigns around team’s ask to play at Ryan Field. The Most Livable City Association will petition to force supermajority vote requirement at City Council, says org’s president.

https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/01/12/chicago-stars-stadium-opponents-building-campaigns-around-teams-ask-to-play-at-ryan-field/ 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/13/chicago-stars-soccer-evanston-play-ryan-field/

Let your council member know your thoughts on allowing more use of Ryan Field by professional sports teams or other matters such as the Envision Evanston Plan or the Short-term rental ordinance. You can reach council members at these email addresses: 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

The January 23, 2026 City Manager’s Report notes that two more city owned venues hope to serve liquor, including The Noyes Cultural Center and Ecology Center. https://www.cityofevanston.org/home/showpublisheddocument/102881

SEA Block By Block (Party)
The SEA would love to attend your summer block party to help better understand the needs of our member base and neighborhoods.  You can apply for a permit at Block Party Application(Printable) or Block Party Application (Online)
Let us know if we can attend and chat with you and your neighbors!  Please contact Board Member Steve Test to invite him to join you.

SEA Annual Membership Drive
If you haven’t renewed your SEA membership yet, we hope you’ll consider doing so.
We are currently working with the City Council and staff on zoning, pedestrian safety, lakefront protection, and historic preservation matters.
Please renew your membership here:
https://www.southeastevanston.org/membership
If you are not sure of your renewal status, please get in touch with us at:  info@southeastevanston.org
 
SEA Board:
John Kennedy –President
Sheila Sullivan – Vice President
Mimi Roeder – Secretary
Martha Ash – Treasurer
Board Members:
Linda Damashek, John Storey-Williamson, Steve Test, Marcus Thimm, John Walsh, Emily Williams Guthrie (non-voting), and Laurie Zoloth,

The Southeast Evanston Association (SEA), Inc., an Illinois non-profit corporation- EIN No 36-3986627

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. 

 __________________________________________________________________

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