Planning and Development

From Edgewater 2020

Category Administration

(Committee Members)

Co-Chairs: Thom Greene <thom@gpdchicago.com>, John Aquilina <jaquil2@comcast.net>, Carmen Vidal-Hallett <cvidalhallett@ecovidaldesign.com>;

Members: Sara Dinges, Andersonville Dev. Corp <sdinges@andersonville.org>;Trinette Britt-Johnson <trinettejohnson@edgewaterdev.org>, Peter Locke <peterlocke@terralocke.com>

Definition

(How are we defining this category/section? What is included and what is NOT included?)

The Plan recognizes that individuals are part of a larger community and that the community is in turn part of a larger whole. The Plan therefore seeks to encourage individuals to shift behaviors toward sustainability with the belief that these shifts in practices are the groundwork for a larger transformation.

Through the development of a Comprehensive Neighborhood Master Plan (CNMP) using best practices in urban and architectural design the role of Planning and Development is to create a holistic vision and overall framework for all sustainable practices and future development in the Edgewater community in collaboration with community partners, residents, businesses and public officials. The CNMP will stimulate long-term, sustainable development in the community by incorporating current best practices in urban planning and architectural design.

Metrics

(What are the key measures that are relevant to this category? What ‘needles’ are we trying to ‘move’?)

The Comprehensive Neighborhood Master Plan(CNMP) utilizes, integrates and implements current best practices in sustainable urban design. The primary reference standards and best practices (among others) that provide CNMP’s methodology are as follows:

LEED ND www.usgbc.org/leed/nd/
Congress for New Urbanism SmartCode www.smartcodecentral.org
National Trust Guidelines for Historic Preservation www.preservationnation.org/
Form-based Zoning www.formbasedcodes.org
Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) www.realtor.org/library/library/fg804

By implementing best practices, the CNMP will support historic preservation, a variety of housing demands and services the preservation of open space and the creation of parkland, transit-oriented development, adaptive re-use, and the creation of new zones as appropriate, such as the local shopping and commercial zones mentioned above

Assumptions

(What, if any, criteria are fixed/unchangeable or independent from this analysis?)

Residents and community groups should have input and be invited to actively participate in planning and implementation of an environmentally friendly and sustainabile Edgewater.

With community support the CNMP will strive to

Implement more sustainable Zoning and Land Use Plans
Create commercial development guidelines integrating previous community research consistent with chosen reference standards for the project.
Replace large open parking lots with compact, multi-level parking integrated into mix-use structures fronted by commercial active spaces.
Encourage commercial infill

Current State

(Where do we currently stand in this category/section, in terms of the key defining metrics?) To determine the current state the Edgewater Community the following activities will need to take place.

Determine which LEED ND credits are currently applicable to the Edgewater community
Conduct an analysis of each of the applicable LEED ND credits. As stated earlier in this document, some of the credits will be assesses as part of other programs.
Continue to encourage via Chambers and Development Corporations, that businesses and developers follow green initiatives and standards and give them tools to estimate cost vs. benefits as well as market advantages when they go green.

Available Data Review

(What baseline data do we have – or exists elsewhere that we can easily obtain – that can help us create a baseline assessment of where we currently stand?)

city land use maps as well as current zoning, codes and state regulations can be referenced (updated on a piecemeal basis however)

eco-Andersonville green certification process involves extensive surveys and applications from local Andersonville businesses. As of February, 2010:
- These businesses have been certified “sustainable” because they are making a positive impact on People, Planet, and Prosperity by implementing environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable business practices:

   Avalon Chiropractic: two-star business,
   Joel Berman Architecture & Design, Ltd.: two- star business,
   GreenSky: three-star business,
   Green Genes: three-star business,
   Hamburger Mary’s: three-star business,
   SIR Spa: one-star business,
   The Coffee Studio: three-star business,
   Visionary Eye Care: two-star business.

Loyola via its various environmental classes and other initiatives has surveyed the community and provided reports to the EESP committee.

Additional Data Needs

(What additional data is needed and how will we be able to address them, e.g., through the Loyola student projects?)

As the CNMP project evolves and funding is received to move forward on the design, data needs will be evaluated and actions taken to receive and assess the information.

Future State

(What is our Vision for this category/section? What are our specific goals in terms of key metrics defined above? What implications & benefits will there be at an individual, business, and governmental level?)

Refer to the following Sections which outline the vision of a Comprehensive Neighborhood Master Plan and the steps needed to implement the goals of that vision.

Ideal

(What are the key measures that are relevant to this category? What ‘needles’ are we trying to ‘move’?)

The Planning & Development committee's vision is to Plan for the future and articulate a design for an environmentally friendly and sustainable development for Edgewater.

The Plan will recognize that individuals are part of a larger community and that the community is in turn part of a larger whole. The Plan therefore seeks to encourage individuals to shift behaviors toward sustainability with the belief that these shifts in practices are the groundwork for a larger transformation.

Sustainable Land Use Improves the Quality of Life and Supports the Environment

Through the development of a Comprehensive Neighborhood Master Plan (CNMP) using best practices in urban and architectural design the role of Planning and Development is to create a holistic vision and overall framework for all sustainable practices and future development in the Edgewater community in collaboration with community partners, residents, businesses and public officials. The CNMP will stimulate long-term, sustainable development in the community by incorporating current best practices in urban planning and architectural design.

Although there have been recent zoning changes along Broadway, and other streets in a piecemeal fashion, the greater part of the current land use zoning plan for the Edgewater neighborhood has been in place for more than 50 years. However, to account both for changes in the character and density of the neighborhood and for new uses subsequent reviews have updated this plan.

An example of a zoning change that would support environmental efforts would be reduced reliance on fossil-fuel driven transport as a result of the creation of new local shopping zones through the CNMP that will encourage and facilitate pedestrian access to basic and essential retail outlets and services.

To update current land use and zoning, the CNMP utilizes, integrates and implements current best practices in sustainable urban design. The primary reference standards and best practices (among others) that provide CNMP’s methodology are as follows:

LEED ND (www.usgbc.org/leed/nd/)
Congress for New Urbanism SmartCode (www.smartcodecentral.org)
National Trust Guidelines for Historic Preservation (www.preservationnation.org/)
Form-based Zoning (www.formbasedcodes.org)
Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) (www.realtor.org/library/library/fg804)

By implementing best practices, the CNMP will support historic preservation, a variety of housing demands and services the preservation of open space and the creation of parkland, transit-oriented development, adaptive re-use, and the creation of new zones as appropriate, such as the local shopping and commercial zones mentioned above.

Initial Recommendations

1. Create Commercial Design Development Guidelines which also incorporate practices recommended by Design Guidelines for Commercial Development in Edgewater first published in 1996. • Promote Commercial infills and surface parking lot reductions • Create Gateways - Sense of entry to Edgewater • Explore quality affordable housing alternatives.

2. Zoning – Use synthesis of best practices of New Urbanism including especially the synergies offered by the use of both Form-based and Transect Zoning. Form-based Zoning addresses the relationship between building facades and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. The regulations and standards in Form-based codes, presented in both diagrams and words, are keyed to a regulating plan that designates the appropriate form and scale (and therefore, character) of development rather than only distinctions in land-use types. Form-based codes are drafted to achieve a community vision based on time-tested forms of urbanism. Transect Zoning describes zoning districts not separated by use as much as they're separated by size and building type - two-story buildings go on this street, five-story buildings go on that street. The Transect is a categorization system that organizes all elements of the urban environment on a scale from rural to increasingly urban, labeled T1 to T6 respectively.

4. Parkland – Support the proposed continuous Lakefront public park concept of FOTP • Upgrade east/west access connections to lakefront. • Upgrade all existing parks and their pedestrian connections

5. Support Historic Preservation and the Recycling/reuse of existing structures. • Explore TDR ( Transfer of Development rights)

6. Create Mass Transportation upgrades. • Create new Metra Station at Peterson Ave. • Restore period character and upgrade all existing El Stations to community jewels • Explore express bus and train options

7. Streetscaping • Explore and implement traffic calming & street amenities that create a more walkable community. • Promote additional greening/rain gardens/native vegetation & pervious paving use.

8. Create new Community /Transportation Centers and Transit-oriented Developments (TOD) • Use upgraded Berwyn and Thorndale stations/centers as the focus of TODs

9. Possible creation of an overall Sustainable Master Plan ( overlay drawing) for Edgewater.

List of reference standards and documents detailing best practices

Leed ND

National Trust for Historic Preservation

SmartCode

Gaps

(Given available data & analysis, how far apart are key the elements (metrics) of our Current & Future States?)

"Open Space and Parkland"

Edgewater currently falls below the national and Chicago open space and parkland recommendation per capita (2 acres for every 1,000 inhabitants) and has the least parkland of any of the city’s communities.

"Commercial Activity"

The lack of continuity in the fabric of retail structures along some commercial thoroughfares in Edgewater reduces the diversity of retail offerings that can be had within walking distance and therefore reduces the economic viability of the area. Compared to the continuous commercial fabric enjoyed along streets such as Clark Street and Devon Avenue, the presence of big box commercial retail with their attendant parking lots along Broadway not only encourages car use, but also reduces the walkability and the vitality of this main street.

"Adaptive Re-use"

Appropriate changes in zoning and land-use policies provided by the new Comprehensive Neighborhood Master Plan will allow creative use of existing structures which support other goals of the plan such as the creation of affordable housing, historic preservation, robust commercial infill, decreased automobile use etc.

"Environmental Streetscape Design: Pedestrian-oriented Streets"

Streets play many roles besides the conveyance of traffic—both motorized and non-motorized—and underground utilities. Successful streetscape design requires the successful accommodation of all of its users as well as an integrated design approach consonant with required usages, the character of the community and the built environment.

Resources

(What kind of resources – time, money, people, agreements/support/relationships – are needed to address each of the gaps described above?)

This proposed CNMP requires a planning process conducted by experts who can optimize the proper land use and zoning, analyze transit infrastructure and utilities, develop environmental streetscape design, evaluate the optimization of proposed elements, and propose a plan of action with an implementation time line defining short and long term projects.

Implementation of the Comprehensive Neighborhood Master Plan, will require that funding be obtained in order to complete the design study. The planning would be undertaken with full community input and would be designed to achieve the objectives of the CCAP in the Edgewater community.

Priorities

(Given the potential impact & benefit and the related costs (resources) required, in what order should we attempt to address/resolve the gaps?)

The Plan is proposing to create green design guidelines for all of Edgewater’s building structure types - existing and future proposed - acting as a one stop resource guide for green product specifications, integrating all the green building guidelines and identifying funding sources.

Major issues relating to Edgewater’s in-place built environment, are the construction of new buildings that are contextually appropriate to the character of the community and are energy efficient. Following best practices set forth in the CNMP, the EESP will develop commercial guidelines to promote the quality and contextual appropriateness of both new commercial construction and the preservation and restoration of existing structures of significance to the community.

With respect to the energy efficiency of the majority of the existing structures as well as of new structures, the Planning and Development Committee will work to:

Transform existing structures to become more energy efficient.
Encourage all new buildings to be LEED certifiable
Promote the implementation of LEED EB and LEED NC or appropriate alternative sustainable systems on existing structures
Promote change in the city building codes to require energy efficient construction and Energy Star appliances

Implementation Plan

(What are the first/next steps required to address the priority gap areas, secure the required resources, etc.? How will the implementation of priorities in this area be balanced against those of others?)

1. Planning and Development recommends starting with the redesign of Broadway and Sheridan Road from Devon to Foster. The urban design transformation of these corridors will substantially decrease the heat island effect in the neighborhoods; provide a more pleasant pedestrian environment attracting development and services, higher demand for transit and subsequently more reliable and better CTA bus and train services.

2. Decrease Private Car use and Increase Transit and environmental preferred options for bicycle and pedestrian circulation use. Currently Edgewater enjoys a fairly robust system of transportation, comprised of bus, rail, automobile, share cars, and to a limited extent, bicycle routes. However, these systems have not been integrated into a multi-modal system that effectively serves the transportation needs of the community.

3. Building and Structures: Create Green Design Guidelines The Plan is proposing to create green design guidelines for all of Edgewater’s building structure types - existing and future proposed - acting as a one stop resource guide for green product specifications, integrating all the green building guidelines and identifying funding sources.

4.Create a Community Center for Sustainability (CCS), to implement, administer and advance the design strategies of the EESP as well as to serve as a resource and solution center for green information such as the green design guidelines as well as research regarding rebates and grants for retrofits. The center would also showcase products and technology for residents and businesses who wish to utilize environmentally friendly and sustainable products.

CONCLUSION The proposed Comprehensive Neighborhood Master Plan requires a planning process conducted by experts who can optimize the proper land use and zoning, analyze transit infrastructure and utilities, develop environmental streetscape design, evaluate the optimization of proposed elements, and propose a plan of action with an implementation time line defining short and long term projects.