MPC's Urban Development Committee urges the mayor's office to approve the redevelopment of the Columbus Hospital site because the proposal promotes infill development, utilizes existing transportation, preserves open space and expands commercial services.
The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has a long history of supporting community involvement in planning decisions and commenting on large-scale public and private development projects. MPC led the way for increased notice of large scale planned development projects by securing in 1998 a commitment from the City of Chicago for a publicly accessible monthly list of recently filed applications. Last summer MPC independently conducted neighborhood focus groups to develop zoning recommendations to present to the Mayor's Zoning Reform Commission. On the development front, MPC shaped Navy Pier redevelopment, McCormick Place expansions, Central Station development, the redevelopment of the USX site in South Chicago and offered rules to shape the redevelopment of Soldier Field.
When we review a project, MPC uses a consistent set of principles to govern our process. The Council's most recent effort, which involved the redevelopment of Columbus Hospital on Chicago's North Side, followed the same set of principles. MPC supports projects that:
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Promote the infill and redevelopment of urban areas in the Chicago region.
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Ensure adequate and timely public review and participation in planning processes.
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Foster communication and cooperation between government bodies involved in planning.
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Encourage projects and policies that:
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enhance the physical and economic well-being of the surrounding neighborhood;
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promote the use of public transit;
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respect the pedestrian environment;
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recognize the importance of open space; and
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expand and connect housing and employment options.
Our positions are meant to complement, not supplant, the public review process to which all development projects are subject. Many projects require Chicago Plan Commission approval, zoning changes that necessitate City Council action and, most importantly, a public process involving local residents. The set of concerns expressed by these residents may be different from the more systemic ones that MPC raises.
We chose to scrutinize the Columbus Hospital project because it exemplifies a critical problem with Chicago's current zoning process, wherein zoning changes are initiated after a developer proposes a project rather than before. This discourages proactive planning, and the timing creates increased costs and burdens to all parties involved. When immediate concerns about increased traffic congestion and blocked sunlight threaten a rational decision-making process, residents are forced to make hasty decisions often compounding the already difficult development process. This costs developers time and money, gives politicians a headache balancing opposing constituent views, and can squander the precious resources of a city in needless litigation.
Planning issues need to be addressed in a broader context.
Chicago is on the verge of an historic opportunity. Looking beyond the Columbus Hospital issue, as Chicago considers a new zoning ordinance for the first time in 45 years, we should seize this moment to think proactively about the types of communities we want our children to inherit. Chicago's 21-member Mayor's Zoning Reform Commission released its preliminary status report on June 4, outlining the direction of zoning changes being considered for the new ordinance. Before these ideas can be implemented, a larger set of planning issues needs to be addressed.
We should be planning for the application of a new zoning code throughout the city. We should be thinking now about which areas are best suited for neighborhood retail hubs, parks and open space, industrial preservation, higher density and affordable housing. Those thoughts should be based on maximizing the use of existing infrastructure like CTA's elevated trains, solid all-brick schools that need some repair and would benefit greatly from an influx in new school-aged children, or the freight rail lines that still service many of the city's industrial corridors.
Development decisions are not easy to make under any circumstances, but they are best made when elected officials, city planners and residents can evaluate the benefits of new development against a neighborhood vision. Using the ideas in the Mayor's Zoning Reform Commission's progress report and getting ahead of the development cycle with a series of community-based planning sessions could pave the way for a smoother development process in Chicago's neighborhoods, now and for the next generation.