Evanston city staff will urge the Plan Commission on Wednesday to recommend City Council approval of an increase in the maximum height limit for planned developments in the downtown core.
The downtown core, or “D3” zoning district, now lacks the 40 foot height bonus offered planned developments in other “D” districts when 75 percent or more of the first four floors of a building is used for parking.
All the downtown districts also offer general height bonuses for planned developments. Any project that includes more than 20,000 square feet of gross floor area is required to be approved as a planned development.
In a memo to the Plan Commission, Community Development Director Mark Muenzer says the downtown core, located generally in the center of downtown, was meant — under provisions of the city’s comprehensive general plan and downtown plan — to have higher density and height than surrounding districts.
A zoning map showing the “D3” and surrounding downtown zones.
But under the existing zoning, Muenzer says, developments in the D4 downtown transition district could end up with greater height that ones in the downtown core.
The chart above shows the maximum height permitted in each district, but the code also has various exceptions which in some cases would reduce the maximum.
For example, the 220 foot height in D3 is only permitted where lots are wider than 95 feet. Otherwise the cap is 170 feet.
Rules for the D4 district subtract 20 feet from the height limit if a develpment doesn’t include a residential component.
So a residential development in the D4 district with the parking bonus could be 185 feet high, while a development in the D3 district on a lot less than 95 feet wide now could be no more than 170 feet high.
Under Section 6-3-6-6 of the city’s zoning code, the City Council has the authority, by a two-thirds majority vote, to permit greater height in a planned development than would otherwise be allowed under the zoning code if it finds that the change is essential to achieve designated public benefits.
Why is this coming up now?
I don't understand why this issue is being raised at this time. I did not agree with the increased building heights that were part of the downtown plan zoning changes at the time. We don't need higher buildings. We need higher quality buildings. Evanston has some very ugly tall buildings.
And why now, unless there is a developer waiting in the wings asking for such a revision to be made?
Mike