[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6288202,"mediaKeyId","2543445-35d64675a1d0bc0792a16dbb61338873","parentId",2543445,"title","Planning committee rejects extension for 1915–1917 Grant Street efficiency development, 4‑2","audioSeconds",3095,"startMs",157000,"endMs",3252000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2543445-35d64675a1d0bc0792a16dbb61338873&start=157&end=3252","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2543445-35d64675a1d0bc0792a16dbb61338873/thumbnail_157000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6288202/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Planning-committee-rejects-extension-for-19151917-Grant-Street-efficiency-development-42","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288202-ab3e0f610d6fcb08aa4a2818b7453b19/orig.mp4?Expires=1773627547&Signature=jSny2UthtM2aCatMB6IdiAaUzWq9mC0fabbv72dpjVIyQe5Cg6kje6AgpzKUg7Cbp5YGQzUXJygTqSdQ~uvM84lO3dY5NpGLCCbEY7GS7M~~x6iupp-EBHCa~87YPLmrYL5Zqez2kz1wyPo9hIMxGVxtGBIxOAyQJL-kUxB1UFJ172dvoXTK0fOiNizqdhw-RBMG4JT5IXAh0i0ZtkaJGPJ1AJ80j7U5eVEDaM4BTXLO~y~JFyibF2fxmStVFfe90W-TCt2Aaul7jNlyvyDHUXcVAlxLwZyPEZ686LhjN058l0qbVwCdbp3-Db5UuOvrev6ZEw1mBXsykEJvsdbeGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Evanston, IL","date","2025-03-11T16:49:57Z","article","The Evanston Planning and Development Committee on March 10, 2025 voted to deny Ordinance 25‑O‑25, a request to extend the time to obtain a building permit for a 12‑unit efficiency home development at 1915–1917 Grant Street. The motion to approve the extension was moved by Council Member Ravel and seconded by Council Member Wynne; after debate the committee rejected the extension by a vote of 4 to 2.

The applicant, David Wallach, told the committee he has submitted for permits and said, \"We are in for permit currently. We have all of our financing in place for the project. Not just for a few units but for all 12 units in place.\" He said demolition and tree removal would begin as soon as the permit is issued and said Sotheby’s, which is marketing the project, had strong interest: \"We have 2 presales, we have 6 reservations and more people chomping in the bit just waiting for us to break ground.\" Wallach characterized the project as market‑rate \"missing middle\" housing and acknowledged that one unit was to be offered as an inclusionary (affordable) unit.

Public commenters urged denial. Pamela Powell Rosenbusch, who identified herself as a nearby resident, said the developer \"has not built anything on Grant Street\" and urged the committee to vote against the extension, citing bankruptcy history and concerns about the project starting. John Mathis Shelbert, who said he lives two doors east of the site, urged the committee to reject the extension and called the proposed prices “extremely expensive and outside the norm of Evanston sales.” Cynthia Beebe, speaking for neighbors and citing a petition of 117 signatories, asked the committee to deny the extension, noting concerns about a new LLC and whether prior approvals carried over.

Several council members pressed procedural and oversight questions. Council Member Kelly argued the project should be reviewed as a planned development so the design, landscaping and drainage would receive fuller review; she said she would not support the extension in its current form, noting the Land Use Commission had signaled concern earlier. Liz Williams of the city’s planning staff explained that the City Council had adopted a text amendment that changes the review pathway for these homes from planned development to a special use, and that reverting to a planned‑development process would require a separate referral and zoning text changes.

Corporation Counsel Alex Ruggie answered procedural questions about suspending the rules and the moratorium mechanics and confirmed that to extend the moratorium or change the review process would require separate council action.

A roll call in committee recorded \"Council Member Ravel? No. Council Member Wynne? No. Council Member Kelly? No. Council Member Nussma? Aye. Council Member Reid? Aye. Council Member Hanna Karas? No.\" The clerk announced the item failed by a 4‑2 vote and will not advance to City Council from committee.

The denial preserves the special‑use permit’s expiration and leaves the applicant to consider next steps, which could include seeking a planned‑development pathway if the council changes the zoning text or re‑submitting under existing special‑use requirements. Staff noted new internal tracking procedures so future expiring approvals will be flagged earlier.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning and Development Committee Meeting 3-10-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Evanston Planning and Development Committee on March 10, 2025 voted to deny Ordinance 25‑O‑25, an extension to obtain a building permit for a 12‑unit efficiency home project at 1915–1917 Grant Street, rejecting the proposed extension by a 4‑2 vote.","taxTitle","Evanston, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",2640,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6288208,"Evanston committee sends short‑term rental rewrite to housing committee, backs 60‑day compliance push",1207,626000,1833000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2543445-35d64675a1d0bc0792a16dbb61338873&start=626&end=1833","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2543445-35d64675a1d0bc0792a16dbb61338873/thumbnail_626000.jpg","/articles/6288208/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Evanston-committee-sends-shortterm-rental-rewrite-to-housing-committee-backs-60day-compliance-push","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288208-6c6393fc8be2d5fe4815a5e9163bcb7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773627547&Signature=jGSMa1ZhRubp0xPeffLNZaLd8N2I4-oIDpvufrkUqBk394Os~YaBez5Bv9l4WUAWGKqXjgqgfCz1RzbB3OSuXU7ziwhQjQHxsd3X9j0pFUEd011sKKW2vaQvk6t6wnRpwgyvDLqkwTTu09hGxHcT61s47vio6XSGii9jpQwRaAmd~xnny0A8U0nGBfxfsjDPqEJGLwp5Tspdq~WVVk3dYrk0xI4Wz1qeWxg~WEvY2jO5JHdnfBaVjHgTMNTFoJGO3WJ-msH2YgZo4Czena7FnoXXx~lrZDG0a2oXTNetdRHc4QZOzj1MMks5Na5EolJYr3q2JCeHS1lcDiufy4NJkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its March 10, 2025 meeting, the Evanston Planning and Development Committee voted to send a longer-term review of the city’s vacation‑rental rules to the Housing and Community Development Committee and agreed that staff should start enforcing the current ordinance by notifying unlicensed listings and giving them 60 days to apply.

Andrew San Roman, building and development services manager, told the committee “Currently, there are 226 short term rentals listed, in the city of Evanston. We currently have 14,309 long term rentals just for comparison between the 2.” He laid out ambiguities staff wants clarified — including how to define an owner’s “primary residence,” whether the ordinance should use the term “short‑term rental” instead of “vacation rental,” whether month‑long stays (used by traveling nurses or visiting academics) should be covered, and how to make standards objective enough for consistent enforcement.

The nut of the committee’s immediate decision was procedural: staff has purchased software to identify listings not in compliance and will send notices to those hosts giving them 60 days to submit a license application. San Roman described the proposed penalty schedule if a host does not comply: $200 for the first violation, $500 for a second, and $750 for a third or subsequent violation. He said staff’s intent was not to pursue retroactive enforcement for past stays but to require licensing going forward.

Council Member Herakanes said the housing market drove his interest in the issue: \"I have an underlying frustration with the fact that housing is a commodity and that contributes to, you know, rising home costs, rental costs, and I think the vacation, short term, you know, VRBO rentals contributes to that.\" Council Member Kelly, participating remotely, asked that the city consider extending a prior moratorium until a new ordinance is in place, saying, \"I guess I would want to extend the moratorium until we establish, you know, until we establish our ordinance on this.\" Alex Ruggie, the city’s corporation counsel, replied that the committee could not extend the moratorium at the same meeting because it was not on the agenda but that the council could bring that item back for formal action.

Committee members also directed staff to gather examples from other municipalities and to refer broader code changes to HCDC for a more detailed review. Several members urged clearer, objective definitions in any amendment so staff can apply rules consistently and potential applicants understand requirements in advance. Staff confirmed there are two applications already before Planning and Development and 11 others under review; staff said owner‑occupied applications will continue to be processed under existing rules.

The committee’s referral sends the policy questions to HCDC for a substantive rewrite while the staff enforcement plan — the 60‑day notice and stepped fines — will be implemented immediately.

Next steps: HCDC will take up the longer‑term rewrite and staff will send compliance notices to identified listings.","On March 10, 2025 the Evanston Planning and Development Committee referred a longer-term rewrite of the city’s vacation/short‑term rental rules to the Housing and Community Development Committee (HCDC) and accepted staff’s plan to identify unlicensed listings and give them 60 days to apply for licenses, then pursue escalating fines.","actionData","errors"]

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Planning committee rejects extension for 1915–1917 Grant Street efficiency development, 4‑2

Evanston committee sends short‑term rental rewrite to housing committee, backs 60‑day compliance push