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School district seeks lot-coverage and landscaping variances to rebuild South Elementary at Morrill Avenue
Summary
North Chicago Unit School District 187 asked the council’s zoning committee for lot-coverage and buffer-yard landscaping variations at South Elementary (1812 Morrill Ave) to demolish the south half of the building, add parking and a multiuse mini pitch, and phase landscaping via nonprofit partners.
North Chicago School District 187 presented a zoning petition on Sept. 15 seeking lot-coverage and landscaping variations for work at South Elementary School, 1812 Morrill Avenue.
A city staff member told the committee the district plans to demolish the older south half of the building, repurpose the newer northern half for administrative offices, and install a parking lot plus a small multipurpose pitch that the district would make available to the community by reservation. The petition requests relief because the proposed site plan would still exceed the zoning district’s maximum lot coverage, though staff said the project would reduce impervious surface overall compared with the current condition.
The district also asked to phase required perimeter buffer-yard landscaping, citing constrained capital funding and partnerships with nonprofit groups that will perform plantings at little or no cost; staff said the district plans to complete landscaping over the next few years through those partners. "They've been more than diligent about all the concerns that we've expressed," a staff member said in response to aldermanic questions.
Why it matters: the project would change the site footprint, add parking and a community-usable mini pitch, and temporarily delay required landscaping while preserving the district's plan to install buffers through partners.
Next steps: the committee moved the petition to the next meeting for a vote.
