Evanston land use commission approves major variations for 1630 Ashland Avenue garage
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Summary
The Evanston Land Use Commission voted unanimously May 28 to grant two major variations that will allow a larger, two-car stacked garage at 1630 Ashland Avenue after staff and nearby neighbors signaled support.
EVANSTON, Ill. — The Evanston Land Use Commission on May 28 approved two major zoning variations that will allow the demolition and relocation of a detached garage and construction of a two-car stacked garage at 1630 Ashland Avenue.
City staff told commissioners the application (case 25ZMJV0017) seeks a north interior side-yard setback of 1 foot where 5 feet is required (the existing garage is 6 inches from the lot line) and a rear-yard setback of 5 feet where 30 feet is required (the current legally nonconforming distance is 28 feet). "Staff is in support of the application before you this evening," city staff said during the hearing.
The variations apply to a property in an Evanston historic district; the project has received a certificate of appropriateness from the preservation commission. Architect Peter Kading, speaking for the homeowners, described plans to remove a 1950s-era detached garage, relocate a like-sized structure farther west in the backyard and restore architectural brackets that are currently obscured. "The current garage is barely sufficient for a single car, let alone bicycles, soccer balls, etcetera," Kading said, adding the design would create more usable garage space and restore historic features.
The applicant said the proposed garage would be similar in footprint to the existing structure, and that the revised plans increase the rear setback to 5 feet (from a prior proposal as close as 3 feet) and move the north setback from 6 inches to 1 foot. The applicant provided a letter from the contractor indicating short-term, limited access to an adjacent lot would be needed during construction, and materials showing a neighboring homeowner to the west, identified in the record as Ellen Prieto, withdrew a prior objection after the applicant agreed to the greater setback and additional landscaping.
A neighbor who spoke at the hearing, Mitch Broski of 1624 Ashland, said the property owners "have been very careful about restoring their house to its original state" and indicated he had no objection. Commissioners asked about utility access and construction impacts; the applicant said any relocation of utilities such as overhead power would be addressed in the building-permit process and coordinated with the utility provider.
During deliberations commissioners reviewed the seven standards applicable to a major variation and found the application met each standard, including that the proposed changes would not substantially harm adjacent properties and represent the least deviation among feasible options. A commissioner moved to approve the request "for the 2 variations, as described in the packet," and a second was recorded. The commission then took a roll-call vote with the following results: Commissioner Aravallo — yes; Commissioner Berlin — yes; Commissioner Harris Ferree — yes; Commissioner Johnson — yes; Commissioner Mabadi — yes; Commissioner Madin Shev — yes; Commissioner Puktow — yes; Chair Lindwall — yes. The tally was 8–0 in favor; the variations were granted.
No city funding or budget action was associated with the approval. The decision sends the approved variations to the commission's final determination authority as required by city code for this type of case. Building permits and any necessary coordination with utilities remain prerequisites to construction.
The public hearing on case 25ZMJV0017 was then closed and the commission moved on to administrative items, including a notice that the June 11 meeting would be canceled and the next regular meeting would be June 25.
