46th Ward Community Driven Zoning Process

For more information about proposed Zoning Changes and to share feedback, click here.

If a property owner or developer in the 46th Ward is seeking an amendment for zoning (or a “zoning change”), the developer must seek Aldermanic support. Alderwoman Clay will use a community driven zoning process for these “zoning change proposals” that centers community input in making decisions about development in the 46th Ward. The driving values of the 46th Ward Community Zoning Process will be transparency, community voice, and equity.

The 46th Ward has a diverse group of residents, neighborhood associations, buildings, block clubs, and other community groups interested in land use, zoning, and development issues, all of whom have something to add to the conversation. To create the Community Driven Zoning Process, Alderwoman Clay’s office reached out and had a conversation with a variety of these stakeholders around the Ward to collect valuable feedback on how to structure our process.

The 46th Ward Community Driven Zoning process is structured to continue seeking that valuable community input, and to synthesize it with a set of development principles to allow Alderwoman Clay to make decisions on zoning changes that meet community needs and advance development goals.

More information about proposed zoning changes and our community driven zoning process is below.

Alderwoman Clay’s office has created Development Principles that will help guide conversation and evaluation of zoning change proposals. Every proposal will have its own unique considerations, given location in the ward, economic realities, and other factors. However, Alderwoman Clay seeks to approve developments that prioritize the following:

1. Affordability (maximize number of affordable units, prioritizing on site)

2. Equity (inclusion of family size units, ADA accessible units, and housing stock that reflects the needs of our ward, opportunities to retain displaced residents)

3. Sustainability (sustainability features like water retention, energy efficiency, maximum public space and green space)

4. Preservation (complementary and compatible development with the surrounding neighborhood, construction processes that are respectful of neighbors and the environment, setbacks and heights appropriate to the area, diverse mix of housing styles that contributes to community’s architectural heritage)

5. Economic Development (opportunities for commercial development, small business development that reflects our Ward’s history of cultural vibrancy)

The 46th Ward Community Driven Zoning Process has three stages: 1. Proposal, 2. Input, 3. Evaluation & Decision.

Proposal

The developer must first submit the 46th Ward Zoning Intake Form, which includes information about the development, site plans, and renderings.

The completed intake form will be reviewed by Alderwoman Clay and her staff within 2-3 weeks of receipt.

If necessary, 46th Ward staff will meet with the developer to raise questions or concerns. Staff will follow up with the developer to share next steps for the community input process, including scheduling a community meeting if necessary.

Input

Once the 46th Ward office has gathered enough information about the proposal and communicated expectations to the developer, the 46th Ward will:

• Reach out to the block club/neighborhood association and Chamber of Commerce where the development would be located. The 46th Ward office will request written feedback from these groups and will connect them with the developer, as needed. In cases of significant proposals that will have an immediate and concrete impact beyond one block club/neighborhood association’s area, another group or group(s) may also be asked for written feedback.

• Post information about the development proposal online on this webpage.

• Provide an online survey open for two weeks that is posted online and shared in our newsletter.

For significant zoning change proposals, for example, proposals that will significantly increase density, have additional impacts on housing stock or commercial vitality, or have other components that warrant broader feedback, the 46th Ward may also:

• Hold a meeting open to the Block Club area

• Hold a community meeting open to all residents of the 46th Ward

• Flyer with information about the survey and meeting

• Request that the developer send a mailer within 2 blocks of the development to notify people about the community meeting and provide a link to the survey

Evaluation & Decision

The 46th Ward office will compile and synthesize all community feedback, including written letters from block clubs, neighborhood associations, and Chambers, survey results, results of the community meeting, and any other feedback received by our office. Alderwoman Clay and the 46th Ward office will review this feedback. Analysis will pay special consideration to what we hear from residents in the surrounding blocks, but will also include input from other Ward residents and stakeholders. Analysis will also measure the development against our Development Principles.

At this stage, it is possible that Alderwoman Clay will go back to the developer to ask for specific changes based on community feedback. In this case, we may go back to the Input phase to get feedback on the new proposal.

Once Alderwoman Clay has made a decision on a zoning change, she will release that decision in writing. Decisions will be posted publicly on our website, social media, and in our newsletter.

For information about developments that were approved under former Alderman James Cappleman, please visit the former Alderman’s website: https://www.james46.org/development/.

Approval of two projects was currently pending during the transition from Ald. Cappleman to Ald. Clay:

• 3925 N. Clarendon – Zoning Change: Ald. Cappleman received and approved a proposal for an 18-unit, five story Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). This proposal would rezone 3925 N. Clarendon, currently an empty lot, from B3-2 to B2-3. This proposal was never approved through City Council. Ald. Clay’s office is currently awaiting information from the developer about plans to move forward.

• 4655-4657 N. Broadway – Zoning Change: Developer Wemi Properties LLC requested a zoning change from B3-2 to B2-5 in order to build on the existing two story building with 24 dwelling units above the retail spaces.The transfer of ownership never went through, this proposal is indefinitely paused. If a new developer has a proposal for this parcel, they will have to start at step one for Ald. Clay’s zoning process.

If you have questions about the status of developments approved under the prior administration, please contact info@46thward.com.