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What I Wanna Say…!
(Editorial Exchange)
GRIDLOCK ~ Murray Gruber
Gridlock is a metaphor not just
for politics, but for mind-
numbing traffic jams, road-
rage, and anxiety-induced
sweats.
We are a nation of big cars,
and we pay the price for them.
An aging public transit system
is compromising our safety,
promoting congestion,
sacrificing efficiency, and
costing us money.
Here’s an interesting fact: Even
with our traffic jams and excess
commuting time (which slices
into productivity), you can’t buy
one of those Smart Cars here.
It’s a two-seater microcar, and
London, Paris, and Rome have
them, plus a bunch of other
cities, but you won’t find them
in American cities.
So why don’t we think small?
The challenges of traffic grid-
lock are today global ones.
Plus the fact that our petroleum
dependency makes for some
bizarre alliances. To deal with
our gridlock, there are some
things we could learn from the
Paris Metro, from railroad
systems in Europe and Japan,
and from the bullet-trains, that
whisk you from city to city.
While we’re at it, let’s add a
couple of footnotes to this list:
more deference to bikers and
pedestrians, and when the
light’s red, don’t succumb to
the sweats.
Murray Gruber is a past LCA Director,
and was Chairman of the Traffic and
Parking Committee; Professor
Emeritus at Loyola University.
This editorial is abridged due to space
constraints. To read the entire editorial,
please check out the website or contact
us via phone or e-mail...
What D’ya Wanna
Say About…(next issue)
A DOG Park at
North & Larrabee?
In an effort to provide relief to
homeowners facing skyrocketing
property values, Cook County
Assessor Jim Houlihan proposed an
expanded homeowner exemption
designed to give homeowners more
stable and predictable property tax
bills.
The Neighborhood Preservation
Homeowner Exemption (NPHE)
will act as an assessment cap,
assuring homeowners that the
taxable value of their homes will
not increase by more than 7% in
any one year.
“This change will provide
homeowners of all ages and
incomes with the peace of mind that
comes with knowing that they will be
able to anticipate and plan for their
property tax bills,” Houlihan says.
Planning Notes ~ Gary Redeker
Latest topic of discussion: Breezeways
The Zoning Committee sees the zoning code to be somewhat a gray area
when defining how a breezeway is and what to define as size. What is
clear, in the Committee’s opinion, is that some more recently constructed
breezeway rooflines are both extremely high for a rear yard structure and
inconsistently approved by both ZBA and the Zoning Administrator. The
Committee is currently seeking to gain consensus between Lincoln Central,
both zoning approval channels and the Zoning Reform Commission to
improve the current process and build a better code for the future.
LCA values your feedback! E-mail, Call or Write Us
with your thoughts on planning issues or
breezeway parameters.
Active Zoning Projects (ZBA-Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals)
544 West Dickens: Zoning Exception for front and side yard
550 West Dickens: Zoning Exception for front and side yard
554 West Dickens: Zoning Exception for front and side yard
617 West Dickens: ZBA approved Variance for increased F.A.R. and side
and rear yard reductions
1832 North Howe: ZBA approved Variance for front and side yard
1946 North Hudson: ZBA approved Variance for front and side yard
1823 North Orchard: Variance requested to ZBA for front, side and rear yard
1840 North Orchard: Exception filed for front and side yard
1875 North Orchard: Exception filed for front yard
Most projects seeking a variance from standard house footprint on a lot deal
with reductions in one of the three yards associated with residential
properties: front, side and rear. The City Zoning Administrator is
empowered by the City Zoning Ordinance to grant yard reductions up to
50% of standard yard requirements. Those projects wishing to exceed the
50% rule must go to Zoning Board of Appeals for approval though owners
may chose to take any project to ZBA if they prefer. Many projects in
Lincoln Central go to ZBA because of odd lot sizes and complications due to
adjoining houses built on property lines, a building feature common to
Lincoln Park and done prior to current zoning ordinance.
The Latest on Property Tax Relief ~
This information has been provided to LCA through Tax Reform Action Coalition
(TRAC) and Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan’s office.
Under the NPHE proposal,
homeowners can expect:
Elimination of dramatic
increases in assessed value that
occurs during reassessment
years.
Creation of a more predictable
taxable value of their residential
property.
Protection against future
dramatic increases in market
value that could potentially drive
them out of their neighborhoods.
This proposal may be voted on by
government officials during the
week of November 17th.
Please visit the websites
to stay informed of the
latest information.
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