Politics & Government
Tavern-Cautious Committee Approves Business Re-zoning
The Wicker Park Committee approved a business-oriented zoning change Wednesday for a vacant property at 1702 N. Damen Ave.
A neighborhood group has voiced support for attracting new businesses to the area, but members said they have reservations about bringing more taverns or salons to Wicker Park.
Members of the Wicker Park Committee voted Wednesday to approve a Preservation and Development recommendation regarding a zoning request at 1702 N. Damen Ave. According to committee secretary Leah Viands, the final tally was 13-0.
The vote represents the committee's support for rezoning the property from a manufacturing area, M1-2, to the requested business designation, B3-2.
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"The request is not to do any construction or modifications," said Ed Tamminga, chairman of the Preservation and Development Committee. "It just gives (the owner) a rezone so that he can be competitive and attract a tenant to the first floor vacant commercial space which, let's admit it, is what we all want to do."
He said the committee prefers the business zoning over a commercial zoning because it allows for more community review over certain types of businesses which many members feel the community is already over-saturated with. A "B" zoning could still allow for such establishments, but they would have to seek a special use permit.
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"If you wanted to do a tavern or you wanted to do a salon or something like that, the alderman would get another look at it and we'd get another review on it," he said.
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Tamminga said he would draft letters to 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack informing him of the committee's official stance on the zoning request.
The community group's vote holds no legal binding over the zoning process, but the alderman often takes such community feedback into consideration when deciding to support or oppose a rezoning. The final decision ultimately rests with the City of Chicago's Zoning and Planning Bureau.
This story was updated for accuracy on Jan. 4.
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