tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80083515534663514222024-02-18T23:27:32.691-08:00Stop The Lakefront Car TowerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07050921591415106614noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008351553466351422.post-7220375836765519972013-04-13T20:53:00.000-07:002013-04-13T20:53:20.792-07:00
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A
History of the “7331 N. Sheridan Road” Mansion (the “Shambala
Meditation Center”) </b></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By
Susan Olin</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtxXL5s-aTZbb2blWfm6-10E9JHhBib1Pm92NIoLDs59ShEMM2o1O0_u_1xXSwoitkJu6g_nHyF_iHIHmlGxWi4obJ5aurlmd4LCMZvnuI8vo4vMvgfwPzxTq2RtpPt7lUwXx4gWTu6Q/s1600/Shambala+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtxXL5s-aTZbb2blWfm6-10E9JHhBib1Pm92NIoLDs59ShEMM2o1O0_u_1xXSwoitkJu6g_nHyF_iHIHmlGxWi4obJ5aurlmd4LCMZvnuI8vo4vMvgfwPzxTq2RtpPt7lUwXx4gWTu6Q/s1600/Shambala+photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
mansion at 7331 N. Sheridan (currently the Shambala Meditation
Center) is a lovely, 95-year old, Prairie-school style home. It is
constructed with cream-colored brick and now colorfully-painted, wood
trim. This luxury home has large, lush green spaces for its
front-yard and side-yards. In addition, the home is surrounded by
many large, leafy trees. In fact, this is the last remaining Sheridan
Road mansion in Rogers Park south of Jarvis Avenue. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This
historic, beautiful home has a unique story and has served several
uses over its lifetime which many people remember. So why are we
throwing all this away? For an unsightly, 250-car, lakefront parking
garage with no setbacks? To be built by a billionaire who claims to
be a preservationist and who could readily repurpose this beloved
mansion given his other multimillion dollar projects? This makes no
sense. More . . .</span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like
all the mansions on Sheridan Road in Chicago, the residence at 7331
N. Sheridan has a colorful and enlightening history. Truly, one
mansion can provide great insight into history. To start with, like
many pre-1920 Chicago residences, no building permit is on record for
7331 N. Sheridan, which would list the architect and construction
date. By 1914 however, commercial insurance maps show the home where
it stands today. Moreover, as early as June 1918, <i>Chicago Tribune</i>
articles report about the home’s original long-time residents. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
appears then, that the 7331 N. Sheridan home was constructed about
the same time as the nearby 1915 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed “Emil
Bach home”. Indeed, the Shambala mansion helps “tell the story”
of the Bach house and why a Frank Lloyd Wright house is located here
on the Far North Side. The Shambala mansion, two blocks south, was
also a part of, and helps illustrate the early 1900s era when this
stretch of Sheridan Road was a posh locale like the North Shore is
today. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From
1918 through 1936, various <i>Tribune</i> articles refer to the
mansion’s primary residents, the Holsman family. According to his
1934 obituary, Mr. Hyman Holsman was a local philanthropist and a
jeweler by trade. Initially, Mr. Holsman owned a downtown jewelry
store located at 179 W. Madison. Eventually, he owned a store at 5 S.
Wabash, otherwise known as the “Jewelers Center” at the Mallers
Building. This is one the most famous addresses on the historic
“Jewelers Row” in the Loop. “Jeweler’s Row” is a group of
buildings which contained many silver and jewelry businesses starting
in the early twentieth century. These buildings are now a Chicago
Landmark District since 2003. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr.
Holsman resided in the home with his second wife, Nell, and their
three daughters, Hortense, Jeanne and Elizabeth. His first wife
passed away in 1911. He had an adult son, George, from this first
marriage who did not live there.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also
according to his obituary, Mr. Holsman’s philanthropy included
active participation in several important Chicago institutions. He
was an early vice-president of the <b>Edgewater Hospital</b> at 5700
N. Ashland founded in 1929. This hospital, now closed, was one of the
primary hospitals in the area for many decades. (Hillary Clinton was
born there in 1947!)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr.
Holsman was a founder and treasurer of <b>Temple Mizpah</b>, a
synagogue at 1615 W. Morse, which is now the “Mision Cristiana
Elim” Church on the southwest corner of Morse and Ashland. Temple
Mizpah was one of the early, liberal, “Reform” Jewish
congregations in the city. (The other major Rogers Park congregation
founded at that time was the “Conservative” synagogue of B’nai
Zion at 1447 W. Pratt now the private “Lakeshore Preschool”.)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">According
to the encyclopedic 1924 book by H.L. Meites, <i>History of the Jews
of Chicago</i>, Temple Mizpah was actually organized in 1919 in Mr.
Holsman’s home at 7331 N. Sheridan! The synagogue building on Morse
was constructed in 1924 to accommodate the congregation of 350
families. Sixty years later in the 1970s, the then smaller
congregation relocated to Skokie.</span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr.
Holsman was also a director of the <b>Marks Nathan Jewish Home for
Orphans</b>. The Marks Nathan Home opened in the Lawndale
neighborhood in 1912 during the height of the immigration boom in
America. At the beginning of the twentieth century in Chicago, many
poor West Side Jewish immigrants fell on hard times, or even
perished, and an orphanage was needed. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
its day, this orphanage provided a very good environment for its
children, including music and Hebrew lessons as well as symphony and
theater excursions. Some of the famous people who lived there as
children include Elmer Gertz, the prominent constitutional law
attorney, (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Gertz">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Gertz</a>)
and Barney Ross, the famous Jewish boxer
(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Ross">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Ross</a>).
</span></span>
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ironically,
also according to Meites’ 1924 tome, a well-known lawyer by the
name of Nicolas Pritzker was one of the founders and a longtime
advocate for the Marks Nathan Home. Nicolas Pritzker was Colonel J.N.
Pritzker’s great-grandfather and patriarch of the Pritzker family!
The book contains a photograph of the Marks Nathan orphanage home
dedication in 1912 with Nicolas Pritzker there. The book also
contains individual photos and biographies of both Hyman Holsman and
Nicolas Pritzker. Thus, it is quite possible that Mr. Holsman and Mr.
Pritzker knew each other.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One
<i>Tribune</i> article also indicated that Mr. Holsman’s son,
George, attended the aviation school at the Great Lakes military base
during World War I. Finally, in 1936 the <i>Tribune</i> reported that
Mr. Holsman’s daughter, Jeanne, eloped and married Philip Weintraub
of Chicago. Weintraub was a first basemen for the Cincinnati Reds at
the time and later played for the New York Giants. He became a
notable baseball player in the 1930s and 40s, a time when few Jewish
people had ever played in professional baseball. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Weintraub
has several impressive career statistics such as the second most runs
batted in (RBI) ever in a game at eleven runs! He first played for
the Loyola University baseball team in Rogers Park
(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Weintraub">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Weintraub</a>)
and(<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weintph01.shtml">http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weintph01.shtml</a>)
(photo included). Additional research is needed regarding the
occupants of the home after the 1930s. </span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1YvKJOqNzq6mKcTlj9nFr18WslJz1cPMSS-RO2tmYhpnpamdJ5-CvXhxiu0tTvkymHV_7-WlfYuDfXu8nRCD25-Px9253uRqJ6YE_CQC2dW9MqXetkY3Ah6vbQ86sJO8W4QgRWv3tJ0/s1600/Camelot+School-Shambala.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1YvKJOqNzq6mKcTlj9nFr18WslJz1cPMSS-RO2tmYhpnpamdJ5-CvXhxiu0tTvkymHV_7-WlfYuDfXu8nRCD25-Px9253uRqJ6YE_CQC2dW9MqXetkY3Ah6vbQ86sJO8W4QgRWv3tJ0/s1600/Camelot+School-Shambala.tif" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Camelot School</span> <br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">photo courtesy of RPWR HistoricalSociety)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">By
the 1970s, the 7331 N. Sheridan mansion was utilized as a children’s
daycare center, the <b>Camelot School</b>, for a decade and many
Rogers Parkers remember going there as children. In the 1980s, the
building was repurposed as an Illinois Masonic Hospital Women’s
Health Center. Thereafter, starting in 1996, the Shambala Buddhist
organization developed the popular meditation center that is there
today. However, the organization is now relocating to a larger space
in the West Loop. At the present time, the building is in great
shape, charming inside and out while still operating as the Shambala
Center.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Therefore,
it is clear that research into one mansion can open doors to the many
facets of history in a surprising and wonderful way. This one home
sheds light on the formative days of Chicago as a city at the turn of
the twentieth century. This was a time when great waves of immigrants
settled here and community members organized to establish the city’s
first businesses, hospitals, religious institutions, social services,
and even sports activities. It would be a horrible shame to lose this
gorgeous building that beautifies our landscape and its fascinating
history that tells us so much about ourselves. </span></span>
</div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Note</u></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">:
To see additional Sheridan Road mansions of that era, download the
must-see “Book of the North Shore” published in 1910,
<a href="http://archive.org/details/bookofnorthshore00whit">http://archive.org/details/bookofnorthshore00whit</a>
. (Download PDF version to rotate view!!)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Also
Note</u>: <i>History of the Jews of Chicago</i> by H.L. Meites, 1<sup>st</sup>
publication in 1924 by Jewish Historical Society of Illinois,
reproduced in 1990 by Chicago Jewish Historical Society.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07050921591415106614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008351553466351422.post-21226114881220050802013-03-25T19:34:00.000-07:002013-03-25T19:34:37.651-07:00
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>This
post details some of the concerns that have been voiced about The
Lakefront Car Tower proposed at the southeast corner of the
intersection at Sherwin and Sheridan (7317-31 N. Sheridan Road). Any
community benefit that might be realized from the Lakefront Car Tower
is heavily outweighed by concerns about safety, the unique character
of Sheridan Road in Rogers Park and our investments in making Rogers
Park safer and more hospitable for all residents, including
pedestrians and cyclists. We encourage residents of Rogers Park who
value the very special character of our community to join in the
effort to let Alderman Moore know that the Lakefront Car Tower has no
place in our community. Follow the links on this page to sign the
petition to Alderman Moore, follow our Facebook page and and share it
with your friends and neighbors. </i></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Safety</b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
proposed lakefront car tower compounds safety issues associated with
Sheridan Road, as well as providing a sheltered space for illicit
activities.</span></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
fact that there will be no left turn lane or light, nor an
adjustment to the traffic signal durations, presents a clear danger
to pedestrians who are crossing Sheridan Road at the intersection.
Pedestrians who miscalculate their ability to cross in a timely
fashion combined with drivers turning in and out of Sherwin onto
Sheridan Road just before a red light could result in unnecessary
injury, and possibly death.</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Those
visiting community attractions such as the Bach House and our
lakefront beaches who would use the Lakefront Car Tower to park
their vehicles, may abruptly stop or slow at Sherwin in an effort
to enter the parking garage due to their lack of familiarity with
the area. This raises the potential for vehicular accidents that
will further hamper the efficient movement of vehicles through our
community and result in unnecessary (and avoidable) harm to drivers
and pedestrians.</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even
parts of the neighborhood that might not see a direct impact from
the Lakefront Car Tower (in terms of traffic and pedestrian safety)
will experience elevated risk during construction. The nine month
duration of the project will occur through the spring, summer and
fall – times when pedestrian and vehicular traffic are at their
peak. This means that many drivers who use Sheridan Road to
commute through the neighborhood to Lake Shore Drive will use side
streets in lieu of dealing with the constriction of traffic on
Sheridan Road caused by the project, thereby increasing traffic
volume on these side streets. This presents a clear threat to the
safety of playing children, pedestrians and cyclists who enjoy
these streets for their safety. </span></span></span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At
present, parking traffic in the area is spread throughout numerous
blocks as residents and visitors search for public street parking.
With the addition of the Lakefront Car Tower as a parking
destination, it will concentrate the already existing parking
traffic to one intersection thus creating a potentially lethal
situation for both pedestrians and drivers. Additional parking
traffic generated by developments such as Farcroft by the Lake will
further increase the danger that is inherent to the construction of
the Lakefront Car Tower.The undetermined nature of security at the
Lakefront Car Tower (i.e armed vs. unarmed personnel, number of
personnel on all four stories) may make it a place for criminals to
commit crimes in. There is no need to create an additional space
in the neighborhood that could be used for illicit activities and
endanger the personal safety of residents. </span></span></span>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Quality
of Life</b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The
construction of the Lakefront Car Tower runs counter to prevailing
trends in Rogers Park, Chicago and American cities.</span><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Local
community efforts to encourage safe, sustainable means of travel,
such as bike lanes, safer intersections for pedestrians and
improved public transit facilities, indicate a recognition that the
city of the future will become less autocentric. In fact,
according to I-GO Car sharing and a Walkscore.com article dated
February 13, 2013, Millenials, those persons aged 18-34, are
ditching car ownership by 30% in the last five years in favor of
car sharing, carpooling and public transit. In addition, close to a
million Americans participate in car sharing programs, like I-GO in
Chicago, up 44% last year, 2012. Promoting increased auto use by
accommodating cars with the Lakefront Car Tower runs counter to
community efforts to create safer and more sustainable
transportation options.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The
spirit of the Lakefront Protection Ordinance is not met with the
proposed Lakefront Car Tower. Specially, the intent of the
ordinance summed up in the statement “insure the preservation and
protection of [the] district and of every aspect of its interest
and value” cannot be realized by the construction of the
Lakefront Car Tower.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The
extended duration of the proposed Lakefront Car Tower, at no less
than nine months, presents a severe inconvenience to the residents
who live near the proposed site of the Lakefront Car Tower. The
excessive noise, pedestrian diversions from the east Sheridan Road
sidewalk, parking accommodations made for construction workers and
the loss of public street parking during the construction is
unacceptable. While there will be virtually no benefit to the
residents of the community with the construction of the car tower,
they are being asked to bear a substantial burden of its
construction.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">If
this project is approved and constructed, it sets a precedent that
promotes parking as a solution to a “parking problem” that can
only be solved by making further accommodations to more vehicles.
With each new development or redevelopment in the community, we
will see the same line of promotion of more parking as the way to
solve the “parking problem” without recognizing that the real
problem is encouraging auto use. If the planning history of
American cities in the period after World War II has shown us
anything, it is that accommodating vehicle use begets more
vehicles. In an era when many cities are reconsidering their
encouragement of auto use, including Chicago, it is imperative that
we as a community do not engage in such an anachronistic approach
to auto use.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Some
ideas have been floated that the parcels the Lakefront Car Tower
would occupy might be better used for retail, business or
residential development. We have been informed by the developer
that this is not economically viable </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">at this time. </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Whether
or not this is indeed an accurate statement, we feel that it would
be a poor decision to preempt such developments by approving the
required zoning changes and allowing the Lakefront Car Tower to
move forward. Such a move would virtually eliminate any
possibility of development that might serve to enrich and benefit
the community in a more holistic manner.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Aesthetics</b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
proposed Lakefront Car Tower does not fit with the rich architectural
heritage of Sheridan Road in Rogers Park.</span></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
Lakefront Car Tower would take up two-thirds of the entire block
and reach four stories into the sky. While some buildings near the
proposed Lakefront Car Tower are of a similar mass, they serve
people not cars. Putting brick and strips of glass on a concrete
parking garage does not soften the fact that it is a concrete
parking garage. Additionally, there is no legal obligation that
the car tower is constructed as proposed. If the zoning changes
were granted then a car tower could be built in any manner the
developer sees fit. </span></span></span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also,
these three currently low-density lots offset the other higher than
average, for Sheridan Road, lots on the block. A central line of
reasoning offered by the developer in justifying the Lakefront Car
Tower is that some of the buildings in the immediate vicinity of
the proposed site were, in retrospect, poor decisions and have
questionable aesthetic value. We acknowledge this, and as such we
oppose another decision that, in retrospect, will serve to remind
us that bad ideas don't get better with time.</span></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Community
Participation</b></u></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Rogers
Park residents pride themselves on the ability to live participatory
democracy, and the planning process of this project is contradictory
to this ideal.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">While
we appreciate the community meeting convened to discuss this
matter, a project of such immense consequence dictates a very high
level of involvement on behalf of the community. This has not been
the case. We were essentially given a sales presentation where
minor design changes were presented as substantial concessions on
the part of the developer. The question of “should we even have
an out-of-scale, unsafe and burdensome car tower” was never
asked. To this end, we are engaging the community in this
discussion and thus far it seems that the costs outweigh the
benefits.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We
are also very concerned that Rogers Park might become a community
where outside interests feel they can buy influence. Influence is
not a commodity in Rogers Park and rejection of the requested
zoning changes needed for construction of the Lakefront Car Tower
will demonstrate that.</span></li>
</ul>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> These
are some of the more glaring concerns that have emerged from
discussions about the proposed Lakefront Car Tower. In the end, the
Lakefront Car Tower is simply a bad idea. We encourage you to join
us in stopping this monstrosity from becoming something we have to
endure for years to come. </span></span></span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07050921591415106614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008351553466351422.post-57909756806107511432013-03-20T12:03:00.000-07:002013-03-20T12:15:07.660-07:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Thanks
to Susan Olin for kindly contributing a great piece that places
Sheridan Road in Rogers Park in its proper historical and
architectural context. </b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The
Virtues of Sheridan Road and the Rogers Park Lakefront</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">By
Susan Olin— <i>In 2009-2010, I was a member of the Rogers Park
Business Alliance’s “Sheridan Road Planning Committee” and
since then I have been researching and writing about Sheridan Road in
Rogers Park to raise awareness of its many virtues.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
Rogers Park Lakefront, and its companion promenade, Sheridan Road,
make up one of the few areas on the lake in Chicago that have not
undergone major reconstruction (i.e. Lake Shore Drive landfill) or
major development (Edgewater high-rises). Thus, this area in Chicago
is still a charming, approachable, urban lakefront. Due to its
original boulevard design and later legal protections, Sheridan Road
in Rogers Park and the lakefront here are low-rise, residential and
beautiful. Every city in the world would love to have such a walkable
street and such lovely lakefront space. So why should we destroy ours
in Chicago with over-development and over-commercialization by
constructing enormous parking garages on the lake? <b>More . . .</b></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sheridan
Road and the Lakefront in Rogers Park are low-rise, residential and
beautiful--</b></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8008351553466351422" name="_GoBack"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sheridan
Road in Rogers Park was laid out over 100 years ago as a grand
lakefront boulevard and it is still just that. Anyone who walks
Sheridan Road (Devon to Evanston) can see its many beautiful
features. Sheridan Road was designed in the 1880’s in the great
tradition of other Chicago boulevards and “pleasure routes” of
that time. These wide, low-rise avenues provided air and light and
were adorned with greenery for scenic travel (before the invention of
the automobile). These gracious boulevards were an antidote to the
city’s narrow, dark, grimy streets. Also, unlike most city streets
of that era, these routes were paved, enabling optimal use by horse
carriages, pedestrians and the newly-invented bicycle.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>It
is not by accident, it is due to its original boulevard design . . .</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thus,
Sheridan Road was designed to be the showcase boulevard along the
lakefront in Chicago and up to Wisconsin. When you walk Sheridan Road
in Rogers Park today you see this original design. The street is very
wide. It has tree-lined parkways next to the sidewalks. It is
primarily residential and low-rise. It has many of its original
high-quality vintage buildings from the 1910’s, 20’s and 30’s.
Because this was high-end real estate, the lots and set-backs for
these original buildings are very large and provide large green
spaces.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Many
of these vintage residential buildings have small commercial spaces
on the first floor for quaint cafes or shops, appealing for the
pedestrian. Because of the low-rise architecture, when walking down
Sheridan Road here, you have air and light and can feel a lake
breeze. You can see the lake at every street-end and you can easily
walk one block to the lakefront park. This all adds up to a
wonderful, walkable lakefront promenade and lakefront space in the
city. Indeed, this corridor is easily accessible by anyone in the
city via the Red Line “el” train and “151 Sheridan Road” bus.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
commercial 250-car tower on the lake would destroy the green,
walkable, and residential character of Sheridan Road and the
lakefront here. Its density of traffic is not safe for pedestrians
and such a large car garage creates an enormous amount of pollution
in our protected lakefront park. Moreover, a parking garage of this
scale creates a physical and psychological barrier to the natural and
beautiful space that is the lakefront.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As
a side note about Sheridan Road, there are several large nursing
homes and “4+1” multi-unit buildings, but if you walk the length
of the street, (Devon to Evanston) you will see that many of the
buildings are lovely vintage buildings with large, green setbacks
(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheridan_stroller" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">see my photography survey of Sheridan Road architecture</span></a>).</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As
often heard, it is true that Sheridan Road in Rogers Park was once
lined with mansions like the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Bach home,
the Shambala Center mansion and the Wheeler mansion on the Loyola
campus, now known as “Piper Hall”. In fact, you can see many of
these remarkable Sheridan Road luxury homes in the “must-see”
1910 “<a href="http://archive.org/details/bookofnorthshore00whi" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">Book
of the North Shore</span></a>”. Notably, t</span></span><span style="color: #00000a;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">he
Shambala Center building (c. 1917) is the last remaining 1900’s
mansion south of Jarvis on Sheridan Road in Rogers Park. Sadly, all
the others have been torn down over the past decades.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>.
. . and due to later legal protections</b><span style="color: #00000a;">--</span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #00000a;">The
fact that Sheridan Road and the Lakefront here are still charming is
not by accident. On the heels of the high-rise “canyonization” of
Edgewater, the city of Chicago enacted the “</span><a href="http://forum49.chicago.il.us/local/docs/Pre2004ZoningLaw/section4.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">Lakefront
ProtectionOrdinance</span></a><span style="color: #00000a;">” in 1972. The stated intent of the
Ordinance is “the protection and preservation” of the “special
environmental, recreational, cultural, historical, community, and
aesthetic interests and values” of Lake Michigan and the Chicago
Lakefront (§1</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">6-4-020</span></span></span><span style="color: #00000a;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">).
This law was intended to provide an extra layer of review by the city
to guard against the whims of developers and local wards for
development that is too large or too commercial and incompatible with
accessible, environmentally-sound, lakefront space.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #00000a;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #00000a;">Moreover,
in 1990, the 49</span><span style="color: #00000a;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="color: #00000a;"> Ward
of Rogers Park instituted the “Sheridan Road Plan” which
down-zoned portions of the street. The stated intent of this Plan was
to </span>preserve the “residential character” and the
“low-rise vista” of Sheridan Road in Rogers Park. <span style="color: #00000a;">Therefore,
we have many people to thank over the past century for this
exceptional lakefront in Rogers Park.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #00000a;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A
lakefront and lakefront street like this is what every city wants--</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Studies
show that cities with walkable, green corridors and readily
accessible park space are happier, healthier cities (see the New York
Times bestselling book </span></span></span><a href="http://www.bluezones.com/live-happier/thrive-book/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange; font-size: medium;"><i>Thrive:
The Blue Zone Way</i></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Historic
architecture enhances these thoroughfares even more. Sheridan Road in
Rogers Park is just that-- a walkable, green corridor with historic
architecture connecting people to the lakefront. A corridor like this
is what every urban design planner and every city in the world wants
and Chicago has it!</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We
should not ruin it with developments like enormous commercial car
garage</b><span style="color: #00000a;"><b>--</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
why should we throw away this important lakefront corridor with
over-development and over-commercialization turning it into just
another exhaust-filled, cheesy, highway strip with massive parking
garages? Is this the best we can do for our unique-in-the world
lakefront? I do not think so. In response to Col. Pritzker/Tawani’s
proposed 250-car tower several hundred feet from the lake at Sherwin
and Sheridan, I say: “Don’t do it on the Lake!” We do not want
the Rogers Park Lakefront to become “Rogers Park-ing Lot”.</span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07050921591415106614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008351553466351422.post-70980323113649538582013-03-09T15:00:00.000-08:002013-03-11T14:20:13.358-07:00Welcome to The Lakefront Car Tower Blog<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome! You are at the Stop the Lakefront Car Tower Blog. We are dedicated to providing information and opinion about the dreadful proposal by Tawani Enterprises for a Lakefront Car Tower at the southeast corner of the intersection at Sherwin Avenue and Sheridan Road (7317-31 N. Sheridan Road) in our wonderful lakefront community of Rogers Park. On January 16th Alderman Joe Moore convened a community meeting, in accordance with his <a href="http://www.ward49.com/zoning-economic-development-land-use/#zsbs" target="_blank">zoning review process</a>, that was well attended and illustrated the opposition to this project. Alderman Moore has yet to issue a decision on this matter, tacitly highlighting the fact that this is a very troublesome proposal for our community. Repeated calls to Alderman Moore's office have yielded no answers as to the status of his review. It is important that the Alderman demonstrate his dedication to democracy and transparency by issuing a statement that details where his office is in the review process and how he will ensure that residents have a voice regarding how their community is planned and developed. If you haven't already, we encourage you to <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/alderman-joe-moore-deny-the-requested-zoning-changes-for-the-lakefront-car-tower" target="_blank">sign the petition</a> and read the online accounts of the proposal. If you any questions or comments, feel free to <a href="mailto:nocartower@gmail.com" target="_blank">email us</a>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07050921591415106614noreply@blogger.com