On Tuesday, September 26th, Alderwoman Hadden and representatives from St. George's Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church hosted a community meeting to discuss a proposed zoning change for the property located at 1530 W. Touhy Ave. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
 
The church has requested a zoning change (RS-2 to RT-4) and a special use permit to construct an expansion of the church's parking lot to allow 22 additional parking spots. The church is proposing a parking lot expansion for their congregants and to cut down on congestion and parking issues when they hold services.
 
Since that meeting, our office has collected 190 responses through our community feedback survey. A supermajority of respondents would not support this zoning change request in its current form and felt the proposal would not help congestion concerns and exasperate environmental concerns. Additionally, a supermajority of respondents would not support this zoning change request even if modifications were made to the proposal. Please see the graphics provided for a more in depth look at our survey data.
 
Additionally, our office also received petitions both in favor and against the proposal. The pro-petition has 892 signatures, to which 12 of the respondents indicated they lived within the 49th Ward. The anti-petition garnered 505 signatures, of which 135 were from respondents within a one-block radius of the proposed zoning change. Alderwoman Hadden has taken both of these petitions into consideration while making a decision on this zoning change request.
 
It’s important to note that the denial of the zoning change does not prevent the church from demolishing the home at 1530 W. Touhy by right, which it has owned since 2011. Furthermore, the house does not have any historic preservation protections, nor does it meet the city’s criteria for landmarking.
 
After consideration, Alderwoman Hadden has decided to NOT SUPPORT the zoning change request for the property at 1530 W. Touhy Ave. Our office has shared this with the applicant and offered to hear alternative proposals for the property. If a revised zoning change request is submitted to our office, our community-driven process regarding this property would begin anew.
 
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to the 49th Ward Manager of Economic Development, Kyle Ryan, at kyle@49thward.org or calling 773-338-5796.