In This Week’s Newsletter

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Community-Driven Zoning Process for 3601-3737 N California Ave; 2722-2758 W Addison St.

One of my priorities as your alderperson is finding ways to give 33rd Ward residents power over development decisions that impact their everyday lives.

That’s why, in 2019, my office instituted a community-driven zoning and development (CDZD) process that is triggered whenever a developer requests a zoning change from our office. The CDZD process, which you can review here, gives neighbors multiple opportunities to raise questions or concerns. I take into consideration all community feedback before making my ultimate recommendation to City Council, and my office actively solicits that feedback in several ways: including a Public Community Meeting that we plan and publicize as widely as possible, in partnership with more than 15 neighborhood and community organizations that make up our CDZD Partners.

My office is committed to expanding affordable housing in the ward and preventing displacement of long-term residents. When market-rate developers file paperwork to pursue projects in our ward, they have the right to a City Hearing, but we make it clear that they must go through our community process and engage directly with the neighbors who would be impacted.

That’s the case for a development proposed at the corner of California and Addison, at the former site of DePaul College Prep. The 33rd Ward office has been in communication about the project this summer with the city’s Department of Planning and Development and their River Ecology task force, which have raised several concerns that are in line with those already voiced to our office by community members.

Lexington Homes is proposing a six-story, 269-unit apartment building and 88 riverfront townhomes. After receiving CDZD intake paperwork from the developer, along with all up-to-date materials, we posted these documents on our website this week and are ready to begin the process of collecting online feedback. You can submit your feedback using this form, which helps us gauge how neighbors feel about the proposal’s affordability, neighborhood fit, impact on green space, and other important issues. If you have any difficulties navigating the web pages, we are also happy to accept feedback and answer questions over the phone at 773.840.7880.

The next steps in the process will be a CDZD Partner meeting with the developer, and a Public Community Meeting. Our CDZD procedures require all developers to post physical notice of the Public Community Meeting at the site, and mail bilingual written notices no less than two weeks in advance to neighbors in a 750-foot radius of the site. Once we have confirmed a Public Community Meeting date with the developer and our CDZD partner organizations, we will also publicize the date as widely as possible through this newsletter, social media, and flyering.

Due to the site’s location on the riverfront, the developer’s proposal must go through an extra rigorous review of its environmental impact and impact on public riverfront access and green space.In that vein, we would also like to share with residents a letter sent this week by the city’s Department of Planning and Development to the developer, Lexington Homes. The letter highlights aspects of the proposal that, from DPD’s perspective, continue to remain unaddressed, or have been unsatisfactorily addressed by the developer. DPD broadly discussed their comments with our office prior to crafting this letter, and we are in agreement with these comments–the concerns raised by the city are in line with those voiced by a large number of community members at this early stage of review. You can read the full letter from DPD and attached review documents, sent Sept. 1st, 2021 here.

We ask that you review this letter, and continue to submit your feedback here, while we continue to make arrangements for meetings with our CDZD Partners as well as a Public Community Meeting. Please note that this proposal will not move forward to a City Hearing without first completing a full CDZD process and receiving the Alderwoman’s recommendation (which will not be made without community input).

Feedback can also be submitted by emailing leanna@33rdward.org or calling our office at 773-840-7880.

Community Safety Update

On Thursday morning, we received notification that shots were fired at approximately 9:45AM at the intersection of Sacramento and Belle Plaine. According to information we received from police and people at the scene, the shots were fired between two cars driving down the street. Students at Bateman Elementary were outside at the time and, thankfully, no one was physically hurt, but this was a serious incident that we know may have longer-term repercussions for the emotional well-being of students, staff and families in the area.   

When an emergency situation like this one occurs, we utilize all resources available. 17th district police were in the area after shots were fired and remained in place for school dismissal, along with CPS Safety and Security staff. Our office staff was also present at dismissal and coordinated with a group of Bateman teachers and violence prevention workers from the Alliance of Local Service Organizations (ALSO) to check in with families and canvass the affected area.   

We will continue coordinating with the 17th district, ALSO outreach workers for our area and Bateman staff and administration to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of our students. We have been in touch with the principal, who is taking extra steps to make counselors and case managers available to students.   

For Bateman students who may need further support, you can email bateman@cps.edu to schedule a follow-up session.   If your child brings up any questions or concerns about Thursday’s incident, Bateman’s administration has provided the below resources for you to use at your discretion. Our office has been speaking with neighbors in person, over the phone and through email, and we are here to answer your questions and continue our work together to build safe, healthy neighborhoods for all.   Resources to Discuss Gun Violence with Children

• NCTSN Recent Shooting Discussion (English)
• NCTSN Recent Shooting Discussion (Spanish)
• Talking to Children about Violence (English)
• Talking to Children about Violence (Spanish)

Eviction Moratorium Extended in Illinois

A ban on enforcement of evictions in Illinois will now be in place through Oct. 3, after Gov. Pritzker again announced he would extend protections this week. While landlords can serve tenants with notice of eviction for unpaid rent, court hearings and enforcement in non-payment cases cannot proceed until after this date. 

Remember: only the sheriff can evict, and it is illegal for landlords to remove your belongings, change the locks or otherwise attempt to force you out of your home without a court order. Please alert our office if your landlord is attempting or threatening to evict you illegally. 

If you have been served an eviction notice by your landlord or fear that you may, you can use a tool developed by the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Better Housing and Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO): https://rentervention.com/. This tool creates an Illinois Moratorium Declaration to protect you and your household from eviction for nonpayment of rent. You can also visit EvictionHelpIllinois.org, or call (855) 631-0811 for free legal aid, landlord-tenant mediation services, and connections to rental assistance programs.

If you know that multiple tenants in your apartment building are at risk of eviction and you are interested in creating a tenants’ union to collectively negotiate with your landlord, you can contact the Autonomous Tenants Union at 773-657-8700 or housing.atu@gmail.com. 

Dealing with an old eviction on your record that makes it difficult to find new housing? A new Illinois law makes sealing old eviction records less difficult for tens of thousands of tenants statewide. You can use the website https://rentervention.com/ to help with this process. 

Mortgage Assistance Program – Applications Ongoing

The Mortgage Assistance Program, provides assistance to low-to-moderate-income homeowners who have suffered an economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are having difficulty paying their mortgage.

The maximum amount of assistance available is $3,300. Grant amounts awarded will be based on the amount needed to bring your mortgage current.

Please note: Eligible homeowners will have the assistance paid directly to their mortgage servicer. If you received assistance in 2020 you are not eligible for this round of funds.

To be eligible you must:

• Be a resident of the City of Chicago
• Live in the home (single-family up to 4 units) for which you are applying for assistance. It must be your primary place of residence.
• Demonstrate your total household income was 120% or below the Area Median Income (AMI) prior to March 1, 2020. (Click to see table)
• Have a mortgage on your home that was current as of March 1, 2020, and is now delinquent. You may be on a forbearance plan.
• Have experienced a change in your financial status after March 1, 2020, due to the COVID-19 crisis

If you need assistance applying for mortgage assistance, you can also contact Neighborhood Housing Servicesat 800-831-7949 or email EmergencyAssistance@nhschicago.org.

Covid-19 Updates

Traveling for Labor Day? The Chicago Department of Public Health updated its guidance to reflect the CDC’s recommendations on traveling for unvaccinated people. Upon returning to Chicago, unvaccinated people should get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel and stay home to self-quarantine for seven full days. Remember, masks are still federally required on all forms of public transportation, regardless of vaccination status. Read all guidelines here. Of course, the best thing to do is to get vaccinated. Learn how at chicago.gov/covidvax.

Vaccine mandates for state and city workers My staff and I have all been fully vaccinated since this spring, and I support new requirements for vaccinations in Chicago and Illinois. The state will now require all preschool through 12th-grade teachers and staff to receive a vaccine. Higher education personnel, higher education students, and healthcare workers are also subject to the new vaccine requirements. Those unable or unwilling to receive a vaccine will be required to get tested for COVID-19 once a week beginning September 5. 

In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that all City of Chicago employees will be required to be fully vaccinated effective October 15. The city’s vaccination mandate does have exemptions for health and religious reasons.  As a reminder, everyone regardless of vaccination status must wear a mask while indoors in public settings, including bars and restaurants, gyms, common areas of condos/residential buildings, and private clubs. As with previous mask mandates, masks can be removed during certain activities that require it, and in offices not open to the public, when you can distance.

The new public health order does not include capacity limits at public places, and masking remains optional in outdoor settings, where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower. Masks are recommended for unvaccinated individuals in crowded outdoor settings.

You can also walk in to Swedish Hospital during their vaccine clinic hours, Mon – Fri from 7AM – 3PM.

Let’s take care of ourselves and each other. As always, if you need help getting more information on where to get tested or vaccinated you can call us at 773-840-7880 or email us at info@33rdward.org

Small Business Updates

New 33rd Ward Restaurant!

Today we cut the ribbon at Las Palmas, located in our ward at 4959 N. Kedzie. Congratulations to Osmar and Maria for achieving their dream of opening their own restaurant! They went from being restaurant managers at other locations to being the owners of their very own establishment. They are serving Mexican and Guatemalan cuisine and are very conveniently open 10am to 10pm. We can’t wait to place our order!

Apply for a Back to Business Grant

The State of Illinois’ Back to Business(B2B) Grant Program opened on Wednesday, Aug. 18th. The program will award a total of $250 million to businesses across the state that experienced losses in 2020.

Grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 can be used to cover operational expenses and offset losses due to COVID-19. Businesses with revenues of $20 million or less in 2019 and a reduction in revenue in 2020 as a result of the pandemic are eligible to apply.

The application portal is now open. For more information, please go here. With questions and for help applying, please contact Steve Simmons, 773-929-5552 x2226, steve@northbranchworks.org

Business Recovery Payment Plan Program In accordance with the City’s plan to provide critical financial relief to Chicago’s business community, the Department of Finance is excited to launch the Business Recovery Payment Plan Program. Through this program, eligible business license holders can enter into a payment plan with as little as $25 down with terms up to 60 months. This will remove barriers for business owners that owe City debt and allow them to resolve holds on their business licenses with minimal burden. The Business Recovery Payment Plan Program is available through June 30, 2022 for most debt types. Learn more here.

Construction Updates

Summer is construction season, and we know residents want to be able to plan ahead for street closures and parking disruptions. As a periodic reminder, we keep a map of the ward updated with all the information we’ve received to date from city agencies, utility companies, and other project managers. You can check out the construction map here. 

You can also use the city’s ChiStreetWork portal, where you can search by address. 

Irving Park Bridge Project

After the shared-use path under the bridge connecting Clark Park to Horner Park was reopened last week, crews are preparing to repave the portions of Irving Park on either side of the bridge starting after Labor Day. This will take several days (removing existing asphalt, adjusting utilities, and laying new asphalt) during which traffic will be managed accordingly. The final road markings should be striped by early in the week of 9/13.

  Street Resurfacing

West Irving Park Road from North Ravenswood Avenue to North Kolmar Avenue. 

The work will include ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance, bus pad construction, pavement patching, milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, and striping.

During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above.  These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work.  All work on this corridor is scheduled to be completed November 30, 2021.North Sacramento Avenue from North Elston Avenue to North Milwaukee Avenue  

The work will include ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance, pedestrian refuge island, pavement patching, milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, and striping.

During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above.  These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work.  All work on this corridor is scheduled to be completed October 29, 2021.

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Monday: 12:00 PM – 7 PM

Tues – Thurs: 10 AM – 5 PM

Friday: 9 AM – 4PM  

️E-mail info@33rdward.org anytime for service requests or general queries

️ Call us at 773-840-7880 during business hours

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter

Check out our ward website for info on services and events: https://www.33rdward.org/

Best,

Rossana Rodriguez