[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6241125,"mediaKeyId","3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410","parentId",3309903,"title","Commission endorses new preservation policy language for Envision Evanston 2045, adds landscapes and active language","audioSeconds",2594,"startMs",5452000,"endMs",8046000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410&start=5452&end=8046","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410/thumbnail_5452000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6241125/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Commission-endorses-new-preservation-policy-language-for-Envision-Evanston-2045-adds-landscapes-and-active-language","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241125-b2b6b0554b49368de68c9100f89e33cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167223&Signature=dQspwYcEKbJ1lp-DoTgCcO8RG9Sm-SBzZ77q-Yfi~SEB08qjl6N5pWXV10PeQ6BTGJ~rgyVz9XSitHiCGA3UmO7TEkE7w5IAsmuP~SPoeEvdzemFJUh026qnRR3f4PiHDcYwX8Ti6RXVWSkbvlsIOTflSXbFR2eAcQE38HQXwKb6Lfz9itBnEenuhQhIXMckcQac1DXF50tlsUlBq1GjoBPXSfWRfJ-sHinsHL2qxuUrV1NTTTw9skqmPARpoka1c90fFs9BREecYM1trCgNmPqu~tNya6hUg6G-fAl-Yk2foCXLHbYETsPGv7c2zhtvHWqKhb88pi~Kk6Ai~h0OQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Evanston, IL","date","2025-05-15T01:47:49Z","article","The Preservation Commission reviewed proposed preservation chapter edits for Envision Evanston 2045 and voted to forward a revised policy statement to the Land Use Commission with edits that emphasize cultural landscapes and more assertive language about preservation leadership.

Staff summarized the Land Use Commission’s earlier action to adopt most of the commission’s recommendations and to add a proposed policy (Policy 8) intended to help preservation practice evolve. The draft language included actions to periodically evaluate designation criteria and design‑review standards, expand education and outreach, and publish annual reporting and performance trends.

Commissioners discussed wording and scope. Several members asked for explicit recognition of landscapes and open space (rather than only buildings) and preferred active language — for example, changing “keep pace with preservation best practices” to phrasing that communicates the city’s leadership and engagement in evolving standards. One commissioner suggested replacing jargon with clearer terms (for example, “built and natural resources” instead of technical phrases where helpful).

After discussion, a motion to transmit Policy 8 and associated actions to the Land Use Commission with minor edits — explicitly adding landscapes/open space and using more active phrasing for items about standards and engagement — was moved and seconded. The commission voted unanimously to forward the language with the suggested edits.

Staff said the Land Use Commission would receive the updated preservation chapter language as part of the draft comprehensive‑plan packet and that additional refinement and public review will occur before final adoption by City Council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Preservation Commission Meeting 5-13-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Preservation Commission voted unanimously to forward a revised preservation chapter policy for Envision Evanston 2045 that adds explicit recognition of landscapes and calls for more proactive, updated preservation standards and outreach.","taxTitle","Evanston, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",2640,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6241135,"Evanston commissioners question Gray Park dog‑park plan, urge redesign to preserve amphitheater access",2000,2336000,4336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410&start=2336&end=4336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410/thumbnail_2336000.jpg","/articles/6241135/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Evanston-commissioners-question-Gray-Park-dogpark-plan-urge-redesign-to-preserve-amphitheater-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241135-068c379858190eeda6ba156b861976c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167223&Signature=dV5QddryyI0itNjZAOMfnVAX1WydwYW3pr~6BJ3CujDuuvNDhLTLf5fpHI6MDtvlGub4hp9JDETNxgZk6U6Rxm~ez~ug69qjgE4uTrVb5PZgoPJvy~SR9rAG0Me7IhmUGcUYWgeYpU7gpvVYPsC~pmv84d-kxYs1tsf~0GaDOxTIVtdibabY0GIMUc799fyyG7isWYyEE59TUkH1eq4P0Uc1mKzYrcL-wSRElGB9694RlrIOETPAUy7~ooTLClWwkdsiUd~PdkIu9uYOx5fQ2Be-UuLmyj1IG0JUGyqgt2YmVHyyj6TPZfr4OUy22zCu5eYNz5N06zm7gmuuctEF0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Evanston Public Works staff and a consulting landscape architect presented a proposal to install a fenced, access‑controlled dog park in Gray Park at the Preservation Commission’s May 20 meeting.

“It's on Main Street between Maple and Ridge,” said Stephanie Levine, senior project manager with the Public Works Agency, describing the site and the project background. She said the city mailed invitations to several hundred surrounding residents and held two community meetings; staff reported roughly 23 participants across the outreach events.

Liz Dafoe of Upland Design described the concept: a roughly central fenced area with two gated, keypad entries, a six‑foot ornamental aluminum fence with a tighter lower picket to restrict small‑dog egress, a concrete circulation surface that follows the existing paths, a drinking fountain with a bottle filler and dog bowl (installed if budget permits), seating, pet‑waste stations and keyed access tied to animal registration. “We’re proposing a 6 foot high ornamental fence,” Dafoe said.

Commissioners raised multiple concerns rather than taking a formal vote. Several members, including Charles Smith, said the park’s central limestone amphitheater and the park’s meandering, picturesque path system are character‑defining features and warned that running a straight fence through that area would change its historic feel and restrict public access. Smith and others asked staff to consider aligning any fence to follow the park’s informal paths and to preserve public access to the amphitheater.

Commissioners also pressed staff to make sure residents who currently use the amphitheater — including people associated with the nearby Albany Care facility — were fully engaged in outreach. Levine said staff had met with Albany Care staff and that seating and picnic tables on the Maple Avenue side would remain, but she acknowledged outreach records did not clearly document direct contact with all residents of the facility.

Budget and logistics were recurring constraints: Levine said the project’s available capital budget is approximately $250,000, and that a water line is not currently on site so providing the Evanston standard drinking fountain and bottle filler is dependent on cost. Staff also noted a Cook County requirement that dog‑park enclosures be limited to registered, vaccinated animals, which is why keypad access is proposed for the gate system.

The Preservation Commission provided review and comment to staff and asked that the administrative design submission address three priorities: 1) minimize visual and spatial impacts on the amphitheater and the park’s picturesque layout, 2) demonstrate outreach and accommodations for Albany Care residents who use the amphitheater and adjacent lawn, and 3) study non‑linear fence alignments and other siting options that protect the park’s historic qualities. Staff said they would incorporate the comments and expect to route final construction documents through administrative review.","City staff proposed a fenced, access‑controlled dog park in Gray Park. Preservation commissioners said the plan risks altering the limestone amphitheater and the park’s picturesque layout and asked staff to study alternate fence alignments and outreach to current users.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6241138,"Preservation expert urges Evanston to treat parks, trees and street features as historic resources",2238,75000,2313000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410&start=75&end=2313","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410/thumbnail_75000.jpg","/articles/6241138/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Preservation-expert-urges-Evanston-to-treat-parks-trees-and-street-features-as-historic-resources","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241138-ecea37ead1594d4243d2fa3285fed50a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167223&Signature=E4U3OYY8atMXEygBBJklrUVEK4FmW-5yIAacDXc5FTKjNoV~JV4TVg6ZGfY3mqBIaYxJfB0NYmBLyqTqgQFEP9APCk8sO3HCEnmqP3-43IbdKc5P3kvrf4CkiOTgsKwdNx5aX0baiNuycWz7xUdb0er6Ti5NQABqv3x4auBeu0tcweBL~qk3JFN9~-eIkqx6rQzJh-e5qQ6iKjffgbPzkyev80CVDMEW621svm8gku4apYiC8aX1n-G~BDk2Qzn8FDnwlEIUJZzzQzh~44qw3CErEEuI-E1HN0JmplH2p9-eWnDGhAgBxnRKaONRRNk0Ck601Tau6GsIvx95lOOAOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julia Bacharach, a preservation consultant who worked for the Chicago Park District and now runs an independent consulting practice, told the Evanston Preservation Commission on May 20 that preserving the city’s character means protecting landscapes as well as buildings.

“Evanston is more than a collection of fantastic buildings,” Bacharach said. “It’s these… spaces between the buildings, the unbelievable stone retaining walls, the light posts, the street trees” that give the city its sense of place.

Bacharach traced her career in landscape preservation, described federal guidance and tools such as National Register Bulletin 18, Preservation Brief 36 and the Secretary of the Interior’s treatment categories (preservation, restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction). She said rehabilitation is often the most appropriate approach for public parks because it allows continued use while protecting character-defining features and materials.

Bacharach cited examples she worked on, including National Register and National Historic Landmark nominations for parks and Olmsted landscapes, and a recent cultural‑landscape or historic‑structures report project in Dubuque, Iowa. She also described how documentation, charters and cultural‑landscape reports can guide future work and help reconcile ecological or accessibility upgrades with historic character.

Commissioners asked how to treat landscapes that evolve over time, and Bacharach said review offices routinely assess “character‑defining features” and may consider multiple periods of significance rather than expecting original plantings to survive intact. She noted that the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office has been supportive of such analyses when she has prepared nominations.

Bacharach emphasized advocacy and local stewardship, telling commissioners: “Push the envelope. Push it as much as you can.” She also encouraged the commission to lean on local expertise and networks to document and protect parks, drives and street‑scale features that together form Evanston’s landscape identity.

The presentation was part of Preservation Week programming at the May meeting and preceded several agenda items that directly engaged with landscape questions, including a proposed dog park at Gray Park and language edits to the Envision Evanston 2045 preservation chapter.","Julia Bacharach, a landscape preservation consultant and former Chicago Park District staffer, told the Evanston Preservation Commission that cultural landscapes—street trees, light posts, stone walls and park plans—help define the city and should be documented and managed alongside buildings.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6241130,"Preservation commission backs major setback variation for Ashland Avenue landmark, 8–1",1060,4390000,5450000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410&start=4390&end=5450","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3309903-0a960c4be0200452b5c2583fee942410/thumbnail_4390000.jpg","/articles/6241130/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Preservation-commission-backs-major-setback-variation-for-Ashland-Avenue-landmark-81","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241130-3fb12350b9be6e497cd910c47cbdbda8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167224&Signature=isQ902o9pWVapCIXuOd2r6IQy7UAoAUHRLfZ-8foOtfRshtOF44KXzJjpBAF3cbxC1ZweVeIx1hENcMnh0QYwV0fGKiQG0LlqQjqP-OtTL~cPH9Oo-ewkWNizpJuHQaUVP9NA9y8-A7DTQDaa3h7sWA1FTOnF29j3KSY0sVlblh60D3bIXMAPgp8Ov0j-ELdk2gPxz~Mm5j15MDgImFr82~mAlMZaW3-HsSEZJ717K394Ipmgz-Vd0jz86mWGYqX1m2zW~6kLudjDtTVjiI~Kujyi6mdzNCcgQoRnD9iN72m~K0mI-TVZInsB6u39KBDAg4AhnV3755E0Fxn1iI50Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Preservation Commission on May 20 recommended approval of a major zoning variation to permit an attached garage alteration at 1630 Ashland Avenue in the Ridge Historic District.

The applicant asked the commission to recommend relief after adjusting a prior proposal to shorten the new garage’s length; the revised design increased one setback from roughly six inches to one foot and moved an earlier three‑foot west setback to five feet from the western property line.

Commissioners reviewed the preservation standards and the certificate of appropriateness previously issued for elements of the project. Several commissioners said the shortened footprint did not alter the application’s preservation outcome and that the change preserved the historic integrity of the primary residence better than a detached garage located elsewhere on the lot would.

The commission held public comment and noted neighbor concerns: some adjacent property owners and residents raised issues about the tight side setback and potential impacts on driveway access and mature trees. The applicant said letters of support from some neighbors were included in the land‑use application; staff clarified that notices for zoning and land‑use hearings follow different processes.

In deliberation, commissioners concluded the revised garage placement met the preservation standards before the body. A motion recommending approval of the major variation passed in a roll‑call vote, 8–1. The roll call recorded Ayes from Commissioners Johnson, Rossello, Aylman, Bodine, Breller, Smith, Jacobs and one other; Commissioner Seheem voted No. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Land Use Commission and the zoning review process for final action.","The Preservation Commission recommended approval of a major variation for a garage alteration at 1630 Ashland Avenue in the Ridge Historic District after deliberation; the commission found the change would not substantially harm the house’s historic integrity, though land‑use and neighbor concerns remain for zoning review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission endorses new preservation policy language for Envision Evanston 2045, adds landscapes and active language

Evanston commissioners question Gray Park dog‑park plan, urge redesign to preserve amphitheater access

Preservation expert urges Evanston to treat parks, trees and street features as historic resources

Preservation commission backs major setback variation for Ashland Avenue landmark, 8–1