I'm sure someone has used the title already, but I haven't seen it yet myself.
That's 5440 Sheridan and it should really be 5440 and fight.
At the moment I would abstain on voting on this. I don't know enough and I support the notion of local say on projects like this. I know we in the northwest quadrant of the ward have suffered votes by folks in the rest of the ward that voted against us when they should have abstained.
So let me point you to this blog where the blogger does a great job telling you who's for it and who's against it, but doesn't quite explain the cons as well as they should, since they appear to be against it.
The blog is Edgewater Chicago Surreal.
7 comments:
Interesting link, Jeff... This has indeed been a divisive issue in the neighborhood. As someone who has been near the center of the uproar, here is my point of view... I first heard about this project in April when the developer came to the EBNA meeting. They gave a short presentation, after which EBNA voted to support it. I was one of those who voted in favor, but I now regret that it even came to a vote at that meeting. In hindsight, we should have recognized that this was not a run-of-the-mill 6-flat conversion -- but the largest project, in terms of height and number of units, to come before EBNA in many years. Therefore, it would have been wise not to be too hasty in taking a position.
Unfortunately, once we took our position, EBNA's leadership (excluding me) was unwilling to revisit the issue, even after new information came to light, and the more vocal the opposition became, the more they dug in. It has not helped matters that they have been the target of some malicious lies regarding this project, which have been disseminated around the neighborhood via anonymous fliers.
At EBNA's last meeting, an overwhelming majority (27-6) voted to withdraw EBNA's support for the project. As far as I know, this means that EBNA will abstain, but I cannot speak for EBNA's delegate. I think it is interesting to note that while 11 of 18 members voted for the proposal at the April meeting, only 6 of 33 supported it at the July meeting. That's quite a shift.
I'm very curious as to who "Neighborhood Guy" at Edgewater Chicago Surreal is. In the August 8 entry, I see that he (she?) posted an alleged letter from one of the EBNA officers to Alderman Smith's office in which the officer makes a dig at me behind my back.
The project was approved at the Alderman's meeting last night. The tally was something like 30-5, with 6 abstentions. At the meeting, I got to see the revised plans for the first time, and there were some significant changes from what was presented to EBNA in April. In April, the project was 130 units, and now it is 156 -- an increase of 20%. In April, the Sheridan-facing side of the building faced southeast, and now it faces east. At street level, the triangular courtyard in front of the building has been eliminated from the plan. The mechanical penthouse was formerly concealed by a top-hat like protrusion atop the front facade, and now it's set back and there is no "top hat". I just think it would have been a good thing if EBNA members had had the opportunity to see how it had changed since the project was originally voted on. But c'est la vie in the big city...
Jeff:
Do you feel comfortable having your blogged linked to Edgewater Chicago Surreal or having this blog linked to thier blog?
The reason why I ask is the owner of the Edgewater Surreal blog has published the personal address and phone number of a person quoted in the News Star regarding the 5440 vote. It's alright that this blogger want to bash Mary Ann Smith and take swipes at myself and our block club. But do you feel comfortable knowing they are using a blog site to publish private parties personal information?
Ann Plewa
The kinds of blogs we're dealing with here are pretty inconsequential things. If this or Surreal were bigger blogs, than yes I would be concerned. But at this level of things, and the kinds of information you are talking about, it really isn't a big deal.
Too bad you didn't take into the equation the cruelty and nastiness of the main players of the 5440 anti whatever group. They ridiculed helping anyone in the neighborhood, they called the EBNA community outreach usleless, to help underprivelage kids, useless. To help anyone in the neighborhood, useless. All that matter was shade on their pool for 45 minutes at 5pm at night or that their white 2 yo baby would not have sunshine on her daybed, while scorning EBNA for helping the churches, gay community or kids. You failed to notice that this group as you, are all white wealthy men, who wrote libel flyers, made nasty phone calls and especially were went after any female, no men, they are gold here,
Especially the players from 5455 Sheridan, Bob, Maria, Rick and Jim, yelled and screamed and threathened any of their "followers" if they questioned them. And guess what they ended up with nothning. These were cruel people with only one agenda, to get rid of ASCO. The useless secretary for EBNA, who did nothning, who couldn't keep up his duties including writing the simple stupdi minutes, nope hes a white man so he just writes to his advantage. As a black woman in this neighborhood I stand offended by your statements as well as all the men folk who called the women threathening their lives over a building that is 30 stories lower then their ugly 5455 building. Over a building, calling themselves community activists, I call them fools, who are entitled just like Mark who is writing how he cares, he did nothning at EBNA, he would just sit there and let anyone take the balme for his lazy action, he did nothning, we are glad he is gone. And where have Rick, Jim , Bob/ Maria gone? Bye bye, they could have cared about the area as they would rant on at our meetings for 5 months they ranted and raged, no kindness or care of others. They were like the ocmmunist party.
Did Sheli Lulkin write that last comment?
Is her capacity to spell going?
This has indeed been a divisive issue in the neighborhood.
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Julie
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