Letter to the editor: Let’s move on a positive path to new Ryan Field

Now that the Evanston City Council has approved the redevelopment and rezoning of Ryan Field, including concerts, it’s time for neighbors to embrace the decision and to engage in developing the best path forward during construction and continued planning.

We understand that some nearby neighbors are unhappy with this decision and are pursuing legal action because they don’t think the process was fair. Some of these opponents say the City Council ignored the work of the Land Use Commission (LUC) and dismissively considered its 7-2 vote against the text amendment allowing concerts. Before legal action goes too far and we waste limited city resources, it’s paramount to understand that NU’s proposal did, in fact, meet the necessary standards to enact a zoning change. Had this fact been more evident during LUC proceedings, perhaps they would have reached the same conclusion as the City Council.

Let’s recap the facts:

• The zoning text amendment and special-use processes are designed to permit landowners to develop and use their property as they see fit, within reasonable bounds.

• Where the proposed use or development provides significant direct or indirect economic and other benefits to the city, its residents and its businesses, the proposal should be permitted if, after balancing its beneficial impacts and its burdens, the proposed changes would not unduly harm other nearby landowners or if that harm can be adequately mitigated by conditions imposed in the approval process. Northwestern’s proposal does just that.

• The Evanston Comprehensive General Plan (CGP) places particular emphasis on the need to accommodate the development goals of Northwestern, as Evanston’s single most significant institutional contributor to the life of the city. The city was right to regard Northwestern’s proposal with a view towards accommodation, rather than skepticism.

• Two economic impact studies, including the city’s independent economic impact study, show that the economic benefit to the city is substantial. While ARPA funds are drying up post-pandemic, the new revenues generated by the rebuild, and by live events, will be received indefinitely and their use will not be restricted.

• The benefits to individuals will be tremendous, such as the new employment opportunities for hundreds of Evanstonians in their own hometown.

• Local businesses will benefit from increased activity and the new customer base, especially during slower summer months, when Northwestern students are away.

• The CGP asks the city to recognize and promote the arts as a vital component of the local economy. The new stadium will attract musical and other live performances to Evanston.

• The CGP also emphasizes the importance of environmental upgrades in the design and operation of new developments and redevelopments; the rebuild meets this requirement with its commitment to obtain and maintain LEED Gold Certification.

• The proposed live performances can be expected to increase, not reduce, neighborhood property values. Studies have shown that properties near concert venues, including Ravinia, command a premium over other homes in the community.

• The design for the new stadium reduces football game capacity by 12,000 seats to 35,000 and limits concert attendance to an even lower number of 28,000. An objection based upon the burdens of handling traffic for concerts with 12,000 fewer people than the average football game was head-scratching. More football games than concerts are scheduled.

• Due to design features of the new stadium and significant upgrades to the sound and lights systems, the impact of sound and light from the new stadium will be significantly diminished compared to the design, sound and lighting of the current stadium.

• The utilities, sewers and other infrastructure required to serve the new stadium are already in place and have been proven to adequately service football crowds of 47,000.

• The proposed design enhances the impact of the structure on the neighborhood with a more modern look that reflects other buildings on campus, the Evanston Arts Center and many of the new condo buildings along Central Street. A new park will accompany the new stadium.

• As has been previously articulated in this newspaper by Kimberly Holmes Ross, text and code amendment changes have benefited our community in the past. We are confident that the change to allow a reasonable and limited number of concerts at Ryan Field will be another positive change for Evanston.

• Let us not forget that our City Council allowed for text and code amendment changes to bring Temperance and Sketchbook, chickens, bees, food trucks, work-live spaces and an alternative school to Evanston. All of these had some level of controversy, yet the Council approved the changes and no lawsuits ensued. The Council did so because it decided that these changes satisfy the high standards of the CGP.

As Mayor Daniel Biss laid out in his recent letter to the city, it wasn’t an easy choice, but it was a practical choice in the best interest of all of Evanston – and one that aligns with Evanston’s own standards to make this sort of change.

So now opponents can waste a lot of time and money (their personal dollars and our tax dollars) by pursuing legal action, or we can agree to work together on the best path forward to yield great benefits and dividends. We firmly believe that in a short period of time we’ll see a result most neighbors are happy with and businesses throughout Evanston appreciate.

Lara Hamann, 7th Ward resident
Michael Davis, 7th Ward resident