Equitable Zoning Reform Campaign
Goal 1: Promote Housing Affordability
Strategy 1:
Redefine the Purpose of Evanston's Zoning Code
The current zoning code's purpose is focused on preserving property values and community character. For instance, most of the sections in Code Chapter 8, Residential Districts, include a Purpose Statement like this one for the R2 district: "The R2 single-family residential district is intended to provide for small lot single-family development at a relatively low density and to preserve the present physical character of that area while providing for initial development."
Terms such as “character” and “appropriate” when used in relation to standards for decision-making can be interpreted by different people in different ways and have the potential to be used to block decisions that support groups at risk. They should be eliminated from the zoning code.
Terms such as “character” and “appropriate” when used in relation to standards for decision-making can be interpreted by different people in different ways and have the potential to be used to block decisions that support groups at risk. They should be eliminated from the zoning code.
Zoning Recommendations
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Eliminate undefined terms such as "character" and "appropriate" from the zoning codes. |
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These recommendations are supported by: Equitable Zoning Report Recommendation 1, APA Guidance Zoning District Policy 1, APA Guidance Zoning District Policy 2, Evanston Mayor Biss Recommendation 1, Minneapolis Policy Plan 1
