Evanston Planning Manager Elizabeth Williams assured the Environment Board that its input on the Envision Evanston initiative to rewrite the city’s comprehensive plan matters – and that board members will have plenty more opportunities to give feedback as the plan takes shape in the coming months.
Wednesday’s board meeting at the Civic Center was meant to give members a chance to sound off on the Envision Evanston preliminary findings presentation first shared at the July 22 City Council meeting and ask the planning team questions before the “deep dive” focus group sessions planned for later this month. Williams represented the city’s planning team during the meeting.
Environment Board members said they wanted to make sure that their input was meaningfully incorporated into the plan, and that they can share feedback in a way that would be genuinely helpful to those actually writing the new plan and zoning code. Williams said her team has appreciated the input given so far, and that there will be multiple opportunities to give feedback as the plan solidifies.
The city’s planning team expects to bring an initial plan outline back to the Environment Board for review in September, according to Williams.
Board member Katarina Topalov asked for more details on how the planning process will go and what the board can do to help.
Consultants plan to develop the first draft of the plan by October. It will then go to the public and all city boards, committees and commissions for review, and their feedback will be used to refine it. The goal is to have an edited draft by December. The Land Use Commission would then spend around two months reading and revising the comprehensive plan and zoning code, with the goal of having the full City Council vote on a final version no later than April 2025.
“How can you help? I think the biggest thing is driving community members to those upcoming [outreach] events,” Williams added.
She also said she hopes the Environment Board will continue to give feedback, and that she and city consultants were impressed with the detailed letter the board sent last month about its desire to see sustainability woven incorporated in all sections of the two documents, which will shape how the city operates for the next generation.
“One of the things that’s really important is to be very specific in the feedback that you’re giving,” Williams said. “I’m not asking you to go line by line, but if you’re willing to invest that time, it would be great.”
She said that feedback from the public and government bodies is fundamental to the planning process, comparing it to designing a house from scratch.
“My hope is that you all be supportive, because you’ve all been walking along this process, very engaged, and I’m hoping that what you’re expecting will be realized,” Williams said, while acknowledging that “there are a lot of conflicting priorities and opinions” that could mean not everybody necessarily gets their way in the end.
Board member Paula Scholl said one thing that would be helpful is a plan outline to start from. She explained that the board originally crafted its suggestions letter using the previous comprehensive plan as a guide. Then, members adjusted the letter based on what was presented at the July 22 Council meeting.
Williams replied it was a fair comment. At this point, there is no outline, because planners are “trying not to get ahead of ourselves in this process and try to honor community-led process.” But they expect to have the outline ready following the deep dive community engagement sessions in time for the board’s Sept. 12 meeting, and possibly ahead of the Sept. 4 Climate Action and Resilience Plan Implementation Task Force meeting.
Board Co-Chair Matt Cotter asked if there’s a way for residents to submit ideas without attending community meetings or town halls. People can schedule “office hours” – a one-on-one conversation with the city staff – or submit written suggestions using an online form, Williams said.
Michelle Redfield, board co-chair alongside Cotter, also asked when feedback forms will be closed. WIlliams said that, after the first draft is released, the city will simply shift from gathering ideas to getting feedback on the draft.
Board member Jexa Edinberg, an incoming high school senior and student climate activist, wondered whether the consultants planned to get input from other Evanston Township High School students. Edinberg said it’s important for the city to hear from Evanstonians of all ages, since the new plan and zoning code will most impact young people as they grow up in Evanston and raise their own families.
“It is definitely a priority, and we’re interested in helping support something like that,” Williams said.
City urges Environment Board to keep giving feedback on Envision Evanston is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.