Members of the City Council on Monday delayed a final vote on selling city-owned property at 1220 Washington St. to Evanston Township High School for the Geometry in Construction program.
Ninth Ward Councilmember Juan Geracaris, who represents the area around the property, attempted to introduce and vote on the sale in the same night, citing a need “to accommodate the publishing deadlines and to keep the construction timeline on schedule.”
But after neighbors voiced opposition to the plan, which would bring a two-story house built by high school geometry students to the street, the council twice voted down Geracaris’ motion for same-night introduction and adoption, pushing a final decision to April 14 at the earliest.
The class works with Community Partners for Affordable Housing so that each home built can enter a community land trust and be sold to families in need at an affordable price. Sarah Flax, the city’s community development director, said failure to approve the plan on Monday would mean a delay in moving the house, and the high school and city were hoping to get it in place in July for contractors to get a summer start on finishing the project.
Neighbors who spoke during public comment on Monday advocated for some other kind of community use for the plot of land, and expressed concern about the trees surrounding the property and the small space.
Chelsea Elward, who lives across the street, wants the plot to become a community garden. Elward laid out a two-year plan for the garden and said it would add more character to the block and benefit kids living at the Rice Children’s Center.
“I asked for this beautiful garden that I would create with my neighbors for the Rice Center kids,” she said. “Being able to walk down our street, on our block, to go to a magical place.”
Tom Doyle, another Washington Street resident, said there are important trees that could be torn down by the construction. He’s in favor of turning the smaller lot to a pollinator park.
Flax said ETHS has not submitted final design plans for the house, adding that “there will be every effort made to keep the trees, especially the ones that our forestry staff have identified as valuable trees.”
Geracaris argued that the affordable home would be the best use of the property for the neighborhood, and that the project had “overwhelming support from everyone, other than the neighbors and a couple other people who are here.”
“I don’t see us stopping this process and going back and not putting a Geometry in Construction home there,” he said.
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