About Those CDOT Roads Proposals

Jackson Park Watch along with many others welcomes the Obama Presidential Center to the South Side and looks forward to the exciting civic engagement, community involvement, and educational programming that it promises to bring.   Along with many others, though, JPW did not know until May that massive – and massively expensive – road closures, widenings, and relocations were to be part of the package when the City moved to give a 21-acre site in Jackson Park to the Obama Foundation. Jackson Park Watch (along, again, with many others) spent much time at the CDOT open-house meetings on August 23 and 24 at the South Shore Cultural Center. Here is our take after inspecting the drawings of road closures, widenings, and realignments that CDOT is proposing for Jackson Park.

DOES CLOSING CORNELL ACTUALLY ADD PARKLAND?
One reason given for closing Cornell Drive between 60^th and 63^rd Streets, as President Obama desires, was to add parkland, and that it does.  But at the same time, much parkland would be lost to widening both Lake Shore Drive and Stony Island Avenue and making the other changes needed to accommodate the Cornell closure, and CDOT is working to demonstrate there will be no net parkland loss in Jackson Park. The Obama Foundation’s new assertion of control over 3-4 acres at the eastern tip of the Midway Plaisance for the construction of a parking garage makes that task harder. Further, there has been no progress on fulfilling the commitment to find 21 acres of suitable, local land to replace the Jackson Park land the City has given to the Obama Center.

WHAT WOULD IT COST? WHO WOULD PAY?
Although no one will say, estimates are certainly out there.  A recent article quotes a City Hall source as saying it would in the realm of $100 million-plus; another details some of the expenditures city taxpayers would pick up.  Each report notes Mayor Emanuel’s effort to deflect of questions about actual cost estimates by asserting that he was focused on the “forest, not the individual trees” – an ironic comment given the number of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of mature trees that will be cut down to make way for the Obama Presidential Center and the reconfiguration of the adjacent golf course. As more and more Chicagoans find out what costs and benefits are actually entailed, we will see what they conclude.

WOULD IT WORK?  AND WHAT IF IT DOESN’T?
If CDOT assumptions and numbers are right, it could work — albeit it with much grumbling — until the “new normal” is finally accepted.  But if those assumptions and numbers are wrong, traffic headaches could multiply for years, especially if Woodlawn and South Shore and the South Works areas experience the promised residential growth and economic development.  The Obama Presidential Center itself could be mired in traffic gridlock.  But this would be no pilot project – there would be no going back. Overall the planning process for these major infrastructure investments around Jackson Park is notably rushed compared to the extended planning being done for Northside projects such as the rebuild of North Lakeshore Drive. It would be better to take the time to get it right.

IS IT A CHICAGO-STYLE “DONE DEAL”?
It has all the signs of a “done deal,” long in the planning, even though CDOT staff assert they are “just beginning” and have many problems still to address.   We note that the displays assume that a new “southlakefront framework plan” is already in place containing all of the road changes, the OPC, and the proposed golf course, underscoring the cursory nature of the “community input” involved. That said, CDOT has put together a plausible scenario entailing massive road changes and huge public expenditures.  It has shown some flexibility on resolving minor details, but none on the overall major thrust. The plan could be snarled up in some regulatory reviews.  Or Chicagoans could decide it’s not worth the price tag. The fact that our Mayor feels compelled to defend the expenditure even before we know the final tab shows that potential.

Details and Questions about the CDOT Proposals

Below is a summary overview of the major proposed changes.

You can see full details at https://southlakefrontplan.com/cdot-community-meetings-transportation-mobility-823-824 . There are two versions: a slide show and copies of the poster boards displayed at the SSCC meetings. We recommend the Boards version for the most detail about what is proposed to date.

• Widen Stony Island: Add two lanes to Stony, taking from parkland to the east. Add a median (a.k.a. “pedestrian refuge”). All-day parallel parking on both sides.   As is now the case, no stop lights or stop signs between 60^th and 63^rd; a traffic light to be added at 64^th.

Some questions: Would widening Stony Island encourage faster driving? Would there be pedestrian safety issues with the increased traffic? Should there be a stop sign at 62^nd Street to serve residents who live directly across from the OPC? Would a wider Stony Island inhibit neighborhood access to the Obama Presidential Center and to Jackson Park generally?

• Widen Lake Shore Drive: Add one southbound lane to Lake Shore Drive between 57^th and Hayes Drive/63^rd by taking land from the west (park) side. This would entail widening underpasses at 59^th and just north of Hayes and widening the bridge with its historic façade that spans the connection between the lake and the 59^th harbor.

Some questions: How would the widening affect the environmental restoration work done by the US Army Corps of Engineers along the western edge of LSD? Would there be financial penalties for disturbing that work? How would the widening affect the Lawn Bowling facility, whose fence is now right at the edge of LSD?   Would the bike/pedestrian path between LSD and the golf driving range be affected?

• Change Hayes:. Make Hayes four lanes by banning all parking along Hayes. Add a concrete barrier to separate the two directions. Enlarge intersection turns at LSD, Richards, and Cornell. Add a traffic light at Richards. Possibility of a pedestrian underpass under Hayes, but location not determined.

Some questions: Hayes is now heavily used for parking by local residents who are playing soccer, golf or basketball or going to the beach, and tour buses park along the drive while school kids and tourists are at MSI. Where would all these people and buses go? Would users of the three parking lots along Hayes be able to enter and exit those facilities easily and safely? Would the elongated “S” curve between LSD and Cornell, marked with three traffic lights, be a Southside version of the much maligned “S” curve by the Oak Street beach?

• Re-do 59^th and 60^th St. intersections with Stony Island. Remove stop lights at 59^th and 60^th. Prohibit turning north onto Stony from 59^th and 60^th and prohibit turning into either of those streets from the northbound lanes of Stony. CDOT staff are considering allowing a right turn from 59^th onto southbound Stony that is not shown on the current boards.

Some questions: Would pedestrians crossing to the OPC from the proposed Obama Foundation parking garage cause traffic slowdowns? What would be the impact on neighborhood residents and on children being walked and driven to and from the Lab Lower School and the adjacent daycare facility?

• Re-do connections between the Midway, Stony Island and Cornell: Close eastbound Midway between Stony Island and Cornell, forcing northbound traffic to turn left onto Stony Island and then immediately right onto what would be an expanded two-way, four-lane road (formerly the westbound connector) between Stony Island and Cornell.

Some questions: Could this new configuration accommodate all the traffic being forced into another “S” curve, this one tight and interrupted by a traffic light? As above, would pedestrians crossing to the OPC from the proposed Obama Foundation parking garage cause traffic slowdowns? And what would be the impact of traffic (including buses) associated with the garage?

No doubt you can think of many more questions that need to be answered before these proposals are approved.

What you can do

• Write directly to CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld (Scheinfeld@cityofchicago.org ) and send a cc to Mayor Rahm Emanuel (rahm.emanuel@cityofchicago.org)
• You can also submit questions and comments on the South Lakefront Framework Plan website (https://southlakefrontplan.com/contact-us)

As always, please feel free to share this Update widely and to post it on google groups, e-lists, or other shared sites.

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid
Jackson Park Watch co-coordinators

jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

Greetings,

RECENT TOP NEWS: At a meeting on Tuesday evening 8/15, it was revealed that the Obama Foundation has now decided to fund and construct its wished-for underground parking garage between the Metra and Stony Island and the two arms of the Midway. More about that meeting below.

In this Issue: All About Meetings – and they matter! Numbers are counted, comments are tallied.

Concerned about those proposals to close Cornell Drive, “improve” Lake Shore Drive and Hayes, and take out Marquette? The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is hosting two identical open-house charette-type meetings to “present potential transportation investments to mitigate the impact of proposed closures.”

Date:   Wednesday, August 23, and Thursday, August 24
Time: 4 – 8 pm, both days (an hour is probably ample time)
Location: South Shore Cultural Center

Expect to see numerous depictions and images. Things to look for include:

• information on the costs of these changes and who will pay;
• information on the timelines for phasing in these changes so as to avoid traffic chaos;
• details on any widening of Lake Shore Drive or Hayes and any impact on the recent US Army Corps GLFER plantings;
• details about any changes to Stony Island Avenue;
• provisions for parking to accommodate OPC visitors (but remember that the Obama Foundation has now said it plans on funding and building an underground parking garage on the east end of the Midway);
• information on the impact of these changes on park spaces and recreational facilities       and on mature trees and other plantings.

What you can do: Be there! There will be opportunities to make comments, both verbally and in writing. Be sure to do so.

###

At last, some information about the Darrow Bridge reconstruction! CDOT , in cooperation with Alderman Leslie Hairston, is also hosting a meeting next week about the Darrow Bridge reconstruction project (known to CDOT as the Columbia Bridge). It will also have a charette-type format with concept drawings, maps, and aerial photography. CDOT staff will answer questions, discuss plans and take comments. Information about the construction schedule will be available.

Date:   Tuesday, August 22
Time: 5-7 pm
Location: Jackson Park Field House, 6401 S. Stony Island Ave.

What you can do: Again, be there. Ask questions.

###

In other meeting news, on August 15 the Obama Foundation hosted an invitation-only “Landscape Design Forum” for community members and representatives of a variety of organizations and interests. JPW was there for what turned out to be a lively discussion with lots of questions and alternate proposals. The design presented was a slightly modified version of first unveiled on May 3 and shown in subsequent “Community Conversations” meetings.

As noted above, the major new piece of information was the revelation that the Obama Foundation would itself build an underground parking garage on the Midway Plaisance, with a projected capacity of 400-450 cars and a landscaped roof. Other discussion topics and themes following the design presentation included:

• Traffic congestion and noise, with concerns especially by those living adjacent to the OPC site.
• The integration of the OPC campus into the Park, with repeated requests that attention be paid to the special status of the natural areas of the Wooded Island and its lagoons , which are respites for residents and migratory birds. (The designers confirmed that the plan would remove most of the trees currently on the site, while saying that more trees would be planted.)
• Discussions of activity areas on the campus, such as a children’s playlot. Many urged that they be natural rather than traditional, quiet rather than loud.
• Many spoke against the loss of the perennial garden that anchors the connection between Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance, which was lauded as an iconic feature and part of the cultural fabric of the neighborhood.
• Many called for clarification of how the proposed athletic center relates to and integrates with the adjacent Jackson Park Fieldhouse and the Southside Y.
• Note was taken of the expanding footprint of the OPC campus, now to include not only the perennial garden site but also the end of the Midway Plaisance. Obama Foundation Vice President for Civic Engagement Michael Strautmanis said that the spatial shifts reflected in the design would have to be approved by the City.

What you can do: Share your comments and questions with Michael Strautmanis, VC for Civic Engagement, at mstrautmanis@obamapresidentialfoundation.org.   Ask him when the Obama Foundation will have public meetings.

###

Finally, a meeting of a very different sort: The Obama Library Community Benefits Agreement Coalition hosted a “Sustainability & Transportation Forum” 8/16 with over 100 in attendance. A number of community leaders spoke about issues related to plans for Jackson Park, the impact of the Obama Presidential Center on the surrounding communities, and the need for and feasibility of a Community Benefits Agreement. Participants broke into groups to identify key questions about Parks, Green Jobs and Building, and Transportation, plans that will be conveyed to the Mayor’s Office. One interesting note: Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp attended, telling JPW’s Margaret Schmid that “a lot of people care very passionately about these issues.”

What you can do: For more information and/or to become a supporter, visit http://www.obamacba.org/

###

As always, please feel free to share this Update widely and to post it on google groups, e-lists, or other shared sites.

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid, Jackson Park Watch co-coordinators
jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

Greetings, all!

MORE IMPORTANT MEETINGS!  Be there to raise your questions and concerns!

COMMUNITY MEETING, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16.   The “Get It In Writing” Obama Library CBA Coalition is hosting a Forum on Sustainability and Transportation.  Speakers will include FOTP’s Juanita Irizarry, CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld (invited) and Naomi Davis of Blacks In Green.  It is at St. Phillip Neri school, 2110 E. 72^nd St., 6-8 p.m.

TWO CITY-SPONSORED PUBLIC MEETINGS ON CDOT ROAD CLOSURE/”IMPROVEMENT” PLANS, AUGUST 23 AND AUGUST 24.  Just announced, these two identical meetings will feature “design concepts” of CDOT-proposed changes in area roads and intersections along with chances for community members to “review, discuss and provide comments on design concepts” according to the Park District announcement.  The meetings, to be in an open house format, will be at the South Shore Cultural Center and will run from 4 to 8 p.m. each day.

In other news:

• JPW to Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp: where is the community process?  where is the factual information?
• Spotlight on birders’ concerns
• JPW expands its investigations

JPW to Zopp

Last week JPW wrote the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance and Park District CEO Mike Kelly posing a set of critical questions that need to be answered.  This week JPW wrote Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp.  Zopp had opened the first of the City-sponsored ‘Community Conversations” meetings, saying it was the beginning of a dialogue with the community and that “I am here to listen.” JPW’s letter asked: where is the dialogue?  what about the needed public information?  when are the public meetings?  Just coincidentally, perhaps, good news – the CDOT meetings (above) were announced the very next day!  (The full letter to Zopp appears at the end of this Update.)

Birders speak out

Birders’ concerns about plans for the Obama Presidential Center and the expanded golf course merger were featured in a recent Tribune article.  Thanks to the birders for raising their voices on these key questions about the future of Jackson Park – and birds.

JPW expands its investigations

In light of the seeming rush to take the Obama Presidential Center plans to the Chicago Plan Commission in November of this year, a body virtually assured to approve them, JPW has begun to investigate how the Plan Commission works and what follow-up investigations, permitting, reviews, etc., would have to occur.  JPW is checking on what the Lakefront Protection Ordinance provides, what steps would be required to close Cornell Drive or expand Lake Shore Drive, what environmental permits might be required for the golf course merger/expansion, and more.  Stay tuned.

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid, Jackson Park Watch co-coordinators

jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

(To unsubscribe from this g-list, simply send “unsubscribe” to Jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com)

####

August 8, 2017

Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp

Via e-mail

Greetings,

In our July 6 letter to you we noted how encouraged we had been by your opening statement that the “Community Conversations on the Future of Jackson and South Shore Parks were to be the start of a dialogue with the community on the development of a new “framework plan” for the parks and by your assurance that “We are here to listen.”  We then noted our subsequent disappointment and frustration as the stage-managed meetings provided few opportunities for full community input or true dialogue. In response, you said in a July 12 letter: “We will use the information gathered at these meetings to guide the framework planning process. . . . and later this summer, additional community meetings will be held so that we can provide the community with an update on the process and provide more detailed answers to the questions raised during the first series of meetings.”

Now – four weeks later – there has been no public announcement of additional meetings and no clarification of the next steps in the framework planning process.   The “Planning Process & Schedule” shown as part of the power point presentations at the “Community Conversations” and still displayed on the South Lakefront Framework Plan website identifies July and August as the period designated to “develop the vision, planning principles and goals, and program for the study area through public input and group discussions.” Where is that additional public input?  Where are those group discussions? We are aware that the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance has been meeting with selected community groups, but how have they been chosen?  And what groups have the Park District, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and the Obama Foundation been meeting with? How were they selected?  How representative are they?  And what data have they been given to review?   Where is the open, public process that is appropriate for consideration of changes to public parks?

This lack of an open process is all the more alarming given the accelerated timetable designed to present the Obama Foundation proposal to the Chicago Plan Commission in November.  The “visioning” period is more than half over, with no announced avenues for legitimate community engagement. Likewise, there is no announced schedule for public discussions in September and October. The lack of transparency around the South Lakefront Framework Plan process continues to prompt cynicism and distrust.  Many are concerned that the City’s “Planning Process & Schedule” does not allow for credible or effective community input on any of the major changes to the Park and is intended simply to allow the City – and the Obama Foundation – to say, “look, see, we did consult the community!”

As we said in our July 6 letter, however, it is not too late to rectify the situation.  Important next steps would be the release in the near future of the most current plans for the golf course design, the road closures/improvements, and the Obama Presidential Center site, all of which would presumably reflect responsiveness to recent community comments.  Back-up documentation such as traffic counts and studies and cost estimates for the golf course and road changes and the sources of the funding should accompany these revised plans.  You should schedule and widely publicize a series of community meetings at which those detailed plans would be considered and which would include facilitated small group discussions to address not only these three projects but also to encourage consideration of other key park issues – for example, the need for a new fieldhouse in Jackson Park. These meetings should be announced with enough advance notice to allow even greater numbers of community members to participate.

Further, the City and Park District announced the ‘Community Conversations” meeting as the beginning of the development of a new framework plan for Jackson and South Shore Parks.  Some, however, suspect that the underlying motive was to fast track approval of the golf course plan and in particular plans for the Obama Presidential Center and the related road closures and “improvements.”  As a gesture of goodwill and in recognition of the importance of community engagement in the development of this framework plan, the Obama Foundation and the City should publicly state their willingness to defer submission of the Obama Presidential Center plans to the Plan Commission until all relevant information has been publicly released and the community has had a proper chance to review and comment on it.   Additionally, the City and the Obama Foundation should commit to continuing to participate in the development of a new, comprehensive South Lakefront Framework Plan.  The rush to approve the OPC should not distort or undercut the larger goal.

Sincerely,

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid
Coordinators, Jackson Park Watch

cc:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, David Simas, Chief Executive Officer, Obama Foundation,,Michael Strautmanis, Vice President of Civic Engagement, Obama Foundation, Michael Kelly, CEO, Chicago Park District, Jesse Ruiz, Board President, Chicago Park District, Michael Ruemmler, Co-Founder and Director, Chicago Parks Golf Alliance, Brian Hogan, Co-Founder and Director, Chicago Parks Golf Alliance, Rebekah Scheinfeld, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Transportation, Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th Ward), Ald. Sophia King (4th Ward), Ald. Willie Cochran (20th Ward), Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th Ward), Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President, , Sen. Kwame Raoul (Illinois State Senate 13th District),Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (Illinois State House 25th District) ,Rep. Christian Mitchell (Illinois State House 26th District), Rep. Bobby Rush (US House IL 1st District), Rep. Robin Kelly (US House IL 2nd District), Friends of the Parks Executive Director Juanita Irizarry, Openlands President Jerry Adelmann, Editor, The Chicago Sun-Times, Editor, The Chicago Tribune, Editor, Hyde Park Herald

SPECIAL GOLF COURSE ANNIVERSARY EDITION: recapping the situation, highlighting the questions, calling for action

Greetings, all!

It was just one year ago today that Chicago Park District CEO Mike Kelly e-mailed Mayor Rahm Emanuel, saying, “We have an opportunity to transform Jackson Park golf course (1899) and South Shore golf course (1907) into the strongest urban golf site the PGA has seen in 25 years. …”  The message, which was sent to the Mayor’s personal e-mail account and was later revealed by a Better Government Association investigation, continued with Kelly’s admonition to the Mayor that “it is critical for YOU that this project has the support of the Obama Foundation and the surrounding community.  Furthermore, the community should initiate the request to improve the golf courses.”

Controversy:  Elimination of current recreational and natural areas:  Today the plan referenced in that e-mail, the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance proposal for a merger, redesign and expansion of the Jackson Park and South Shore courses, is mired in controversy.  While the CPGA and Mike Kelly had repeatedly said the new course would remain within the footprints of the existing golf courses, when the proposed new design was finally released on June 21 it instead showed a major expansion.

The proposed golf course would take out numerous well-used recreational facilities and natural areas— tennis courts, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, the Nature Sanctuary adjacent to the South Shore Cultural Center, and the south side’s only dog park.  This vast expansion beyond the current golf courses is itself a major cause of the controversy.  In response, CPGA spokesmen and the Park District have made vague statements about replacements elsewhere, but these that have been received with considerable skepticism. If anything, community opposition to the elimination of existing, well utilized, and accessible natural and recreational facilities in favor of a golf course designed primarily for affluent golfers, most of whom live elsewhere, is growing. As the Chicago Sun-Times recently headlined its editorial assessment of the proposal:  South Side golf course plan full of holes.

Controversy: Basic financial information unavailable: A further reason for growing dissatisfaction in the surrounding community and among city taxpayers more broadly is the virtually complete absence of any financial information about the project.  What would the various components cost: changes to the courses, construction of the underpasses, construction of the new clubhouse and of the winter golf practice facility, road closures, replacement of lost recreational facilities and natural areas? What are the projected sources of funding? Who would pay for what?  What would it cost city taxpayers?

Beyond construction costs, also lacking is any information on the business plan for operating the course.  How many pro golf tournaments are projected and how frequently?  What revenues would these bring, and who would keep the revenue?  Since the CPGA is seeking private funding for parts of this project and since potential donors would certainly insist on full financial disclosure about the viability of the project, much of this information has to exist, but it has yet to be made public.  Absent any of this vital information, CPGA and the Park District are saying in essence “trust us, it will be great.” Maybe so, maybe not. Only actual data can answer the questions.

Controversy: Pledge to current golfers lacks credibility absent data: Also inexplicable is the CPGA’s continuing failure to release the one piece of information that could confirm its pledge to keep the new golf course affordable and accessible to local golfers: the projected greens fees schedule and cart fees for various days of the week, and for different classes of golfers – i.e., resident and non-resident; senior; and league members – not only for the first year, but for five years and further into the future.  For how long with the Park District commit providing caddies “at no extra charge” to golfers, a benefit CEO Kelly recently disclosed?  Which golfers would be eligible for caddies at no charge and for how long/

Controversy: Public policy impact: Jackson Park Watch is quite concerned about the potential discriminatory impact of the proposed elite, expensive golf course project on the continuing availability of public recreational benefits in the neighborhoods served by Jackson Park and South Shore. As things now stand, the proposed golf course project would have a major adverse impact on these communities in two ways:  (i) by depriving community members of existing, well-utilized recreational facilities and natural areas without any equivalent, acceptable, accessible replacements; and (ii) in the absence of credible data and written guarantees, by depriving local golfers of regular, convenient, and affordable access to these well-run and much-loved municipal golf courses.

What to do: Jackson Park Watch is sending this assessment as a letter to the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance and to Park District CEO Mike Kelly calling on them to immediately take several steps:

• release all financial information needed to assess the feasibility and viability of the project;
• release the projected greens fees and other pricing for the first five years of the new course’s operation – data essential to assessing their pledge  to keep the course affordable and accessible for local golfers, and
• right-size the dimensions of the proposed new golf course within the footprints of the current courses so as to preserve the existing recreational facilities and natural areas.

You can join in:  Voice your concerns and/or support our call for information by e-mailing any or all of those listed below.  As always, please feel free to share this widely and to post this on e-lists and googlegroups.

Park District CEO Mike Kelly  — Michael.Kelly@chicagoparkdistrict.com
CPGA Co-Founder and Director Brian Hogan – bhogan@chicagoparksgolfalliance.org
CPGA Co-Founder and Director Michael Ruemmler – mruemmler@chicagoparksgolfalliance.org
Mayor Rahm Emanuel – rahm.emanuel@cityofchicago.org
Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp – andrea.zopp@cityofchicago.org
Alderman Leslie Hairston – leslie.hairston@cityofchicago.org; ward05@cityofchicago.org
The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board – letters@suntimes.com
The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board — ctc-tribletter@chicagotribune.com
The Hyde Park Herald Editor – letters@hpherald.com

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid, Jackson Park Watch co-coordinators

jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

Greetings all,

IMPORTANT MEETING THIS TUESDAY NIGHT (JULY 25): Community Forum on South Side Development at the Experimental Station, 7-9 p.m.

This will be a key opportunity for community members to raise concerns and express their views .. Be there! Jamie Kalven will moderate. The Experimental Station is at 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. You can register through Facebook exp.st/ssdevelopment or just show up, but note the warning that seating may be limited.

Friends of the Parks op-ed on target

Friends of the Parks Executive Director Juanita Irizarry was right on target in her recent op-ed in Crain’s Chicago Business (appended below). She echoed JPW concerns with the rushed process to push through plans for the much expanded golf course and potentially unworkable road closures.  She also importantly highlighted the difference between the lengthy, careful attention being lavished on improvements to North Lake Shore Drive and the hurry-up process the City and Park District are trying to impose on the South Side for major changes to South Lake Shore Drive and its extensions.

Traffic numbers: Are these credible?

The Chicago Department of Transportation has finally given some initial projections about how it will accommodate the Obama Foundation’s desire to close Cornell Drive between 59^th and Hayes Dr./63^rd St. No surprise to many that CDOT Commissioner Scheinfeld had reassuring words about keeping commute times manageable, saying “Our current analysis shows we’re in shooting distance of that.” Skeptics can be pardoned if they note that the CDOT’s own numbers show traffic would increase on Stony Island by some 40% and on Hayes Drive by close to 400%, making a smooth transition more than a bit unlikely. Interesting question: would visitors to the Obama Presidential Center find themselves stuck in traffic?

Mike Kelly lists recreational facilities to be lost

A recent DNAInfo piece not only noted confusion about potential new indoor basketball facilities as a part of the Obama Presidential Center, but also gave Park District CEO Mike Kelly’s own tally of recreational facilities to be lost to Jackson Park users as result of the golf project now being championed by the Park District, the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance, and the City: 21 or more tennis courts and 6 of the 8 baseball diamonds now in the Park would to be taken out. As was the case with the South Shore Nature Sanctuary and Jackson Bark dog park, also to be eliminated by this project, Kelly dismissed these sports facilities as underused.

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid
jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

(To unsubscribe from this g-list, simply send “unsubscribe” to jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com.)

Greetings all,

Community voices finally heard on July 13

The final “Community Conversations” meeting last Thursday was well attended, with some 200 very engaged participants. In a welcome change from the previous City-led “Community Conversations,” the meeting ended with a two-hour session led by Alderman Leslie Hairston that provided an opportunity for residents to express directly their concerns and questions about the changes to Jackson and South Shore Parks proposed by the Obama Foundation, the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance, and the Chicago Department of Transportation.

After the presentations, which were a rerun of those given at the three prior meetings residents lined up for over two hours to voice their comments and questions about the rerouting of traffic to accommodate the closure of Cornell Drive, the loss of park space and recreational facilities, the expanded footprints of the golf course and the OPC, the rushed schedule for approving the proposed changes, and the planners’ misleading assertions that the current parks are underused and therefore in need of radical change. Many spoke also about the impact of the proposed changes on the surrounding communities and expressed support for a Community Benefits Agreement to hold the City and the Obama Foundation accountable for promises made about economic development, affordable housing, and other community issues.

Alderman Hairston repeatedly assured attendees that there are no “done deals” – that she would not be hosting a three-hour session if in fact all the decisions had already been made. Picking up on the many frustrations expressed about incomplete plans and inadequate information, Hairston reminded the three presenters that the public needed detailed, substantive proposals for review, not just schematic concepts.   But neither the alderman nor any of the presenters could say what comes next.

(FYI: Reports of the meeting appeared in the Hyde Park Herald, DNAInfo, and the Sun-Times. Also of interest is the information distributed at the meeting by supporters seeking to preserve the South Shore Nature Sanctuary and by birding enthusiasts advancing an ecological vision for Jackson Park.)

Next steps?

What does come next? To date the City, the Park District and the Obama Foundation have failed to provide any substantive information about the remaining phases of this hastily announced “framework planning process,” other than the intention to conclude the whole process by October in order to allow the Obama Foundation to seek Chicago Plan Commission approval in November.

Instead of providing meaningful information, Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp, in her July 12 response to JPW’s open letter requesting a real framework planning process merely said: “[A]dditional community meetings will be held so that we can provide the community with an update on the process and provide detailed answers to the questions raised during this first series of meetings.” (See attachment for full letter.) Rather than the kind of extended discussion and robust community engagement that JPW has called for, this sounds like more of the same top-down process intended to fast-track approval of the plans presented so far with only minor tweaks.

We hope that last Thursday’s meeting will have convinced the City and the Park District that more, not less, discussion is needed and that the community demands an authentic framework planning process with results that are consistent with community desires. What is done in the coming five years will define Jackson and South Shore parks and their communities for the coming half century or more. The City, the Park District, and the Obama Foundation need to take the time to get it right.

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid
jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

(To unsubscribe from this g-list, simply send “unsubscribe” to jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com.)

Greetings, all,

Latest news: Alderman Hairston has scheduled the promised follow-up to last Tuesday’s over-capacity “Community Conversations” meeting for Thursday, July 13, at 6:00 p.m. at the South Shore Cultural Center. If you haven’t yet been to one of the “Community Conversations” meetings, be there! If you have been already, be there! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors. A huge turnout is vital. Be ready to make your voice heard!

Other Topics Today:
Media coverage of the “Community Conversations” meetings to date
The golf course proposal
Traffic and parking issues
The Process: Was it really “listening” and were these really just “concepts”?

No doubt many of you were at one or more of the “Community Conversations” meetings just concluded. Well over 1,000 community members participated, not including the estimated 160 who were turned away due to what the Hyde Park Herald referred to as a scheduling “mishap” at this past Tuesday’s meeting. (Alderman Hairston pledged to hold another meeting, and, as noted above, it is now scheduled for July 13. ) For those who weren’t there or want to review the presentations, go to www.southlakefrontplan.com and look under “Project/Documents” for the slide shows that were presented at the three meetings, including the much expanded golf course proposal, the Obama Presidential Center site plan, and planned road closures and “improvements.”

Media coverage

The series of meetings received much media attention. You may want to check these links below.

• Blair Kamin’s thoughtful commentary on the continuing lack of coordination in planning for Jackson Park and its negative consequences.
• Expressions of concern about the golf proposal’s threat to the nature sanctuary at the South Shore Cultural Center.
• Community concerns about the proposed obliteration of Jackson Bark by the expanded golf driving range.
• Coverage in the Tribune and the Herald of the chaotic Tuesday meeting where the turnout greatly exceeded the capacity of the meeting space.

 Expanded golf course proposal

As the meetings progressed and community concerns about the much expanded golf course proposal and its impact on existing natural areas and recreational facilities became clear, Jackson Park Watch took a stand against the golf proposal as it now stands, releasing this statement to the Tuesday 6/27 meeting:

“While supporting the idea of improving the existing golf course, Jackson Park Watch opposes the massively expanded golf course proposal that goes far beyond the current golf course footprint and would take out the nature area adjacent to the South Shore Cultural Center, two basketball courts, two sets of tennis courts, a soccer playing field and a baseball diamond, as well as the area’s only dog park, Jackson Bark.”

We have prepared a fact sheet (see attachment below) providing significant detail about the golf course proposal and its many problematic aspects. We encourage you not only to take a look but also to share it widely and to write or call City and Park District officials if you share JPW’s concerns.

Traffic and parking

More information about proposed road closures and “improvements” was released over the series of meeting by Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld. While the list of proposed closures and “improvements” was lengthy, actual details about the changes, the costs and who would pay, the timing, impacts on traffic circulation and parking arrangements in the park and beyond, and other key matters were few and far between.

While JPW knows that the traffic studies are complete and under review by the Park District and others, they have not been released to the public. Consequently, JPW has created a traffic and parking fact sheet (see attachment below). Again, we encourage you to take a look, share it widely, and, if you agree, call or write the people listed.

Process

Each of the “Community Conversations” meetings started with a welcome statement from either Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp (Wednesday 6/21), another representative of the Mayor’s office (Saturday 6/24), or Park District Vice-President Avis LaVelle (Tuesday 6/27), all insisting that “we are here to listen” and that what the audiences would be hearing were “concepts,” not done deals. However, the presentations seemed to many to be finished products (despite the absence of detail), while the “listening” portions of the first meetings were heavily managed, asking audience members to respond to set questions and forced-choice options rather than soliciting actual opinions and alternate ideas. Alderman Hairston conducted the “input” segment of the Tuesday meeting in her own free-wheeling style, but there was not time or format for substantive discussion. South Siders being who we are, many in the audiences offered independent opinions and suggestions at all three meetings. But what comes next?

The schedule for development of the South Lakefront Framework Plan, as presented, runs from June to November and is comprised of four vaguely described phases. The first phase was the three (now to be four) “Community Conversations” scheduled with little advance notice and lacking in real details. As of last Tuesday, however, the City and Park District did not yet have a plan for the next step in the planning process – no information about the format, timing, location, or frequency of the public discussions that are absolutely essential for the definition of a collective vision for the future of Jackson Park. Jackson Park Watch continues its call for an open, transparent, and inclusive process that brings all stakeholders to the table in multiple, small-group sessions with full information about options and costs to consider the “concepts” that have been proposed.

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid
jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

Jackson Park Threatened: Traffic & Parking Proposals, Unanswered Questions

Download this fact sheet as a PDF…

The threat:

With the support of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and the Chicago Park District, the Obama Foundation and the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance have proposed major changes made to roads in and around Jackson Park to accommodate the Obama Presidential Center and the golf course project. CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld presented the “concepts” listed below in recent community meetings, saying “I am here to listen.”

Jackson Park Watch calls for:

• the traffic study results to be released in full;
• public answers to key questions that have not been addressed (see below); and
• further rounds of public input prior to decisions on any of these proposed changes.

Facts and unanswered questions:

1. CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld listed the following proposed changes to the roads in and around Jackson Park:

• Close Cornell Drive entirely from 59^th Street to Hayes Drive and the northbound segment between 65^th Street and 67^th Street;
• Close Midway Plaisance eastbound between Stony Island Avenue and Cornell Drive;
• Close Marquette Drive between Stony Island Avenue and Richards Drive.

2. In order to accommodate the new major north-south route [Lake Shore Drive to Hayes Drive to Cornell Drive (63^rd to 65^th) to Stony Island], Scheinfeld promised to make the following undefined “improvements”:

• Improve Lake Shore Drive between 57^th and Hayes Drive;
• Improve turning at the interchanges at Hayes & LSD; at Hayes & Richards; and at Hayes & Cornell;
• Convert Cornell Drive between Hayes and 65^th/Stony Island for two-way traffic;
• Reconfigure traffic flow & safety where the Midway Plaisance meets Stony Island;
• Improve Stony Island (parameters not specified but presumably at least between 60^th and 67^th);
• Construct connector underpasses under Jeffery Blvd between 67^th and Marquette and under South Shore Drive near 67^th Street to link golf course segments and provide pedestrian access to the lake shore.

3. Key unanswered questions:

• Costs of these major infrastructure projects:
  • Who is going to pay for this work? the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance? the Obama Foundation? Chicago taxpayers?
  • What others sources of funding are anticipated?
• Timelines:
  • What are the timelines of each of these proposed changes, and how do they fit together?
  • What hearings, permits, environmental reviews, etc., will be needed, and when will these occur?
• Specifics of proposed road “improvements”:
  • for Lake Shore Drive? (And what about the segment between Hayes and Marquette?)
  • for Hayes Drive between LSD and Cornell Drive? (What about the segment between Cornell and Stony?)
  • for key intersections along Hayes Drive and where the Midway meets Jackson Park?
  • for Stony Island?
• Impact on traffic levels and circulation beyond the bounds of Jackson Park:
  • What will be the impact on 67^th Street and residential streets directly south of the Park? on Jeffery, South Shore Drive, and other routes south of the Park besides Stony? on the Midway Plaisance? on residential streets north of the Park?
  • What improvements will there be to the intersections at 67^th and South Shore and at the entrance to the South Shore Cultural Center?
• Parking:
  • What are the parking plans for visitors to the OPC, for regular users of the golf course, and for the crowds expected for tournament events? How will tournament and school busses be handled?
  • What will be the impact on parking by neighborhood residents and workers at the University?
• Public transportation
  • Given the balkanization of Chicago-area public services, shouldn’t representatives from both the CTA and Metra (in addition to CDOT) be included in all future discussions to address what improvements will be made to Metra and CTA services to the Jackson Park area?
• Pedestrian and bicycle routes
  • How will pedestrians and bikers make their way safely through the reconfigured park?

READY TO TAKE ACTION? HERE IS WHO TO WRITE OR CALL:

1. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office. The Mayor appoints the Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner. Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp opened the first of the recent “community conversation” sessions saying “we are here to listen.” Let her (and the Mayor) know what you think at:e-mail: Andrea.Zopp@cityofchicago.org

2. CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfelde-mail: Rebekah.Scheinfeld@cityofchicago.org

3. Alderman Leslie Hairston.
   phone: 773-324-5555
   e-mail: ward05@cityofchicago.org

You can also enter your comments and concerns on the Park District’s special website https://southlakefrontplan.com/. However, do not expect to hear back or to know what has been done with your input, so do not make that your only line of communication.

Jackson Park Threatened: the Golf Course Proposal

Download this fact sheet as a PDF…

The threat:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his appointed Park District CEO Mike Kelly propose a significant expansion and merger of the Jackson Park and South Shore golf courses designed to benefit pro golfers who visit for infrequent championship-level tournaments at the expense of key recreational and natural areas used by Chicagoans on a regular basis. The proposed expanded golf course would eliminate a nature sanctuary adjacent to the South Shore Cultural Center, the Jackson Bark dog park, the only one on the south side, and two basketball courts, two sets of tennis courts, a soccer field, a baseball diamond, two playlots, and the riding arena at the SSCC.

Jackson Park Watch opposes the proposal:

Jackson Park Watch opposes the expanded golf course proposal, while welcoming improvements to the golf courses that stay within the current footprint, as originally announced.

If you share JPW concerns and don’t need to know more, skip to the end for people to write or call. But here is more detailed information:

1. Where did this proposal come from?

The Mayor, Park District CEO Mike Kelly, and some golf course entrepreneurs developed this proposal out of public view, starting in 2015. Late in 2016 they created a public-private entity, the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance, to hire staff to promote the idea, do community outreach, and start fund-raising. The proposal – much more modest at the time and described as a “restoration” – was first announced, without details, in December, 2016.

2. Would this “restoration” bring economic benefits to South Shore?

Promoters have repeatedly claimed that the golf course project would bring economic development to South Shore.  However, the expanded proposal locates a new golf course “pavilion” (a.k.a. club house) at Hayes (63^rd) and Cornell Drive, not in South Shore, meaning that economic benefits for the 71^st street commercial corridor near the South Shore Cultural Center would be near zero. Similarly, in response to questions about parking capacity, the promoters revealed that participants and spectators for major tournaments would be housed downtown and bussed to and from the tournament, eliminating time spent in the neighborhood outside the golf course area itself and thus any possible economic benefits.

3. How much would this cost and who would pay?

The real answers are not known, nor is it known what portion would ultimately fall on Chicago taxpayers. The promoters have said that private funding would be raised for the golf course work itself, and their initial estimate for that work was $30 million, of which around $6 million would come from the Park District. In addition to that work on the course, there would be major public infrastructure projects: first, the needed shoreline restoration along the South Shore golf course lakefront, possibly involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for which there is no current estimate; and second, the construction of two underpasses to link the golf course segments, unofficial estimates for which are steep. A cost projection of $30 million has gone unchallenged by the promoters, suggesting to some that the total cost could be far higher.

4. The promoters claim this is carrying out plans established in the 1999-2000 “Framework” plan. Is this true?

The Framework plan envisioned golf course improvements but not a merger, not a PGA-level course, and certainly not an expansion.

5. What about the impact on the natural areas? the nature sanctuary? trees? birding?

The expanded golf course and driving range proposals would take out hundreds if not over a thousand trees. It would dramatically cut back on the existing nature sanctuary adjacent to the South Shore Cultural Center (ironically, establishing the sanctuary was an goal of the 1999-2000 Framework plan). The promoters claim that new “natural areas” suited for bird-watching, picnicking or walking would be created in the interior of the golf course between the fairways but no details are available, and it is unclear how non-golfers would be able to use such areas safely on a general basis.

6. What about the impact on existing recreational uses?

The expanded golf course and driving range proposals would take out two basketball courts at Cornell and Marquette Drives, two sets of tennis courts at Hayes (63^rd) and Cornell Drive, a nearby soccer field and baseball diamond, two playlots along 67^th Street, and the riding arena at South Shore, all well-used. It would also eliminate the area’s only dog park, the much loved Jackson Bark, located on an abandoned tennis court to the north of the driving range.

7. The 1999 Framework plan and more recent proposals for reconfiguring uses in Jackson Park have all proposed relocating the driving range so that it would be adjacent to the golf course and making that space (a “great lawn” in Olmsted’s original plan) available to the general public for passive recreational uses. Early discussions by the Golf Alliance also included that idea. Why the change?

Golf course designer Beau Welling says that the driving range needs to kept where it is and expanded (thus eliminating Jackson Bark) because pro golfers who may use it on occasion need to practice longer shots.

8. What about benefits to existing golfers?

Promoters of the expanded golf course proposal have secured the support of some existing golfers. Others, however, question whether the courses will continue to be affordable if this proposed projects moved ahead. Some also say that the courses are fine as they now are.

9. What about youth golf programs?

Much has been made of the expanded youth golf programs the promoters promise. Such programs could and should continue without expanding the golf courses beyond their current footprints. Also, youth golf programs already operated by existing golf clubs have been sadly overlooked.

10. Is this a golf course “restoration”?

The promoters continually insist that this is a golf course “restoration.” Given the expansion considerably beyond the original footprint and plans revealed by Mark Rolfing on June 24 to move earth and trees and reshape water features, that remains to be seen. Some are already looking to what additional reviews and regulations might be triggered by changes beyond “restoration.”

READY TO TAKE ACTION? HERE IS WHO TO WRITE OR CALL:

1. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office. The Mayor appoints the Park District CEO and Board members. Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp opened the first of the recent “community conversation” sessions saying “we are here to listen.” Let her (and the Mayor) know what you think at:
   e-mail: Andrea.Zopp@cityofchicago.org

2. Alderman Leslie Hairston.
   phone: 773-324-5555
   e-mail: ward05@cityofchicago.org

3. Park District CEO Mike Kelly
   phone: 312-742-4200
   e-mail: Michael.Kelly@chicagoparkdistrict.com

You can also enter your comments and concerns on the Park District’s special website https://southlakefrontplan.com/. However, do not expect to hear back or to know what has been done with your input, so do not make that your only line of communication.

Greetings, all,

IF YOU WEREN’T AT LAST NIGHT’S “COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS” MEETING, PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND ONE OF THOSE REMAINING:  SATURDAY, 10 AM – NOON, HYDE PARK ACADEMY; TUESDAY, 6/27, 6 – 8 LA RABIDA.  ASK FOR ACTUAL DATA, COST PROJECTIONS, TIMELINES, AND WHO WILL PAY SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.

Facts and information on costs and feasibility were noticeably absent in last night’s “Community conversations” meeting, the first of three in what appears to be a series of community “conversation” meetings in coming months.  Instead, the meeting featured a conflicting array of presentations:

First, a welcoming tone by Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp and Park District Vice-President Avis LaVelle, saying that community input is needed, that nothing is yet fully decided, and that they need to hear from us all.

Next, a golf course “concept” plan enthusiastically presented by Beau Welling, the golf course designer with whom Tiger Woods works, that expands the existing golf courses footprint, takes out the natural area to the southeast of the South Shore Cultural Center, and not only keeps the golf course driving range but expands it, all the while offering no information about funding or timelines.  Noteworthy points include:

1. with all games slanted to begin and end at a new pavilion on Cornell and Hayes, the project will have little beneficial economic impact on South Shore’s main commercial corridor, and
2. despite repeated assurances until yesterday that the nature sanctuary east of the South Shore Cultural Center beach would not be affected, the plan shows it as the site of a new hole featured in the presentation and touted as a key lure for major tournaments.

The following presentation about the Obama Presidential Center by V.P. for Civic Engagement Michael Strautmanis  combined south side boosterism with a crowd-pleasing appeal to all who love the Obamas, but didn’t tell us anything new about OPC plans and hid until the end the fact that OPC plans as they now stand require closing Cornell Drive between 59^th and 63^rd.

Finally, there was a bland presentation by CDOT commissioner Rebecca Scheinfeld of all of the roads closure and ”improvements” that would be required to realize the “visions” of the OPC and golf course promoters, again without data, costs, or timelines, including:

proposed closures:

• Cornell Drive 59^th to Hayes
• Midway EB between Stony Island and Cornell
• NB Cornell Drive from 67^th to 65^th  
• Marquette from Stony Island to Richards

proposed “improvements “:

• improve LSD to Hayes
• improve interchanges at 63^rd (Hayes) & LSD; 63^rd & Richards; 63^rd & Cornell
• reconfigure traffic flow & safety where the Midway meets Stony Island
• improve Stony Island (presumably between 60^th and 67^th)
• convert Cornell south of 65^th to two-way.

The complete absence of any reference to traffic studies, costs, or feasibility was remarkable.  More importantly, the fact that one of Scheinfeld’s stated goals was “to lessen the impacts on commute times due to the closure or Cornell and Marquette” rather than to investigate the feasibility of closing Cornell and Marquette suggests that CDOT may be compromised and its credibility in doubt. We hope instead to see the data that she seemed to indicate would be forthcoming at some point.

Concluding comments:

The turnout at the meeting was huge, and that was great.  The “listening” sessions at the end of these presentations left something to be desired in terms of the individually facilitated small groups JPW had been told would be there, but nonetheless did allow some chances for individuals to comment.  JPW attempts to accurately summarize the comments in these somewhat random sessions indicate support for the OPC and a desire to help it succeed; major skepticism about the golf course initiative; and extremely serious broad-based concerns about the massive road-closure and reconfigurations presented as if they were a “done deal,” (soothing words from Andrea Zopp and Azis Lavelle at the begining of the meeting notwithstanding), let along questions of exactly who would be paying for all of this major road work.

All in all, JPW urges everyone to attend one of the remaining sessions to ask for real data, information about costs and who will pay them, and workable time lines.  While joining with others in welcoming OPC into our neighborhood, we know that projects as substantial and far-reaching as these of necessity have untold numbers of details that need fine-tuning, and that community input is essential to getting it right.  We want to be certain that traffic and parking arrangements, in particular, ensure that would-be visitors to the OPC and would-be golfers at any newly configured courses (let alone neighborhood residents, those who work in the area, and regular commuters) are not deterred because of massive traffic jams.

Brenda Nelms and Margaret Schmid
jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com
www.JacksonParkWatch.org
www.facebook.com/jacksonparkwatch

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