For all of you who made it out to attend the Chicago Park District's meeting last night on the marina - give yourself a big slap on the back. You all made a difference. You all made the Park District listen up. For those of you unable to make it - the Loyola marina has been sunk to the bottom of Lake Michigan where it will join the Calvary marina - at least for right now.
Early in the meeting it was apparent that the audience (around 300 people) was overwhelmingly against a marina.
Early in the meeting it was apparent that this was not going to be a polite and patient audience.
We were all mad as hell and we weren't going to take it anymore!
Representative Harry Osterman gave one of the first statements and gave what was probably one of his finest speeches. He pulled no punches in challenging the Park District on a number of levels as to why this was simply a dumb idea - getting standing ovations more than once. It was very refreshing to see such unabashed defense of our lakefront - especially from someone in political office, where couching terms, platitudes and fence sitting is much more the norm for other elected officials. He demanded that the Park District work with both the Rogers Park and Edgewater communities to begin a comprehensive community planning process.
I'm glad to tell everyone that both Rob Rejman and Chris Gent have agreed to work with the Conservancy in our effort next February to sponsor a series of forums in our community. These forums will be the next phase of taking ideas that we gathered from hundreds of citizens over the past 18 months and begin conceptualizing the Plan of Rogers Park - a vision for our parks and beaches. We look forward to beginning this next phase and once again engaging the entire community of Rogers Park in the process. You'll hear more from us over the next couple months, but in the interim, if you wish to join with us in this effort, please email me and let me know. Our next meeting with Chris Gent will be in a couple weeks and we will begin to formulate the list of the tasks and the timelines for staging these forums.
If you haven't yet had a chance to view the 60+ pages Community Needs Assessment, please visit us online at Rogers Park Consevancy
And most importantly, enjoy the moment! Grassroots community organizing and voicing your opinions, once again defeated a marina. That's two marinas in two years off the planning table - not to mention a referendum sponsored by Save Our Lakefront Coalition that polled our citizens in last November's election and sent a resounding "No lakefront development" message to our politicians. I think this community has a winning streak! We are all true stewards and protectors of our precious natural resources and jewel of a lakefront. We should all be very proud of ourselves.
Donald Gordon
Executive Director, Rogers Park Conservancy
Dear 49th Ward Neighbor:
I am pleased to report that the Chicago Park District has decided to permanently shelve a proposal to construct a marina on Rogers Park and Edgewater's lakefront. The decision came Thursday night at a packed community meeting at the Loyola Park Field House.
The Rogers Park-Edgewater marina was one of five marinas proposed by consultants hired by the Park District to address a growing demand for boat slips in Park District Harbors. Superintendent Tim Mitchell first brought the proposal to my attention in September. Although the proposal was in concept form only, I immediately requested that the Park District bring the proposal to the 49th Ward for an open public meeting to allow for community input at this early stage.
The 300 people in attendance voiced overwhelming opposition to the marinas construction, and the Park Districts representative, Robert Rejman, announced forty-five minutes into the meeting that the proposal would no longer be considered.
I salute the residents who voiced their concerns, and I thank the Park District for listening to those concerns. Tonight's meeting was a great example of participatory democracy at its best. I join other civic organizations who have called upon the Park District to initiate a broad-based community planning process to address the future of our lakefront, our community's most wonderful natural asset.
Alderman Joe Moore
18 comments:
Harbor bid scuttled as residents protest
Chicago Park District decides mid-meeting on Rogers Park issue
By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, Tribune staff reporter, October 21, 2005
Chicago Park District officials said Thursday they were dropping proposals for a harbor in Rogers Park.
The proposed harbor, near Loyola University, was one of five sites suggested by a marina consultant hired by the Park District to find new harbor locations to meet growing demands for boat slips.
The Park District made the decision halfway through a public meeting that packed 300 people into the gymnasium of the Loyola Park fieldhouse.
"If you don't stand up and oppose this, it's going to happen," shouted Jane Alexander, 71, who has lived a block from the lake in Rogers Park for 20 years.
Residents applauded criticisms of the harbor proposal that included statements it would snarl traffic along Sheridan Road, add to a parking crunch and make it the only harbor in Chicago in which residential property would abut a marina. Several people wore stickers that had the words "Loyola Marina" with a line going through it.
The Rogers Park Community Action Network had distributed leaflets through the neighborhood in recent days, pushing for a vocal turnout.
"People here have already spoken about a marina--we don't want this kind of development on our lakefront," said Francis Tobin, interim director of the network, which started the "Save Our Lakefront" campaign that in November led voters in 10 lakefront precincts to reject any landfill north of Hollywood Avenue. "Frankly, this is insulting that they're bringing this as an idea when we've already dealt with this."
Area activists fought off earlier attempts by the Evanston City Council to build a marina at the border to Rogers Park.
They organized the November referendum when an architectural exhibit last year laid out ideas for a new lakefront in Edgewater and Rogers Park, including extending Lake Shore Drive.
Michigan-based JJR LLC had proposed new harbors, including Navy Pier North and South and the former USX site at 87th Street. It will submit a study in January focusing on a few of the proposed harbors.
Friends of the Parks officials said Thursday the USX site, the Navy Pier locations and additions to DuSable Harbor should be looked at first.
Moore wrote...
"Superintendent Tim Mitchell first brought the proposal to my attention in September."
Notice this does NOT say...
"This proposal was first brought to my attention in September."
What did Moore know, and when?
Thank you, Harry Osterman!
For me the most enduring memory of the meeting will be the dramatic contrast between Moore and Osterman. Moore spoke BEFORE the presentatation, AFTER the presentation, and wrote a letter, and I still have no idea what he thinks of the marina proposal or the Park District's flawed process.
Harry spoke like a neighbor. Joe acted like he was from another planet.
Note to Moore's office: Avoid public appearances where other public officials are present.
>The Park District made the decision halfway through a public meeting...
>Tonight's meeting was a great example of participatory democracy at its best.
How many people seriously believe the flunkies the Park District sent to our neighborhood to take our arrows made this executive decision in real time, while we watched, please raise your hand?
We had our time and money and energy wasted, big time.
This summer, we neighbors were asked to accept cut-backs in the plans for the Gale Park field house. It was explained to us that the cut-backs were necessitated by a lack of funding. The Park District's latest excuses for not building a community center in Gale Park included the price of steel, the plans are so old they are $1.8M under budget, so we need to axe features.
Why did the Park District spend hundreds of thousands of capital dollars on consultants to draw up plans for something no one wants, while our parks go lacking?
How did this happen?
How can we prevent this from happening again?
bob k- you are rude! and what have you done lately to try and make a difference?
The meeting last night was very uplifting as far as I'm concerned. It is heartening to see that so many of us share a common vision and values for and about our community. Truly. I believe we are very fortunate in this. Save the lakefront! Once you pave paradise, you can't go back.
THANKS TO JAMES!
This meeting would not have happened had you not taken time from your life and ventured to the far south side and listened and questioned and reported back to your neighbors.
I think Michael Harrington did a great job of articulating some of the anxieties that led some to think that the Marina was a good idea. Say what you like Bob K - at least Michael walks the walk.
We were bemused that the "announcement" to scuttle the Edgewater plan took place halfway through the meeting...we were a bit incredulous that it wasn't a forgone conclusion on the part of the Parks District, but really, who cares? The plan is dead and that's a good thing. I was also relieved to hear that apparently Jan S. isn't spending any federal money to "study" the LSD extension.
Congratulations to Rogers Park Conservancy - it's great news that you will be working with Rob Rejman and Chris Gent in future. Congratulation to Harry Osterman for that speech - you rock! And thanks again to James for getting the meeting up here in the first place.
> ... we were a bit incredulous that it wasn't a forgone conclusion on the part of the Parks District, but really, who cares? The plan is dead and that's a good thing.
The bad news is that a plan that cost our neighborhood hundreds of thousands of dollars went down the drain. I am a tax-payer. I paid those crooks for that plan. I want my money back. I want to spend it in Gale Park.
Thanks to all! Especially thank you to Harry Osterman, who so successfully articulated our feelings!
No boat porto potty poop in the water! No more galoline in the water!
Craig
Edgewater
PS Good to see Edgewater and Rogers Park residents working together!
Hugh,
Don't forget that the consultants were hired to look at expanding the city's entire capacity for boat slips.
They came up with a proposal city-wide. Many other neighborhoods are happy to get new, or expanded marinas.
So, the park district took this plan to the people. We objected to it and they took our part out of their plan.
The park district will still go forward with the rest of the marina plans, and therefore, the money paid to the consultants was not wasted.
i too would like them to finally build the fieldhouse. But, for that to get done I have no answers.
Someone heard that at one point the presenters estimated that the Rogers Park portion of the plan cost approx. $358K. Did anyone else hear this?
Was anyone from the Park District, other then Rejman, introduced to the neighbors, with titles, or were we forced to direct our comments to the Park District's Director of Harbor Expansion?
Did you hear anything other than "not my dept." all night?
Hugh - I was only talking about the meeting itself as a "who cares". I guess it's true that the money spent on the Edgewater part of the plan was wasted; you'd think that the disposition of the community to such a proposal would be abundantly clear by now. So the fact that they did go ahead and create the plan begs the question "why did they bother"?
Moore wrote...
"I am pleased to report that the Chicago Park District has decided to permanently shelve a proposal to construct a marina on Rogers Park and Edgewater's lakefront."
NOT
"I am pleased that the Chicago Park District has decided to permanently shelve a proposal to construct a marina on Rogers Park and Edgewater's lakefront."
I want to also thank James and "The James Report" for his top notch coverage of this community issue.
It started small on this little old "Broken Heart", although the Alderman will tell you a different story.
Big props James! Also, thanks to Don, Michael, Hugh, Charlie Tom, Nico's mom, JeffO' Toni, Jocelyn, RPthis, RPthat and all others who added comments.
Hell Hole credit to Alderman Moore for actually sending me the "official press release", taking credit for everything.
Moore wrote...
"Tonight's meeting was a great example of participatory democracy at its best. "
I thought the referendum was democracy in action.
A consulting contract to plan something no one wants is cronyism in action.
Post a Comment