Sometimes the best way to post a Public Notice is to stick it in a small dirty window, and then make sure that you spray paint over the window with a tag not seen anywhere else. I've seen a lot of tags, and the one in the little window in the big building at 2040 W. North is new to me. The tag, which appears to say 'Home Run!'(??) is strategically placed, aka right over the last few digits of the phone number of the Public Notice's contact person.
The paint also looks fresh too, as in it was just sprayed not too long ago, perhaps right around the time some locals realized that Baum Realty's client, Chicago Athletic Clubs, would be trekking down to City Hall and making a request at the Zoning Board of Appeals this Friday, Sept. 17 at 2PM. There is a city ordinance which requires eight spaces of permanent parking for any structure over a certain amount of space, and, at 37,000 sq. ft., the proposed three story health club is many spaces short, In fact, its developers don't think they need to offer any parking to its future clientele because they will be asking the ZBA if the facility can be licensed without providing the parking required by city ordinance.
Apparently the club members will all be taking the train and bicycling to the club, and not parking their Audis and Mercedes and Explorers and SUVs and Fords and Hummers onto North Avenue, which is already extremely busy. As for the residents who live on North, or on the side streets off North, I guess they will be dealing with clients from the club parking on side streets too. And for the dry cleaners? The manicure place? The two nearby restaurants? The doggie daycare? The existing fitness club just two doors down? Well, it's going to be much more difficult for your customers to pop in and out when all of the street parking is consumed by cars that will be parked in front of your business for upwards of two-plus hours (does anyone spend less than two hours at a gym?).
As for the man working on the scaffolding at the top of the building, snapped earlier today, it appears that he is a "scab," per my friend who is a union construction worker. The scaffolding is not fully supported, according to my friend. And I did not see any blue tarp over the structure below, as with other scaffolding projects seen around town. So, if the scabby guy falls off of his shaky little unsecured structure, I guess he'll fall right into the people on the sidewalk. And he might hurt his head too, since he doesn't appear to be wearing a hardhat either.
But, I digress. Back to the sign that's all covered up. It might be covered up for a reason. Or maybe I'm just imagining things.
The ZBA is located in #905 of City Hall,
121 N La Salle St
Chicago, IL 60602-1266. p: (312) 744-3888
The hearing is at 2PM, Fri. Sept. 17
North Avenue Businesses, from the 2000 Block through 2300 Block, as well as residents on North, and on side streets off of North, are all encouraged to attend.
2040 W. North is located in 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack's ward. The 32nd Ward office can be reached at 773-248-1330 if you have questions or concerns regarding the impact of a 3-story, 37,000 sq. ft. health club with hundreds of members (and no parking spaces for them to park in while they are working out).
UPDATE: The photos here were snapped on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 15th around 3PM. By Noon today, Sept. 16th, the paint was removed, the window cleaned, and the shady scaffolding removed.
No comments:
Post a Comment