TheReview_July_Aug_2021

Lincoln Park building official John Meyers' vision is to retrofit an existing building to meet current community needs by partnering with high school building programs.

Building and Zoning Codes Limitations When asked whether the building and zoning codes were in fact limiting housing development from his point of view, his criticism was largely directed at use restrictions: “In the zoning code, I’d move ‘neighborhood businesses’ off the corridors and into the actual neighborhoods so people have real walkability—someplace to walk to. These ‘quality of life’ improvements add monetary value to the homes, and we can strengthen mom and pop shops and smaller businesses there, too. Chains are not going to locate on these streets, because there’s not enough traffic. So, we can leave the corridors to them.” There is a 3.67-acre parcel in the center of a neighborhood in the city’s northwest corner that has caught his attention, where he dreams of improvements that will lift the whole neighborhood. “I would make it mixed-use,” he mused, “with a couple of townhomes, a bank, a place to get ice cream and coffee, and a laundromat.” This vision is a real departure from the one that guided the city’s development, wherein single-family homes are rigidly separated from every other use, but Meyers argues that the strong effort necessary to develop a brand-new vision is far better than the alternative. “Are we supposed to wait until 60 percent become vacant, and then bulldoze it all and try to rebuild? Is that the only way forward? Why can't we have something good on this 3.67 acres, but I have to cut it every two weeks?” Leah DuMouchel, AICP, is a principal with Beckett & Raeder, Inc. You may contact her at 734.663.2622 or ldumouchel@ bria2.com.

18 THE REVIEW

JULY / AUGUST 2021