Sheffield Neighborhood News January / February 2013 1 Sheffield Neighborhood News Published by the Sheffield Neighborhood Association www.sheffieldneighborhood.org January / February 2013 You’re invited to SNA’s 2012 Annual Meeting! BY TED WROBLESKI of the Poor at St. Mary’s Home for all they do for the poor and elderly in our neighborhood Join SNA he 2013 annual general and throughout Chicago. Also, Star Awards are membership meeting of the Sheffield being given to Dan Hermann who is stepping for DePaul b-ball! Neighborhood Association will take down as president after three years, and to he Sheffield Neighborhood Tplace on Tuesday, February 5, 2013, Stephanie Linebaugh, who for many years was Association will again spon- at 7 pm at St. James Lutheran Church, Fremont Secretary of SNA, Board member, and Schools sor a Neighbor Day at the and Dickens. The general membership Committee chair. She is also active with Oscar DePaul University Lady Blue meeting will be preceded at 6 pm by the Mayer School. T Demons basketball game on Wednes- regular monthly board meeting of the SNA Refreshments will be served. Only SNA day, February 6, at 7 pm. Join us to Board of Directors. members may vote, but everyone in the The first order of business will be the neighborhood is invited. New members are watch DePaul play Seton Hall. election of new officers and directors. welcome. Current members are encouraged We will provide complimentary Officers are elected for one-year terms to bring their neighbors and to ask them to tickets to the game, which you may and five directors are elected each year for join SNA. If you sign up for membership at pick up at Kelly’s Pub, 949 W. Web- three-year terms for a total of 15 directors. the meeting, your dues for the first year will be ster, on game day beginning at 5:30 The proposed slate of officers and directors waived. pm, which will also be the time for recommended by the Nominating Committee Ted Wrobleski chairs SNA’s Planning our pizza party featuring complimen- will be mailed out to the SNA membership Committee. prior to the annual meeting. There will be a tary pizza and soda. You may also Photos for new president and a number of new officers pick up tickets at the SNA Annual and board members this year. Meeting on February 5. There will be a report on the State In addition, you may reserve tickets SNN of Sheffield by president Dan Hermann by sending an email to sheffieldneigh- and reports from chairs of various SNA Royer Fiona by [email protected]. committees. The Sheffield Star Awards for 2012 will also be presented. The awards this year in recognition for outstanding service Planning for the to the community and/or to the SNA will be th given to Kathryn De Graff, who retired this 45 Annual past year as the archivist at DePaul University’s Richardson Library, and to the Little Sisters Sheffield Garden Walk & Festival Save the date for he Sheffield Garden Walk & the 2013 Patrons’ Party Festival is set for July 20-21, illiary Szanto and Allison Spriggs 2013. This neighborhood will again organize the SNA The Friends of Oscar Mayer were among the recipients of the Sheffield Star Award at the 2012 SNA Annual Meeting. event is the largest festival Patrons’ Party, which is sched- T in Chicago managed entirely by vol- Huled for June 7. This annual event unteers. Planning has already begun is hosted at a neighbor’s home or Shef- field business to raise start-up costs for the and those individuals who have been Sheffield Garden Walk & Festival. The 45th managers are urged to contact co- annual SGW&F will be held July 20-21. chairmen, Laury Lewis (lbl1948@ Each attendee for the Patrons’ Party makes yahoo.com) or Richard Ashbeck a specified donation and brings an appe- ([email protected]) regarding their tizer, while beverages are provided through continuing participation. There are donations from local businesses and Garden some openings this year for new man- Walk vendors. If you are interested in host- ing this year’s Patrons’ Party, please contact agers. We are looking for enthusiastic either Hilliary at [email protected] or Al- SNA President Dan Hermann addresses neighbors at the 2012 individuals wanting to be managers lison at [email protected]. Annual Meeting. Hermann will step down at the 2013 event for tickets and gates. after serving the association for three years. Neighbors okay with 2012 — It’s time to Putting the focus change for restaurant The year apply for those on fitness 2 —Planning Report 4 in review 8 sidewalk cafés 9—Sheffield’s Businesses 2 Sheffield Neighborhood News January / February 2013 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE PLANNING REPORT BY DAN HERMANN Neighbors okay with change 012 was another year of significant activity in the in the Sheffield neigh- borhood. As is the case every year, to permit new restaurant various activities occurred involving 2 BY TED WROBLESKI An agent and an attorney for the new owner new retail establishments, new developments, appeared at the meeting. They handed out copies of a hospital redevelopments, parks, neighborhood Community Meeting was held by 43rd Ward new proposed amended PD that would allow the new beautification, DePaul University construction, Alderman Michele Smith on January 7 to restaurant to operate in the location formerly occupied festivals, and a lot more. consider the request by the new owner of by La Canasta and other restaurants. The working Some highlights from this year have includ- Athe property at 1119 W. Webster to have the name for the new restaurant is “Range.” It would serve ed the continued commitment to the beauti- Planned Development in which that property is located open-range beef and other meats, locally grown and fication of the neighborhood with our planter amended so that he can open a new restaurant at that organic produce, and be aimed at a neighborhood program; another fun-filled Sheffield Garden location. (This area is in Ward 32 under the old ward clientele. The owner now operates Orange restaurants, Walk & Festival in spite of four other similar map, but is in Ward 43 under the new map.) which serve breakfast and lunch. This restaurant would The property is the former location of La Canasta festivals that weekend; the work of the Trebes serve lunch and dinner and they hope to obtain an Restaurant and, more recently, Kith ‘n’ Kin and Webster incidental liquor license. Park and Clover Playlot Park Councils that have Street Café restaurants. However, no restaurant has The alternative to amending PD 491 in order brought greater attention to the needs and uses operated in that location for over a year. The property to permit the restaurant would be to eliminate the of those two parks; continued monetary contri- is located in a Planned Development area known PD entirely and rezone the area to a “B” Business butions to various charities and schools in the as Residential-Business Planned Development #491 category that would permit restaurants and some other neighborhood with proceeds from the Garden (PD 491), which includes language which allowed uses not now permitted. The neighbors indicated Walk; increased communication on key issues the existing restaurant to operate, but prohibits a new that they preferred retaining the PD but were okay and events to SNA members via email blasts restaurant opening in PD 491 if that restaurant ceases with amending it to permit a restaurant of the type and website postings that will only continue to operation for a length of time. PD 491 was created described. They were concerned about establishments increase going forward; meaningful interaction in 1989 in response to neighbors’ concerns about the such as Gracie’s, which once operated at this location. restaurant replacing a grocery store and other possible with DePaul University regarding its exciting It opened ostensibly as a restaurant, but operated uses in a commercial area across the street and alley from in fact more like a bar. They also asked that some long-range master plan including the comple- residences. PD 491 covers the south side of Webster language in the proposed amendment that appeared tion of its beautiful new classroom building Avenue to the alley between Seminary and Racine. to allow a sidewalk café be deleted. In order to at the corner of Kenmore and Belden and the obtain a liquor license or to open a sidewalk café, start of construction of its new theatre building the new restaurant will need to apply to the City. The at Fullerton and Racine as well as thorough applications will be subject to aldermanic review and discussions around the proposed closing of the through the alderman’s office to community review. 2300 block of Kenmore; continued participa- Sheffield As a result of the opinions expressed at the tion in the review of the proposed projects at Community Meeting and review of the proposed the two hospital sites in adjacent neighbor- amended PD, the SNA voted to advise Alderman Smith hoods — Children’s Memorial Hospital and Garden Walk and Alderman Waguespack that it had no objection to the proposed amendment to PD 491 permitting a new Lincoln Park Hospital; and much more. restaurant, provided that the language relating to a Remember, we cannot do all that we do at & Festival sidewalk café be deleted. the SNA without the volunteer board members Ted Wrobleski chairs SNA’s Planning Committee. and committee members who contribute their time and effort to the organization. We are al- July 20-21, 2013 ways looking for more people from the neigh- borhood to participate at any level – board Sheffield member, committee member, Sheffield Garden Neighborhood News Walk volunteer, etc.