Alderman seeks to remove Alderman supports proposal for homes on vacant parcel limits on rush hour parking by BRIAN NADIG Brugh. feasibility of allowing driveways on Alderman John Arena (45th) is “It looks like it is actually legal to Gregory for garages in front of the by BRIAN NADIG Bryn Mawr consists of two lanes that would create an industrial supporting a plan to build two park on Gregory on the expressway homes. Plans call for the homes to A proposal to lift the rush-hour of traffic in each direction during permit-parking zone on Austin homes on a vacant parcel at 6223- side, although I’ve never seen any- have two-car garages that would be parking restrictions on Bryn the morning and evening rush Avenue between Northwest High- 27 W. Gregory St. The street forms one park there,” Brugh said. “If accessible from the alley. Mawr Avenue between Milwaukee hour due to a parking ban that is way and the Union Pacific a frontage road south of the Ken- parking were to become an issue, “We talked to CDOT about front- Avenue and Northwest Highway in effect from 7 to 9 a.m. and from Railroad right-of-way, where the nedy Expressway. we could look at shifting that park- loading garages, but Gregory takes is intended to improve pedestrian 4 to 6 p.m. The proposed ordi- Gladstone Park Metra station is Several residents said at a May 5 ing to the house side of the street.” a turn there, and CDOT was con- and traffic safety near Hitch nance would eliminate those located. The restriction would be community meeting that the proj- Area resident Steve Neidenbach cerned about the garages emptying School. parking restrictions, leaving only in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ect would increase parking conges- said that drivers would take a risk onto the turn, so we deiced to stay Last school year a vehicle struck one lane of traffic in each direc- weekdays. tion in part because of parking if they park on that stretch of with the garages on the alley, as a crossing guard near the school, tion all day. Original plans called for the city restrictions on Gregory, and about Gregory due to a curve in the road- they are in most of the rest of the which is at the northwest corner Brugh said that it is not unusu- to vacate that section of Austin to 40 people have signed a petition way and speeding. “It’s like the city,” Brugh said. of Bryn Mawr and Austin Avenue, al for drivers to ignore the parking accommodate the delivery needs against a proposal to rezone the expressway, but higher (speeds),” The lot is at the point where according Alderman John Arena’s ban, forcing rush-hour traffic to of Orion Industries, 5492 N. 6,000-square-foot site from RS-2 to he said. “I would not park my car Gregory curves south to turn into chief of staff Owen Brugh. Arena weave from lane to lane around an Northwest Hwy. On a recent day RS-3. Only one house can be built there.” Avondale Avenue. introduced an ordinance to elimi- illegally parked vehicle. He said six cars were parked on Austin, on the property under the existing Parking restrictions on Nagle Both of the two-story, 1,600- nate the parking ban at the Sept. that Bryn Mawr may be a good which dead ends at the right-of- zoning. Avenue to the west also add to the square-foot houses would have 14 meeting of the City Council. candidate for bike lanes because way. It was reported at the meeting parking congestion on area streets, larger side yards than typically is “We get a lot of reports of both Milwaukee and Northwest However, vacating the street that parking is not permitted on according to Neidenbach. found in the area, according project aggressive driving (on Bryn Highway already have them. would have required owner of Gregory, but it is allowed on the Arena said at the meeting that he attorney Paul Kolpak. Mawr),” Brugh said. “Going down Also at the council meeting, Orion to relocate a water main north side of the street, according would talk to city Department of Kolpak said at the meeting that to one lane slows cars down.” Arena introduced an ordinance (Continued on Page 12) to Arena’s chief of staff Owen Transportation officials about the the project would not change the character of the neighborhood. He told residents that except for a few Chicago’s Northwest Side Celebrates double-lot properties, “99 percent of your homes” could not be built ADIG under the prevailing RS-2 zoning in the neighborhood and that the area EWSPAPERS presumably was downzoned after NPRESS • REPORTER 76th most of the homes were built. 4937 N. Milwaukee Ave. PRESS Residents received notification Also celebrating 51 years of our Reporter publication Anniversary from Kolpak that his client would file a zoning application with the Glenn Nadig, Brian Nadig, Publishers September 21, 2016 50 Cents Per Copy city earlier this month. The devel- 4937 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago — 773.286.6100 Number 38 www.nadignewspapers.com oper also is building a second-floor (Continued on Page 12) Architectural fest coming to Northwest Side by BRIAN NADIG civic and cultural center in the Access to the Copernicus Center, early 1980s. The 1,900-seat the- the Jefferson Masonic Temple, ater, which was built in 1930, was Schurz High School and other designed by the Rapp and Rapp prominent buildings on the North- architectural firm and is one of four west Side will be part of the city’s remaining atmospheric theaters in largest architectural festival that it the city. is held each fall. The temple, which will be open The Chicago Architecture Foun- from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and dation’s “Open House Chicago” will Sunday, was built in 1912, and in be held on Saturday and Sunday, recent years it has undergone sig- Oct. 15 and 16 at more than 200 nificant renovations, avoiding the locations in the city and in Evans- fate of many Masonic temples ton. The free festival, which was which have closed in the city. first held in 2011, is intended to Providence Lodge, which held its showcase properties that generally first meeting in a blacksmith shop, are not open for tours. was the initial occupant of the tem- The festival features buildings on ple, but now several Masonic the Northwest Side for the first groups lease the building. time this year, according to North- Our Lady of Victory Church, 5212 west Chicago Historical Society W. Agatite Ave., which will be open researcher Frank Suerth. “It’s a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, features really big deal,” Suerth said. “It’s a lower church that was built in going to bring people from other 1928 and an upper church that was parts of the city and suburbs and completed in 1954. “The warm who otherwise may never know stone of the Spanish-style exterior where Jefferson Park is.” was selected specifically to comple- The fact that the Copernicus ment the color of the ornate terra Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., cotta around the original entrance. and the Jefferson Masonic Temple, The warmth of the exterior extends 5418 W. Gale St., are near the to the sanctuary’s lavish tan and Jefferson Park CTA Blue Line and pink marble and terrazzo,” the ABOUT 225 PEOPLE attended the 9/11 memorial ceremony at the Gladstone Taft High School student Isabella Reyes sang the National Anthem, and the Metra stations should encourage architecture foundation’s Web site Park Chamber of Commerce’s recent “Throwback Music Fest” at Milwaukee and Saint Tarcissus Boy Scout Troop 969, the Niles VFW Memorial Post 7712, cham- many people to visit the Northwest states. Elston avenues. ber officials and Alderman Margaret Laurino also participated in the ceremony. Side buildings, Suerth said. He Schurz High School, 3601 N. said that most of the buildings in Milwaukee Ave., which will be open the festival are near the Lakefront. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, was Culture change seen by Taft principal The Copernicus Center, which built in 1910, and it is a rare exam- will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ple of Prairie-style architecture by BRIAN NADIG Last school year was the first school year by visiting classrooms because it allows them to begin Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. being applied to a large institutional Taft High School principal Mark time that academic center seventh and participating in various activi- forming friendships with students Sunday, is in the former Gateway building, according to the founda- Grishaber was impressed with the graders also took the test, ties. from other schools, Grishaber said. Theater which the Copernicus tion. “The eye-catching orange and behavior of students during their Grishaber said. Passing is required The program is especially impor- “When they can start school with a Foundation transformed into a (Continued on Page 12) lunch break. to receive credit for the class in tant for students who attended couple of friends, it makes all the “I am sitting in the back of the high school. small private elementary schools (Continued on Page 12) cafeteria and what am I seeing?” The school also is realigning its Grishaber said. “My kids doing curriculum with the SAT college Officers presented flag homework. I know we’ve changed admissions exam, which will be the culture of this school.” Grish- administered statewide to juniors Group meeting features aber spoke at the Sept.