A Letter to the Editor from ASCO as published in the News Star on July 8th
Fern Hill, Emanuel plans will create very different future for neighborhood
When Emanuel Congregation and developer Fern Hill announced a joint redevelopment project last June (2025), it was presented as an opportunity to build a new synagogue and revitalize the properties at 5948, 5959, and 5965 N. Sheridan. Since then, ASCO, Association of Sheridan Condominium/Co-op Owners, has remained in contact with both Emanuel and Fern Hill regularly. The ASCO Board, together with the presidents of the nearby Malibu and Thorndale Beach North buildings, has met with the project team and participated in all community meetings. ASCO supports Emanuel’s desire to remain on Sheridan Road, and we deeply value their long-standing presence. Yet at the same time, we realize the details that have emerged point to a very different future for our neighborhood.
ASCO has four main concerns regarding this proposal: zoning/height, proposing a total of 603 multi-unit residences, problems with more congestion/traffic, and a limited number of parking spaces totaling 270 for both the east and west sides of Sheridan.
At most of the community meetings, Nick Anderson from Fern Hill, the developer, refers to our high-rises with multi-units built in the 1960s and 70s as justification for their proposed massive scale. What is conveniently left out is that these older buildings are exactly ‘why’ the six-story limit was created. Down- zoning was enacted specifically to prevent the very gridlock and strain we are facing today. For those unfamiliar with the term, “down-zoning” is a city action to lower the legally allowed height and density of future developments in order to protect a neighborhood from becoming overcrowded.
Sheridan Down-Zoning was developed through a collaborative effort between ASCO, the late Alderman Mary Ann Smith, legal counsel, and the community. Adopted by the Chicago City Council in 2006, it limits development along Sheridan Road to 47-60 feet (5-6 stories) under RM 5.5 zoning. This standard has been consistently respected since its adoption, adhered to by both developers and Alders. Ever since 2006, every development has followed this. Even the property (5948) that Fern Hill purchased from another developer was planned and approved to be six stories. Sheridan Road does not need to be, and should not be, changed to B3-5 zoning.
At Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth’s third community meeting on June 24, Fern Hill announced that the proposed development will have 603 total units across both sides of Sheridan, yet only plans for 270 total parking spaces. When you factor in the 50 spaces reserved for Emanuel Congregation, that leaves just 220 parking spots for over 600 new households. The math simply does not work. There will be more people and vehicles, and it will be overwhelming. The lack of sufficient parking will force their new residents, as well as current locals, to compete for already scarce street parking.
Let’s look at the west side of Sheridan Road. CDOT (Chicago Department of Transportation) did not approve a curb cut in front of the building. The developer plans to put a cafe in front of the building. Imagine the daily reality of no dedicated driveway causing traffic problems on southbound Sheridan Road. Where will the stream of Amazon, FedEx, and UPS park? Will they double-park while leaving their trucks idle? Where do the rideshares stop for drop-offs and pick-ups? The answer is right in front of the building. ASCO and others have expressed concerns about the lack of a functional circular driveway in front of and/or around the building to remedy this problem.
ASCO is hoping Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth will give serious thought to the immense impact on Sheridan Road, both now and in future generations. The time to protect our neighborhood is now. The Alderwoman and her office staff count the online feedback forms they receive, and we need to ensure our concerns are on the official record.
Let’s stand together to protect the future of Sheridan Road.
Sandy Chaet
ASCO President
Broadway Legal Update: Judge Dismisses ERRDs Case against City – Appeal Likely
On June 29, 2026, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Neil Cohen granted the City of Chicago’s Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit filed by Edgewater Residents for Responsible Development (ERRD) and 13 individual Edgewater businesses and property owners. The lawsuit challenges the City’s indiscriminate upzoning of properties on Broadway (and its cross streets) between Devon and Foster. Judge Cohen issued a 10-page opinion with his decision.
ERRD President Patricia Sharkey provided the following statement in response to this decision:
As an organization dedicated to Chicagoans’ right to participate in government decisions that directly affect their neighborhoods and their lives, we are shocked by this decision.
Judge Cohen’s narrow reading of who is entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard and the principles governing valid zoning decisions is contrary to 60 years of Illinois law – as well as the fundamental tenets of due process and fairness.
As stated by the Illinois Appellate Court in 2020:
“‘[N]otice’ is no casual word in the context of zoning matters. It refers to the constitutional due process rights of property owners to have a say in governmental decisions made about their own or neighboring properties. See Passalino v. City of Zion, 237 Ill. 2d 118, 124 (2010). Zoning laws tell citizens what they can and cannot do with their property. The idea that the government can change those rules without first giving notice to the interested public is antithetical to a free society and incompatible with the principles of due process, as well as the Illinois …Municipal Code.” Sullivan v. Village of Glenview, 2020 Ill. App (1st) 200142
Illinois statutes provide that “the principles of substantive and procedural due process apply at all stages of the decision-making and review of all zoning decisions.” Illinois Municipal Code Section 11-13-25
Yet the Judge here ruled that neighboring property owners — and even owners of properties that were directly upzoned with no notice whatsoever — have no rights and no recourse in the courts. This is simply wrong.
ERRD and its thirteen Co-Plaintiffs will be evaluating their next steps, but this is too important to the lives of Edgewater residents and businesses for this narrow view of citizens’ rights to be the last word.
An appeal is likely. Stay tuned.
Recap from June 24th Emanuel Congregation/Fern Hill Redevelopment 3rd Community Meeting
FROM ALDERWOMAN MANAA-HOPPENWORTH’S OFFICE:
Thank you to the more than 150 neighbors who joined us on Zoom for the third community meeting about Emanuel Congregation’s proposed planned development. The meeting consisted of a brief presentation and a Q&A. View the recorded presentation here for an overview of the 48th Ward’s zoning and development processes, project context, and latest revisions to the project plan based on community feedback from the first two meetings. You can also view the meeting slides here:
Feedback for version 3 of the plan is open now through Friday, July 10 at 5pm. Access the feedback form on our website.
FROM ASCO:
Watch the 2 meeting slide presentations. The east side has 2 buildings: one of which is 25 stories, the other is 12 stories, west side is 5 stories and total multi-units on both east/west will be 603 units. After viewing, please respond about Version 3 on the above feedback form by Friday, July 10 5pm.
Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth’s Office – Agnes Chan
Director of Planning and Infrastructure: agnes@the48thward.org
If you wish to email Fern Hill and Emanuel Congregation
Nick Anderson Developer-Fern Hill Company: edgewater@fernhillcompany.com
and Emanuel Congregation: www.emanuelcong.org/building-project
BRYN MAWR-SHERIDAN WATER MAIN PROJECT ON HOLD
We recently received an update from the 48th Ward Office regarding the ongoing infrastructure improvements in our neighborhood. Please note that all construction work is currently paused.
Here is the latest status report from the Department of Water Management (DWM), provided by Agnes Chan, Director of Planning & Infrastructure for Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth:
Project Status Updates:
- Sheridan Road: The contractor demobilized from the site last week due to unforeseen utility conflicts. The design office is actively investigating solutions to these conflicts, and the DWM anticipates having revised plans completed in 6 to 8 weeks.
- Bryn Mawr Avenue: The design plans for this specific portion of the project are completely finalized.
What to Expect Next:
Construction will remain on hold for the time being. The 48th Ward Office is monitoring the situation and will provide the community with a revised project timeline as soon as the DWM completes their updated plans. We thank everyone for their patience as the City works to improve our local infrastructure.
For More Information:
Contact Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth’s Office – Agnes Chan
Director of Planning and Infrastructure: agnes@the48thward.org
EDGEWATER MONDAY MARKET 2026
Admission to the market is free for everyone and no advance registration is necessary. You can see the full list of vendors, schedule, and find out more information about the Edgewater Monday Market at Edgewater Chamber’s website (www.edgewater.org) or at https://www.edgewater.org/events/monday-market/
The Greenest, Most Affordable Housing
Is the Housing We Already Have
By Jack Markowski
As Chicago debates the future of Broadway in Edgewater, one simple truth is being overlooked: the greenest housing is the housing we already have. Every time we demolish an existing building and replace it with new construction, we incur an enormous carbon cost. The embodied energy in brick,wood, and concrete — all the materials that went into our older buildings — is lost, and the emissions from producing and transporting new materials are added to the atmosphere. Preservation isn’t nostalgia; it’s climate policy.
But environmental impact is only half the story. Existing housing is also our city’s most affordable housing; it’s called Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing. The one to three-story buildings that line Broadway provide naturally affordable homes for working families, seniors, and young people; they also house a vast array of locally owned businesses. When those buildings are replaced by upscale new developments, the result isn’t a wider range of choices — it’s higher rents and fewer options for current residents and businesses…
Supporters of upzoning claim that allowing taller, denser private developments will eventually lower rents on Broadway and throughout Edgewater. That theory — a “trickle down” approach to housing — depends on an unrealistic assumption: that private developers will build so much market-rate housing that supply vastly outstrips demand. In fact, in Chicago this has never proven to be true. There is not a single instance where development has led to price reductions in a local housing market. In Edgewater, a thriving and desirable community, this will never happen. Prices won’t drop until the neighborhood loses the very qualities that make people want to live here…
Preserving existing housing and protecting local businesses isn’t just about saving old buildings. It’s about protecting affordability, reducing emissions, and keeping neighborhoods like Edgewater strong.
Jack Markowski is the former Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Housing and former President /CEO of the Community Investment Corporation, the Chicago area’s leading lender for affordable rental housing.
