Land Use Commission Meeting 10-14-2026

The City of Evanston Land Use Commission held a zoning and development hearing on October 14, 2026. The principal case was 831 Chicago Avenue, where applicant Michelle Monttoano of 814 Services LLC, on behalf of contract purchaser 814 Acquisitions LLC, sought a special use for a child daycare center and a major variation for a rooftop play deck’s rear-yard setback encroachment. The proposal would reuse a vacant, approximately 19,000-square-foot building for a daycare with a licensed capacity of up to 171 children, operated by InFamily Schools, and included plans to lease 20 parking spaces at nearby public lots. Commissioners focused on traffic and child safety, parking availability, and the practicality of drop-off and pick-up arrangements. A motion to change a staff condition that prohibited using the Madison-and-Chicago parking lot for drop-off and pick-up to one that merely discouraged its use did not pass. The Commission then voted 4–2 to recommend approval of the special use and variation, with the five staff-recommended conditions, to the City Council; the recommendation is not a final Council decision.

The Commission also approved the September 23, 2026 meeting minutes, with two commissioners abstaining, and struck the 2206 Maple Avenue case from the agenda after it was canceled. Staff reported on several matters previously sent to City Council, including approvals of the Green Bay Road indoor baseball facility and ordinances, and an upcoming Council review of the 900 Clark plan development. No procurement activity, contract award, or purchasing decision was identified.