Residents of Wilmette and Evanston who oppose the commercialization of Northwestern University’s Ryan Field are imploring the Wilmette Village Board to file suit against Evanston to reverse the zoning changes that would allow concerts at the rebuilt stadium.
A well-coordinated group of speakers urged the board to act during the Dec. 12 Wilmette board meeting, citing concerns about property values and traffic congestion.
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“Evanston and Northwestern have backed Wilmette into a corner,” Wilmette resident Steve Harper said. “The good news is that Wilmette is uniquely positioned to fight its way out.”
Evanston City Council voted 5-4 in November with Mayor Daniel Biss breaking the tie to allow zoning changes in the district the university’s athletic campus sits that would allow for concerts to be held at Ryan Field. A maximum of six full-capacity concerts and unlimited smaller events would be allowed. The rebuild is expected to take about three years, according to Northwestern.
Residents opposed to the use of the stadium beyond athletics argue they signed up for a handful of football games a year when they moved to the area and not to live near a stadium concert venue such as Wrigley Field. Northwestern’s athletic campus sits on the northern border of Evanston with Wilmette residents living across the street.
Evanston’s Land Use Commission unanimously voted down the concerts but the City Council, an independent entity, voted in favor of the concerts in order to secure a multimillion dollar community benefits package that would see millions come into the city along with the increased foot traffic concerts could bring to the struggling downtown.
Harper argued that issues from the concerts will extend as far north as Plaza Del Lago and past Centennial Park on the west.
Wilmette resident Homa Ghaemi said she used to live near Wrigley Field with her husband but moved to the suburbs because of the noise and intoxicated behavior from event attendees. She has since been speaking with her husband about moving again if concerts do move forward.
“What’s in it for Wilmette? What’s in it for us?” she asked. “Evanston is going to take care of Evanston. Northwestern University … they take care of themselves. That’s all they care about.”
John Notch encouraged the board to move forward with litigation against Evanston, saying everything should be done to stop the commercialization of the stadium.
Another concern with potential decreased property values is a decrease in property tax revenue to the village. Wilmette resident Carl Hopman and area real estate professional Mary Rosinski estimated home prices will drop anywhere from 5% to 11% depending how close the home is to the stadium, equating to about $100 million in lost home value and a million in annual property tax revenue.
Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett said the board is considering action and planned to discuss it during the executive session portion of the meeting.
“The village shares your concerns related to the impacts of concerts at Ryan Field on your neighborhood and we agree that Northwestern has not satisfactorily addressed many of the concerns that you raised this evening,” Plunkett said. “Please know that we empathize with you and the impacts the prospective concerts will have on you.”
She also spoke before the Evanston City Council in October saying the noise from the concerts will exceed the levels allowed in Wilmette and Evanston’s noise ordinances.
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“Ultimately we fail to see how such adverse impacts can be satisfactorily mitigated,” Plunkett said.
Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman said the board did not come to a resolution during the executive session and it continues to explore options going forward.
Another lawsuit opposing Ryan Field filed in November by Most Livable City Association and 13 area residents argues some council members cut a “backroom deal” and failed to follow due process. The lawsuit is seeking to have the zoning changes reversed.
“Our elected officials failed to follow the law and that’s why we’re bringing this suit,” said MLCA President David DeCarlo. “The law exists to protect us all, and it has to be applied impartially — with no exceptions for billionaires or powerful institutions.”
Evanston Village Manager Luke Stowe said the city has no comment at this time regarding the potential lawsuit by its neighboring community.