'Opponents have also raised questions about traffic, schools, flooding and the development’s potential effect on nearby properties, pointing to past flooding near the Cherry Lane underpass and the North Branch of the Chicago River. They said they want to see environmental and traffic studies.'

"This isn't blighted, they're going to make it blighted. If the developer has its way, it's not going to be 3 stories or 4 stories, which is the zoning. It's going 6 stories, three 6-story buildings," said Save Downtown Northbrook organizer Susan Nelson. www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/n...

After your day at the concreach (concrete beach) on Sunday head inside to the final “Steps to Better Housing” comedy show about #SingleStair Then there’s still time to hop on the Red Line from Second City to Half Sour for our July #happyhour

Pritzker: the BUILD plan is one of the most ambitious housing construction reforms proposed in the country, but it didn’t pass in the recent legislative session. Yet zoning reform is now a major topic and being negotiated in the General Assembly, and that is progress.

Pritzker: the organizations and individuals present here deserve credit for making the impacts of our existing housing policy much more salient it’s a coalition like this one that is helping to make progress in Springfield

Thank you Gov. Pritzker for pushing for more homes across Illinois, and for stopping by our advocacy conference today #PeopeOverParking

"Some districts allow high rises to sprout around downtown, others encourage walkable, mixed-use commercial corridors, but the vast majority of land in Oak Park (86%) is restricted to one building type: the single family home."

The village of River Forest is not in compliance with the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act, which requires non-exempt local governments with less than 10% affordability to develop and then adopt an Affordable Housing Plan. www.ihda.org/about-ihda/a...

Sen. Feigenholtz introduced bill SB4061 to permit apartment and condo buildings (of a limited profile and height) in Illinois to have one stair. Studies show single stair residential buildings are as safe or safer than equivalent size buildings with two stairs, while making more room for housing.

"I think if you talk to most mayors and city councils, they would say, we'd love to have more housing. But then they trip over themselves cuz of regulations they've got in place that no one's willing to do anything about because they're buried under 7 other regulations." - @govpritzker.illinois.gov

There's one day left for 48th Ward residents to fill out the feedback for for 603 new homes (including 120 affordable homes as required under ARO) in Edgewater: the48thward.org/zoning-feedb...

We’re glad that Ald. Martin’s substitute ordinance to refine some city rules that make affordable housing more expensive to build passed the Housing Committee today.

“Stable housing is about more than having a roof over your head. It provides a foundation for independence and long-term security. Poupard Place in Northbrook embodies that promise,” said Rep. Brad Schneider. www.businesswire.com/news/home/20...

Skinny boi

@cnuchicago.bsky.social is hosting a Single Stair Design Competition this summer! We're looking forward to seeing what local designs might be possible through updated building codes currently under city council consideration. Register for the kickoff on 6/23: www.eventbrite.com/e/single-sta...

'Board member Gul Agha, presented arguments he similarly gave last year opposing 605 Davis, claimed 900 Clark would negatively impact the area by its potential to create shade and wind tunnels, environmental damage, a state affordable housing tax break and what he called an “architecture atrocity.”'

DOB deputy shares comparison with IBC 2027 as proposed for adoption, as well as New York and Honolulu. Says that IBC voters typically don’t think of multifamily buildings in dense urban environments with tight setbacks.

DOB deputy proposes scissor-stair ordinance as a compromise that maintains two forms of egress with more flexibility.

Scott Brody from Morris County, New Jersey, who worked on the International Building Code update, mentions the proposed ordinance provides more redundancy than what is already required regarding window access.

Ald. Burnett: Are we allowed to do these types of external stairwells? DOB: Our code allows those in a different way than anywhere in the country. It’s limited to 4 stories, but DOB is proposing 5 stories.

CFD notes difficulty getting around cars with a ladder truck on narrow streets, using a picture of a 2.5-story building.

Assistant Deputy with CFD speaking now about how egress points work with fire operations.

We are running through the stats on fire causes and fire fatality causes.

We are being taught about the Chicago Construction Code now.

Mark Chubb, a Seattle-based building-code consultant who previously worked as a fire chief, speaks about the experience of implementation in Seattle.

@electryandorsey.bsky.social speaks about how Baltimore decided to allow single-stair buildings, noting the safety disparity in how historic buildings were allowed to be taller than new-build with single-stair.

Presenter notes the proposal for “scissor stairs” works best in mid-rise buildings, not smaller housing types.

The initial ordinance has been revised to limit buildings to 5 stories, given ladder truck height. Other constraints on single-stair buildings under this ordinance listed below:

Presenter cites two studies from last year, citing ZERO fire deaths over twelve years in NYC and Seattle over a 12-year period, and that sprinklers are a more effective safety measure than stairwells.

Chicago only allows 2-story single-stair buildings, below even the Illinois default outside the city.