The Beverly area warrants the descriptor “fortress” in part because of exclusionary zoning — the practice of inflating home prices through banning a wide range of housing types and residential lot arrangements.
By Letters to the Editor Dec 19, 2020, 4:00am CST
Living in Beverly on Chicago’s South Side, I frequently hear the sentiment that the neighborhood is a “village” in the city. Quite to the contrary, however, I am coming to believe that the term “fortress” may be more fitting.
Many factors buttress the fortress metaphor, some benign and some nefarious. Clearly, there is the residency requirement that keeps city workers within city limits; but then there is also a history of systematic elimination of “Black” spaces; and perhaps most unmissable in the community are the number of curbs placed to separate Beverly from its majority-Black neighbors to the east.
The Beverly area also warrants the descriptor “fortress” in part because of exclusionary zoning, the practice of inflating home prices through banning a wide range of housing types and residential lot arrangements.
Common examples of exclusionary zoning include banning multifamily housing, requiring generous minimum lot sizes and imposing residential minimum square footage requirements.
There are numerous ways Beverly employs these tactics. Among others, our inordinate leveraging of RS-1 zoning, the alderman’s history of downzoning and the community’s track record of resisting development all play a role in creating this “fortress” in the city.
The result of exclusionary zoning is a subversion of market forces. While the market demands more diversity of housing types at a greater range of price points, exclusionary zoning works through government regulation to homogenize and stymie supply side forces. This creates a community that is less environmentally sustainable, less family friendly and unrepresentative of the city to which it belongs.
It is no secret that Beverly has not done its part to provide affordable housing. The Chicago Housing Authority has declared the community a “mobility area” and the Illinois Housing Development Authority similarly an “opportunity area.” Yet the neighborhood has zero affordable housing and is known to be markedly unfriendly to residents with housing choice vouchers.
I aspire to live in a neighborhood that seeks to be a responsible citizen within the city it belongs.
There are signs that exclusionary zoning’s days are numbered: the federal government may dis-incentivize the practice, states are banning it and our own city is considering greater equity across neighborhoods.
As I raise my children in Beverly, I hope to tell them that our neighborhood was on the right side of history in tearing down the fortress walls.
Scott Kibler, Beverly
A journalist years ago termed the Beverly area as: "The best kept secret on the South Side".
ReplyDeleteJust another "woke" self-hating white man with more money than brains.
ReplyDeleteMr. Kibler is about 50 years too late arriving in Beverly. Had he arrived in Beverly in the mid to late 1970's he would have found a neighborhood with the same architecture that exists today, priced similarly to most neighborhoods in Chicago. He also would have found an area of the south side that only 5 years before had been ravaged by unscrupulous realtors using block busting tactics that accelerated "white flight" in the neighborhoods east and north of Beverly. Most of the housing stock in the Beverly / Morgan Park neighborhoods were constructed in the early 1900's, with many built before that. The availability of vacant property for development has been slim for nearly a century. But getting back to affordability. If Mr. Kibler went online to Realtor.com and researched the sale history of homes in Beverly, he'd find that many homes currently listed in the $500,000 and up price range, were on the market for less than $100,000. A mansion sized home on Longwood Drive currently on the market for nearly a million sold in the 1970's for a little over $100,000.
ReplyDeleteSo I'd ask Mr. Kibler for his indulgence in the fact that Beverly has unique architecture and homes built by craftsman. Surely he can understand why preservationists as well as residents take pride in our neighborhood. As a home owner maintaining the value of our single most valuable asset is important to us. Maintaining our property, and the restrictions placed on new development maintain our neighborhoods. Does he feel it discriminatory or racist that we should prefer our neighborhood be clean, safe and that residents want to be in a neighborhood where we can feel safe and secure. Does it bother him that there are standards for development, that types of businesses must meet standards. Would you prefer a commercial area of tattoo parlors and wig salons? Businesses with hand painted signs plastered on historically built building? Is that where you get your "fortress" description?
Perhaps you'd prefer opportunity areas like Gresham, Englewood, Austin to raise your son. Areas where concerned Chicagoans like yourself would have the chance to make a positive imprint for your son, if the element of safety and security are to take a back seat to diversity and affordable price points. Hey, you want to live the dream, develop the city, make it more affordable, then work for it. But don't expect life long residents to give up what they've worked decades for, and spent lifetimes developing relationships that keep us together as a neighborhood to fall to the wayside, simply because you got some bug up your ass and are looking for the federal government to scratch it for you. You want something for you and your children, then work for it. And finally, you can tell your kids whatever you wish. Hopefully they won't see the world through your eyes.
Well said !!
DeleteMr. Kibler should study the history of Beverly. The neighborhood hit its peak in the 1940's and 50's. It has devolved quite a bit since then.
ReplyDeleteThe neighborhood changed when the Catlic Irish moved in and the WASPs moved out in the 1950's
Deletethank god. mr kibler is a visionary for the 19 ward. i urge him to run for for alderman to advance his agenda for our community. let the people determine their futures.
ReplyDeleteWho wants the savage living in their neighborhood?????
ReplyDeleteYou actually could have bought a real nice home there for 40 or 50k in the mid 70's. You'd have to have had brass balls to do so after seeing Roseland get really dangerous practically overnight
ReplyDeletePortland, Oregon transplant. Enough said.
ReplyDeleteamen let this ass move to roseland, the neighborhood we were forced to move out of due to the increasing crime rate....add in englewood,brainerd,gresham and countless others.
ReplyDeletecommon denominator?
Scott,
ReplyDeleteA preference for a neighborhood and community feel with single family homes is not evidence for racism nor some conspiracy. Your assertion is baseless and offensive. Perhaps most telling of all is how unintelligent it makes you sound.
People here enjoy their yards and neighbors and unfortunately a person like you comes along to try and change it? We don’t want any of what you are proposing and if you knew anything about this neighborhood you would understand that this is in fact one of the most diverse communities in the city.
We don’t want the traffic, the parking issues nor the lack of commitment to the neighborhood increased rentals bring. There is plenty of that throughout the city. We value the unique architecture here and don’t have any desire to get rid of that character. Furthermore, the prices here are not artificially high. They are market driven just like everywhere else. Unfortunate if some people can’t afford it but perhaps you can move and sell your home to someone who appreciates the neighborhood more than you do. Go into Lincoln Park and tell them their prices are too high while you’re at it.
Scott, why don’t you go back to Seattle and live in that mess and take your progressive bs with you. Your guilt issues are better suited there.
Scott,
ReplyDeleteA preference for a neighborhood and community feel with single family homes is not evidence for racism nor some conspiracy. Your assertion is baseless and offensive. Perhaps most telling of all is how unintelligent it makes you sound.
People here enjoy their yards and neighbors and unfortunately a person like you comes along to try and change it? We don’t want any of what you are proposing and if you knew anything about this neighborhood you would understand that this is in fact one of the most diverse communities in the city.
We don’t want the traffic, the parking issues nor the lack of commitment to the neighborhood increased rentals bring. There is plenty of that throughout the city. We value the unique architecture here and don’t have any desire to get rid of that character. Furthermore, the prices here are not artificially high. They are market driven just like everywhere else. Unfortunate if some people can’t afford it but perhaps you can move and sell your home to someone who appreciates the neighborhood more than you do. Go into Lincoln Park and tell them their prices are too high while you’re at it.
Scott, why don’t you go back to Seattle and live in that mess and take your progressive bs with you. Your guilt issues are better suited there.
Virtue Signal Scott
ReplyDeleteScott,
ReplyDeleteA preference for a neighborhood and community feel with single family homes is not evidence for racism nor some conspiracy. Your assertion is baseless and offensive. Perhaps most telling of all is how unintelligent it makes you sound.
People here enjoy their yards and neighbors and unfortunately a person like you comes along to try and change it? We don’t want any of what you are proposing and if you knew anything about this neighborhood you would understand that this is in fact one of the most diverse communities in the city.
We don’t want the traffic, the parking issues nor the lack of commitment to the neighborhood increased rentals bring. There is plenty of that throughout the city. We value the unique architecture here and don’t have any desire to get rid of that character. Furthermore, the prices here are not artificially high. They are market driven just like everywhere else. Unfortunate if some people can’t afford it but perhaps you can move and sell your home to someone who appreciates the neighborhood more than you do. Go into Lincoln Park and tell them their prices are too high while you’re at it.
Scott, why don’t you go back to Seattle and live in that mess and take your progressive bs with you. Your guilt issues are better suited there.
Scotty doesn’t know
ReplyDelete