General Iron Public Meeting Tomorrow
Chicago Tribune Editorial on Park Legacy
Community Meeting on Lincoln Yards
Dear Neighbors,

A public hearing on General Iron has just been announced for 2pm Tuesday, in room 200A at City Hall. The Committee on Health and Environmental Protection will review a waiver allowing General Iron to operate all night. Currently the city allows the scrapyard to "receive, process, transport or otherwise handle" recyclable materials beyond a 7am-9pm schedule - making it virtually a round-the-clock operation. I support my colleague Alderman Hopkins (2), whose Ward now encompasses the site, to revoke the waiver.

In July, the US EPA cited General Iron for illegal air emmissions and the company has announced plans to move by 2020. However, in the meantime, the law allows violators time to comply with safety standards and stay open. If passed, this will signifcantly curtail General Iron's impact on the surrounding neighborhoods until it moves.

After General Iron, What Next?
Do We Want This for the Future of the General Iron Site?
Or Do We Want This?
General Iron leaving is only part of the solution. We must seize the opportunity to create sorely needed public open space. 

Today the Chicago Tribune urged Mayor Emanuel to add the North Branch Park and Preserve to his legacy to the City by taking steps to protect the site from more massive development. The proposed North Branch Park Preserve includes the General Iron site which can be remediated and become parkland.

Please read the editorial here .

I urge you to attend the  Tuesday public hearing in room 200A at 2 p.m. City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St.

We've also been informed about a newly formed Friends of the North Branch Park and Preserve citizens volunteer group to lend your thoughts, energy and time to the cause of keeping our neighborhood livable. Together we can ensure the former industrial area is transformed by reasonable, balanced and visionary development.
Sheffield Neighbors Association
Community Meeting on Lincoln Yards
Depaul University Student Center
2250 N Sheffield, Room 314 AB
Wednesday, September 26th
6:00 PM, Doors Open at 5:30 PM

The Sheffield Neighborhood Association (SNA) has finished their community survey on the Lincoln Yards development proposal in the North Branch Corridor, and invites you to join in reviewing the latest details on this development and the recently completed SNA survey.

SNA reports it received 883 responses and 388 open ended responses in the optional section.

69.9% of the respondents live in the 60614, 11.4% in the 60647 and 8.4% in the 60622 zip codes.   91.5% were within walking distance of the site.

SNA invites you to this meeting to learn more and share your input.






Michele Smith
43rd Ward Alderman
43rd Ward Office Hours: M 9 AM - 7 PM, T - F 9 AM - 6 PM 
  2523 N Halsted  |  773-348-9500 |  [email protected] |  www.ward43.org
Text Us for Constituent Services: 773-906-4333