Planning
STAFF
DIAL 847-866-2928 and ask for extension. The Planning Division Staff includes:
CDBG Grants Administrator, Ext. 2268- Economic Development Planner, Ext. 2269
- Executive Secretary, 847-866-2928
- Financial Administrator (CDBG), Ext. 2268
- General Planner, Ext. 2277
- Historic Preservation Coordinator, Ext. 2265
- Housing Planner, Ext. 2264
- Neighborhood Planner, Ext. 2277
- Planning Division Director, 847-866-2928
- Planning Intern, Ext. 2279
CDBG Grants Administrator/Community Development Committee
The CDBG Grants Administrator is the Evanston liaison to the federal Community Development Block Grant Program and facilitates the yearly application, review, and grant distribution process. In addition to staffing the Housing and Community Development Act Committee, she is responsible for the annual CAPER report.
Sarah Flax: 847-866-2928, Ext. 2268, sflax@cityofevanston.org
Economic Development Planner/Economic Development Committee
The Economic Development Planner assists and promotes development projects and provides assistance to numerous commercial, retail, and industrial enterprises. He staffs the Economic Development Committee and collaborates with local development business groups. Throughout the year, he helps create and monitor TIF Districts and conducts an inventory of available commercial and retail space in the downtown.
Morris Robinson: 847-866-2928, Ext. 2269, mrobinson@cityofevanston.org
Executive Secretary
The Executive Secretary works directly with the Planning Division Director and the Planners to implement the functions of the Planning Division and directs inquiries to the appropriate planner, and helps callers with general questions about meeting times and calendar items.
Bobbie Newman: 847-866-2928, bnewman@cityofevanston.org
Financial Administrator (CDBG)
Theresa Borja: 847-866-2928, Ext. 2267, tborja@cityofevanston.org
General Planner/Consolidated Planning Specialist/Plan Commission
The primary focus of the General Planner is to staff the Plan Commission and the comprehensive and consolidated planning processes in the division. She is responsible for coordinating the preparation of the Consolidated Plan and assists with the process. Currently, she is working on the Downtown Visioning Process.
Additionally, the General Planner is responsible for updating Evanston census and demographics and assisting the public and other planners on various projects. Daily, she helps the public understand the planning process by clarifying city ordinances, arranging development consultations and answering questions about the Evanston Comprehensive Plan. Tracy Norfleet: 847-866-2928, Ext. 2277, tnorfleet@cityofevanston.org
Historic Preservation Coordinator/Historic Preservation Commission
The Historic Preservation Coordinator administers the preservation ordinance. He assists the public with applications to obtain certificate of appropriateness and provides technical design assistance to business districts and applicants to the Façade Improvement and Evanston Storefront programs. As the City staff to the Historic Preservation Commission, he manages a process that considers new local districts and comments on national register districts.
Carlos D. Ruiz: 847-866-2928, Ext. 2265, cruiz@cityofevanston.org
Housing Planner/Housing Commission
The Housing Planner serves as a liaison among housing developers, residents, and the City. She manages the Condominium Disclosure Review and Conversion process, as well as the federal HOME grant for affordable housing projects. In addition, she operates the Employer Assisted Housing Program and the Mayor's Special Housing Fund. During the year, she staffs the Housing Commission and conducts research about housing issues.
Donna Spicuzza: 847-866-2928, Ext. 2264 dspicuzza@cityofevanston.org
Neighborhood Planner/Neighborhood Planning Committee of the Plan
Commission
The Neighborhood Planner coordinates the neighborhood planning process and facilitates public participation among interested parties. She collaborates with residents, businesses, property owners, city officials, commission staff and local institutions to help neighborhoods identify and achieve their goals.
The three neighborhood planning processes in which she has been most active include the West Evanston Neighborhood Plan, the Howard Street Revitalization Initiative, and the Chicago Avenue Corridor Study and Recommendations Report. Issues span areas as broad as public works, parks and recreation, safety, economic development, housing, community services, employment, etc.
In addition, the Neighborhood Planner staffs the Neighborhood Planning Committee of the Plan Commission and does data collection, fieldwork and analysis prior to the development of neighborhood planning recommendations and implementation strategies.
Susan Guderley: 847-866-2928, Ext. 2278, sguderley@cityofevanston.org
Planning Division Director/Assistant Director of Community Development Department
The Planning Division Director coordinates the day to day functioning of the Planning Division. Also, he serves as an Assistant Director of the Community Development Department, which includes the zoning, building, housing rehabilitation and inspection services divisions. Within the Planning Division, he is currently responsible for projects that include downtown planning and development, neighborhood revitalization, economic development, housing development, industrial retention, and consolidated planning. He provides staff support to the Economic Development Committee, Plan Commission, and TIF Joint Review Boards.
Electric service reliability is another focus of his scope of work, which includes franchise negotiations, monitoring of reliability and staffing the Energy Commission and the Technical Review Group.
Dennis Marino: 847-866-2928, dmarino@cityofevanston.org
Planning Interns
The Planning Intern helps with Community Development Block Grant data tracking, department mailings and other general duties in the Planning Division. If you are interested in an internship in the Planning Division, please contact any of the Staff relating to your area of interest. The Planning Intern can be reached at 847-866-2928, Ext. 2279.
PLANNING
Staff