As Chicago’s aldermen work to slice and dice the city’s wards, Lincoln Park residents came out in force last night to oppose changes that would cram another city councilman into their turf.

DePaul University’s Student Center was packed yesterday evening as residents came out to express their concerns at 2012’s first Chicago ward remap public hearing, including moving the 2nd Ward from the West and South Loop to Lincoln Park.

It was the first public hearing since the maps were publically unveiled, and while Chicagoans from the across the city came out as well, the fate of Lincoln Park and the remapping’s impact on its residents dominated the conversation.

While tempers occasionally flared, the meeting remained orderly. The aldermen were patient and flexible with their time limits as they tried to make sure that everyone had a chance to speak.

Even before the hearing began, capacity was a concern. The meeting was moved to the student center a day earlier to accommodate larger crowds. But residents came out in such great numbers that, by 6:06 p.m., the room reached capacity, forcing hearing organizers to shut the doors. While some of the attendees eventually made it in, quite a few wound up leaving before they had the opportunity.

Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), the chairman of the city council’s rules and ethics committee, presided over the hearing. Aldermen Howard Brookins (21st), chairman of the Black Caucus and Ald. Danny Solis (25th), the chairman of the Latino Caucus, were also in attendance, as were aldermen Joe Moreno (1st), Bob Fioretti (2nd), Pat Dowell (3rd), Leslie Hairston (5th), John Pope (10th), Toni Foulkes (15th), JoAnn Thompson (16th), Latisha Thomas (17th), Walter Burnett (27th) Ariel Reboyras (30th Ward), Scott Waguespack (32nd), Rey Colón (35th Ward), Nicholas Sposato (36th), Tom Tunney (44th) and John Arena (45th).

But the real star of the show was Ald. Michelle Smith (43rd), whose ward served as the site of the hearing and who has publically spoken out against chopping up Lincoln Park into multiple wards. In the run-up the hearing, she contacted all neighborhood associations and community groups within her ward, emailed her constituents and wrote an editorial in the Inside-Booster newspaper. Smith was able to get support from five of her predecessors, who issued a joint statement. As the result, the overwhelming majority of the attendants were from the 43rd ward.

During the course of the hearing, resident after resident came up to the microphone and reiterated the same points. They insisted that Lincoln Park works well because of a strong network of community organizations. The network formed in the mid-20th century to combat the crime and urban decay that plagued the community, and, thanks to its effort, Lincoln Park became a highly desirable place to live.

But under a map presented by the council’s Black Caucus — the Map for a Better Chicago — the 43rd Ward would be split between five wards, which, as the residents saw it, would irreparably harm their community’s ability to work together. That’s why the residents joined Smith in supporting a map presented by the Latino caucus — the Taxpayer Protection Map — which would keep the 43rd Ward largely intact.

To bolster their case, the speakers noted that they contributed significantly to the city’s tax base. They pointed out that 75 percent of the 43rd Ward residents voted for Rahm Emanuel in the last election, a greater percentage than in any other ward.

But few speakers made as much of an impression as Colleen Day, who put the impact of the black caucus’ proposal in starkly practical terms.

“This map is a joke,” she said, “I will no longer live in my ward. I would be moved to the 2nd Ward. My daughter will go to school in the 43rd Ward, which is 100 feet from my house. My police station will be in the 44th Ward. Who do I talk to when I have a problem?”

Day also complained about not being properly represented under the new map:

“I am sure Alderman Fioretti is a nice man,” she said. “But I didn’t vote for Alderman Fioretti — I voted for Alderman Smith.”

Residents of the 2nd Ward voiced their own concerns. Under the Taxpayer Protection Map proposal, it would be moved out of Near South Side and parts of Lower West Side. Under the black caucus’ Map for a Better Chicago proposal, the ward would be moved to the North Side and stretched out from Lincoln Park to Logan Square.

David Schroeder, a South Loop resident, urged the aldermen to keep the neighborhoods as intact as possible. He noted that black caucus’ proposal splits his neighborhood into four wards. He was quick to assure the audience that he doesn’t have a problem with any aldermen, but that having so many aldermen in one neighborhood would add unnecessary complications.

“We don’t need four great aldermen — we need one great alderman,” he said.

John Ho, a two-year resident of the Motor Row historic district, shared similar concerns. Under both maps, his neighborhood would be moved to 4th Ward.

“I don’t have a problem with Alderman Burns, but I don’t know anything about him,” Ho said. “I don’t know what kind of issues face the 4th Ward. I do know the 2nd Ward issues.”

Like other speakers, he argued that aldermen should not have to represent constituents that didn’t elect them, arguing that it hurts the aldermen and the residents alike.

Ho also spoke out on the behalf of other minority groups, noting that Asian Americans weren’t represented in the city politics at all, even though there are more than 5,000 of them in Chicago — nearly enough to make up their own ward. He pointed out that under the current map, Chinatown is split into four wards, and neither of the current proposals does much to change that.

“You have an obligation to be fair,” Ho told the aldermen. “You have an opportunity to do what’s right. Please, consider other minorities.”

Ultimately, he echoed Schroeder, insisting that keeping the neighborhoods as intact as possible was the most important priority.

Greg Ignoffo, a University Village resident and the president of the University Commons Condominium Association, spoke out against both proposals, noting that they both divide their community in a half. He urged the aldermen to adapt a map that would keep it intact.

Because of the sheer size of the attendance, the meeting lasted until 10:30 p.m. Once the comments wrapped up, the aldermen made brief speeches, emphasizing the remapping process was difficult for everyone, including themselves. Burnett, one of the few aldermen at the meeting that took part in the 2000 remap, recounted how the last remap caused him to give up constituents he worked hard to cultivate and projects he worked hard to advance. Mell emphasized that all of the comments were taken into consideration.

There will be at least four more remap meetings. As of this writing, the dates and times for the last three meetings have not been set. And while Mell stated that the City Council may vote on the map as soon as Jan. 18, he emphasized that no date has been set.

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By Anonymous
Posted: 01/19/2012 11:49 AM

New map is voted in by 41. The 2nd Ward gets split and divided, especially the S. Loop because the alderman couldn't protect us or himself. He's now in the 28th Ward. And people wonder why no one crosses the powers that be? Going to be a great next three years.

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By South loop educator from West Loop
Posted: 01/18/2012 1:57 PM

This entire map is caused by Rahm, the new boss. He does not want any discussion only followers. Brendan Reilly was taken care of because he is a totally blind follower of Madigan and the rest of the old Daley regime that still runs everything. And still continues with patronage and pay to play politics.The map was drawn by Mell and O'Conner, the 2 most ineffectual political hacks inthe council. And Fioretti was damaged because ne stands up for the people not the machine. This city is terrible

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By JP
Posted: 01/16/2012 7:39 PM

Well did they listen? News tonight says the majority map is in place with a few tweaks. So much for the public hearings. The 2nd ward moves North, and the current 2nd gets split up. Hope the anti Bob's who post here are happy.

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By John from Motor Row
Posted: 01/16/2012 5:53 PM

I think I was slightly misquoted. I said there were roughly 25,000 more Asian Americans since the last census. Not 5,000 Asian Americans in Chicago. According to the 2010 census, there are 144,903 Asians living in Chicago. The only other minority besides Hispanics that had a population increase.

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By djl from RANCH-Lincoln Park
Posted: 01/13/2012 10:17 PM

correction-I am west of Halsted.

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By djl from RANCH -Lincoln Park
Posted: 01/13/2012 10:14 PM

I'm west of Sheffield and have no problem with ald. Smith fighting illogical and inefficient ward remapping. My understanding is the ward office moved when the multiple year lease expired and they decided to find a space with a functioning conference area. The office moved 2 blocks and in reasonable boundaries of the 43rd Ward until the Map for a Better Chicago" pulled the 43rd Ward down to an unheard of southern boundary of Huron. I hope we can hang on to Waguespack and Smith.

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By Scott from Sheffield
Posted: 01/13/2012 4:32 PM

We should reduce # of aldermen starting w/ Michelle Smith. She unwittingly moved ald office that has been in same spot for 2 decades before new ward was drawn. Old windows weren't big enough for her portrait banner. She's basically done nothing except spam the neighborhood w/ her simple self congratulating emails. I think most of us west of Halsted would be happy to go to Waguespack. 1 down and few of the others on stage like Mell need to go too. Where was Reilly by the way?

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By Paul from University Village
Posted: 01/13/2012 8:39 AM

It makes me greatly suspicious that aldermen want to split up the University Commons complex in Unoversity Village into two different wards. They want to slow the pace of change here maybe. One thing for sure, they are not acting in this neighborhood's best interest.

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By djl from RANCH Triangle-Lincoln Park
Posted: 01/12/2012 10:28 PM

Never met him but know his record and the horrible traffic mess his lack of planning vision made of Clybourn/North area. Only reason brought him up was because the article mentioned his pathetic ramble at the end of the hearing. Facts are facts. So how long have you worked for him?

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By
Posted: 01/12/2012 9:09 PM

djl, out of the entire article you griped about alderman burnett? you must have a personal matter with burnett because you could have kept those useless thoughts to yourself.

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By djl from RANCH Triangle-Lincoln Park
Posted: 01/12/2012 5:30 PM

Ald. Walter Burnett is an example of the problem. He lost Cabrini Green and has to contort the 27th Ward to find African Americans ...why must it be a black 27th Ward? 180-thousand African Americans left Chicago. No question about it. Why artificially protect Burnett ? Not one of the 600 people last night spoke about keeping Burnett. Surprise. Several wanted to stay out of his grasp-they were African American Move the new 2nd Ward to 27- south of North Avenue and leave Lincoln Park alone.