The Daily Northwestern – January 10, 2019

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The Daily Northwestern Thursday, January 10, 2019

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Plan Commission stops development Plans for off ices at EPL parking lot voted down By CLARE PROCTOR

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The Evanston Plan Commission voted 4-1 Wednesday to deny a proposed development at the Evanston Public Library surface parking lot. Developers had designed a 13-story office building to be constructed at 1714-1720 Chicago Ave. The committee justified their decision by citing concerns about parking for the library and surrounding businesses, the danger to nearby historic buildings, and the size of the proposed structure. Developers asked the commission to approve a zoning change from a general residential area to a downtown core development district. The commission also raised concerns about spot zoning, meaning the zoning plan would benefit a single parcel of land by creating

allowances not provided to other buildings in the area. Commissioner Carol Goddard said the public benefits offered from the developers — improved sidewalks and bike storage, to name a few — are not “meaty enough” to offset the adjustments the development requires. “We know that the city wants an office building on this site,” Goddard said. “When we get a project like this … we generally get something back. We get a little park area or a patio or anything that is for public benefit.” The Plan Commission — a recommending body with no final say on whether the proposal is approved by the city — allowed for public comment from residents, who had many concerns about the effects of the proposed development. EPL board president Ben Schapiro said the library’s biggest concern with the development is the loss of parking, if the developers plan to utilize the library’s underground lot for overflow » See PLAN, page 6

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ASG president Emily Ash speaks at ASG Senate. The Senate introduced legislation calling for the termination of controversial psychologist’s visiting scholarship at the University.

ASG discusses Kanazawa ban

Senator introduces legislation to termination researcher’s scholarship By AMY LI

daily senior staffer

Legislation calling for NU to immediately terminate controversial psychologist Dr.

Satoshi Kanazawa’s scholarship and ban him from conducting future research on campus was introduced during the Associated Student Government’s Senate meeting on Wednesday.

The legislation was introduced by Senator Christian Wade. The Weinberg firstyear added that NU must release an official statement that recognizes Kanazawa’s research as “racist, sexist and

misogynistic, which they failed to do in their last statement.” Senate will vote on this legislation next week. In response to Kanazawa’s » See SENATE, page 6

SHUTDOWN APPROACHES DAY 20

Research money secure Uncertain funding for city Science grants to NU not stalled by shutdown

Evanston officials watch budget situation closely

By DANNY VESURAI

By MADDY DAUM

Despite the government shutdown entering its 20th day, it has not yet impacted Northwestern’s federal research funding, said Jay Walsh, vice president for research. The partial government shutdown stemming over a debate about the funding of a wall on the southern border has stopped nonessential operations, including the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation awarded the University $51.5 million in research contracts during the 2017-2018 academic year, Walsh told The Daily in an email. Northwestern received $519.5 million in federal awards last fiscal year — which occupies roughly the same timeframe as the academic year — part of a record $702.1 million in secured research funding overall. Walsh said that, since the National Science Foundation awards grants annually or over multiple years, already funded research projects will not be affected by the shutdown

Even though Evanston programs haven’t been directly affected by the federal government shutdown, city officials are keeping a close watch on how lack of funding for federal programs will affect Evanston. As President Donald Trump and Democrats continue to struggle over a wall along the US-Mexico border, Congress has failed to pass federal funding bills, resulting in a partial government shutdown. The shutdown comes in the midst of ongoing immigration issues coming to a head, which has been a key platform of Trump’s presidency. As the shutdown continues, federal employees such as park rangers and Transportation Security Administration agents are not being paid. City manager Wally Bobkiewicz said that because there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for the shutdown, he will be watching the developments closely to see how they impact residents. If the shutdown lasts, it

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The government shutdown has not impacted Northwestern’s federal research funding but could if significantly prolonged, said Jay Walsh, vice president for research.

unless the shutdown lasts until the renewal date for funding. However, faculty members expecting January funding will have to wait until the shutdown ends for money to come through, he said. Although other agencies like NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency are also affected by the shutdown, Walsh said the suspension of

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the National Science Foundation would potentially have the largest impact on the University’s research. The National Institutes of Health, a major federal funding source for the Feinberg School of Medicine, will remain open as a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The National Science » See RESEARCH, page 6

could result in a lack of funding for vital city programs, according to a memo written by Sarah Flax, Evanston’s division manager of housing and grants. Flax said nine federal departments, including the Department of the Treasury and Department of Agriculture, will affect Evanston should they lose funding. If the shutdown stretches into February, Flax said tax refunds could be delayed and federal employees will suffer financially. The Department of Agriculture announced programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Women, Infants and Children program will continue to receive funding. Bobkiewicz said he will be watching government subsidized food programs carefully to make sure Evanston residents are assisted if they lose funding. “Should (government subsidized food programs) be impacted in the future, we want to make sure that if we have the ability to help in any way we can,” Bobkiewicz said. “I think at this point (the

shutdown) is a moving target, and we just need to be mindful of the issues as they go on and do our best to mitigate as close we can.” According to Flax’s memo, there is no guaranteed funding for affordable housing programs like the Community Development Block Grant until the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development releases grant amounts. Flax said funding from prior years before the shutdown will support these agencies until it runs out. The city usually gets funding for housing and urban development later in the year, but Bobkiewicz said he is watching the issue closely for possible deals or budget reallocations. Bobkiewicz also noted that residents will begin to be impacted by the shutdown since tax refunds could be delayed or frozen if it extends into February. Due to the shutdown, the IRS is not verifying incomes and social security numbers, which impacts mortgage approvals and loans. » See SHUTDOWN, page 6

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8


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