CHICAGO (WLS) — A crowded Lincoln Park community meeting grew heated Monday night as residents pressed ComEd over a proposed electrical substation, arguing that key concerns about the site, its neighborhood effects and public accountability have not been fully addressed.
At the center of the dispute is a parcel along Diversey Parkway, located near homes, schools and transit access, that has quickly become a flashpoint for neighbors.
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Residents questioned ComEd representatives throughout the meeting as the utility outlined its proposal and responded to concerns about the planned substation near Diversey and Seminary.
One person in attendance addressed the company directly, saying, “I think you are an important utility. However, you have a high level of disingenuousness on this whole issue.”
Much of the opposition centered on ComEd’s chosen location, a site that previously operated as a COVID-19 testing facility. Members of the recently organized Diversey Community Coalition said the land would be better suited for housing or other neighborhood-focused development.
Jim Maggio, a co-founder of the coalition, said, “That zone is meant for housing and retail. It’s meant for people that need to use the L for work every day.”
Marie Poppy, another co-founder of the group, questioned why the land was not being treated like the surrounding area. “Everything else is zoned residential. Why this wasn’t done, I don’t know.” She also said, “You have all this public policy saying we need more housing. And now we have a situation like this where ComEd has been sitting on this property for seven years and now we just find out about it through surveyors in the neighborhood.”
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ComEd representatives said the proposal is intended to address rising electricity needs in the surrounding community.
Keisha Parker, the company’s vice president of governmental and external affairs, said, “The reality is that the existing substation for this community is at 95% capacity.” She added, “without that additional infrastructure, what occurs is, is that there’s an increased chance for blackouts and brownouts because we would not have the proper infrastructure to support this demand.”
The utility said it plans to continue working with the community, but opposition remained strong among residents.
Maggio criticized the location, saying, “We’re really pushing back on the fact that they’re putting this a mile and a half away in a residential neighborhood next to it, next to a transit stop when there’s tons of industrial and manufacturing zones right along that corridor.”
Some elected officials echoed concerns about land use.
Ald. Timmy Knudsen said, “A few years ago in the city, we passed the Connected Communities Ordinance, which says that areas near transit, especially ADA accessible transit, should be priority for housing. This is about as close as you can get to transit. And it’s a lot as big as a football field, so it should be prioritized for housing.”
ComEd said the site was selected based on criteria including size, cost and proximity to the area it serves. Neighbors, however, maintained that other locations could meet the same needs.
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