West Urbana Neighborhood Association (WUNA) Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

Members of the West Urbana Neighborhood Association contributed these questions for the 2025 mayoral candidates.

I want to grow Urbana responsibly, in concert with residents, in a way that will raise city revenue. In 1970, our city was 6 square miles and had 34,000 people. In 2020, it was 12 square miles and had 38,000 people. In addition, 31% of our land area is property tax-exempt. To move our city forward, we must responsibly grow Urbana to raise tax revenue and repair our streets.

I will connect Urbana by filling potholes, adding bike lanes and sidewalks. I will create a safer city by helping our police department fill vacancies—right now, there are only 3 to 4 officers on duty at a time for the entire city—while safeguarding our rights and liberties. I also want Urbana to be an affordable place to live by growing our community and businesses while working toward lowering our property taxes.

I will make decisions in concert with Urbana's neighborhoods. If a neighborhood wants to grow or add density, we can do that. However, I will not add housing or businesses where people don't want them.

As I have said from the beginning, I want to work with neighborhoods. You can see a video of me saying this on Instagram or read more on my website.

1. How do you plan to engage with the residents and homeowners in neighborhoods across the city to find a consensus vision for the future with the people who live in these neighborhoods?

Since 2020, the City has been developing a new Comprehensive Plan for every part of our City. Once complete, it will provide a shared vision for our future and guide decision-making regarding growth and development.

The first part of the Comp Plan process involved extensive community engagement in all neighborhoods through focus groups, virtual meetings, attendance at many neighborhood-based events, and door-to-door canvassing in an intentional effort to be as inclusive as possible in all neighborhoods.

The draft plan has been under review by the Urbana Plan Commission for months. Staff is working closely with Plan Commission members to create the final document that will go to the City Council for consideration and approval.

2. What can the City do to create communication networks within each neighborhood to ensure all stakeholders can engage in decision-making about their neighborhoods?

I want all our residents to feel more connected to what is happening in the city. I would work with staff to consistently share relevant information (meetings, commission and council updates, announcements) with residents through frequent and shorter emails, City Council representatives, neighborhood listservs, social media channels, and neighborhood organizations such as SUNA, WUNA, and HEUNA.

I would implement an Emergency U-Alert system that would send text messages right to your phone about street closures, weather alerts, fires, police activity, and the fall leaf pick-up schedule.

3. What will you do to protect both the historic and walkable nature of our near-campus neighborhood that is such a contrast to the near campus neighborhoods of Champaign?

WUNA is a wonderful neighborhood. I am proud to live in it and grateful for all the work current and previous residents have done to preserve 100-year-old homes and keep its historic walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly nature intact.

I am also grateful to the long-term planning residents 50 years ago did to plant trees that we now can benefit from. In this same way, I would like to see WUNA continue to prosper. We should never pursue Campustown-style development. The zoning does not support it, and there is (thankfully!) no support for it.

The city recently updated the development regulations for the Campus Mixed-Use area north of Springfield and West of Lincoln. We can concentrate on development more successfully here without negative impacts on WUNA.

Plus, it would connect students and working professionals to Main Street and our local downtown businesses.

4. How does single family zoning play into your strategies? Will you commit to maintaining the current zoning within the historic West Urbana neighborhood?

Rezoning is not the mayor's prerogative. All zoning goes through the planning commission and public input. Final decisions are made by the City Council after more public input.

I do not support rezoning any neighborhoods. Rezoning should be handled with extreme care and very rarely.

5. What are your thoughts and position regarding the Lincoln Avenue study's proposal to eliminate vehicular access to and from Lincoln Avenue at Oregon, Iowa and Indiana?

IDOT provided the funding to conduct the corridor study. Once the study is complete, applications for grant funding will begin. It may take some time before funding is awarded.

Regarding the traffic diverters, I have asked the Regional Planning Commission if we can do a demonstration project and collect data before and after.

A demonstration project would allow community members to see if the improved safety and traffic flow for cars, buses, pedestrians, and cyclists on Lincoln Avenue would be better or worse with the traffic diverters.

It would also allow the city to see if the streets, now cul-de-sacs, can be cleaned, trash picked up, and packages delivered safely. It would also study the effects of increased car traffic on arterial streets.

6. What will you do to ensure the Plan Commission includes members who represent a broad range of viewpoints and interests in Urbana?

The City of Urbana has over 100 commissioner positions. You must apply to serve on a commission, be accepted, and reapply when your term expires.

I would actively seek out and encourage people from a broad range of backgrounds and Wards to serve on City commissions.

The current Plan Commission has members who represent a broad range of views. They are from some areas of the city, including the Dr. Ellis subdivision and northeastern Urbana, but do not currently represent all seven Wards. WUNA currently has about 30% representation.

7. Only one-third of privately-owned housing in Urbana is owner-occupied. Urbana's elementary enrollment decreased by approximately 125 students, down from slightly over 2,000 last year. In contrast, Champaign's elementary enrollment increased. What are your ideas for drawing more families with children to Urbana and in general, increasing homeownership opportunities?

As we all know, renters have school-age children, and the Urbana School District's boundaries extend beyond the City's.

It is also important to note that the majority of our residents are under 25 or over 60 and that school enrollment reflects housing patterns both in the City and in the County.

With construction costs skyrocketing, and the supply of homes for first-time homebuyers in Urbana being limited, Urbana's Enterprise Zone program has successfully incentivized new home construction through rebates on property taxes and sales tax on construction materials. It has helped with new home construction in our subdivisions, such as South Ridge, Beringer Commons, Stone Creek, and Savannah Green. In addition the the City has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build over 55 houses in Urbana, mainly for families.

The City is a close collaborator with the School District but is a separate taxing body governed by an elected school board.

8. Two-thirds of non-University housing units in Urbana are rental and the vacancy rate is over 10% but Urbana planning officials are saying Urbana needs more rental housing, especially in single family neighborhoods. What are your thoughts?

We have a lot of student housing, but based on what folks tell us, they want more housing downtown and in large vacant lots on our transportation corridors. For example, 200 S. Vine, next to the city building, is very popular because it addresses these needs.

We should increase the overall supply of units and expand the range of housing types in Urbana to ensure that our residents have choices when it comes to where they live, how they live, with whom they live, and how much of their income they spend on the home they live in.

Our city’s housing stock should reflect profound demographic shifts (smaller households, aging population) and evolving lifestyle preferences (desire for less maintenance, multigenerational households). We need to encourage the development of more types of for-sale housing, like townhomes and condos, and attainable starter homes.

We must continue to partner with local organizations and neighboring cities to deliver affordable housing, administer rental assistance, and support the unhoused in our community.

9. City planning staff have previously expressed the desire to make these zoning changes affecting our neighborhood. Please share your thoughts about each.

a) Eliminate minimum lot size for duplexes to make it easier to replace small single-family homes with duplexes. b) Allow two houses on one lot by right in the R-3 zoning district. c) Allow two houses on one lot as a conditional use in R-2 zoning districts. d) Allow commercial uses at properties zoned R-7 without providing any additional off-street parking for employees or customers. e) Upzone some or all of the R-2 properties in west Urbana. f) Upzone the R-1 properties between Michigan and Florida.

City planning staff does not act alone or in a vacuum. They work with the community, city commissions, developers, city council, and other interested partners.

As mayor, I will ensure they, like all city staff, work within the city council's goals and take direction from the city council on city-initiated updates to the zoning ordinance.

For example, regarding the campus mixed-use updates, the city council voted to have the city staff pursue them, then voted to approve the changes after they were reviewed by the plan commission.

Other times, the city planning staff must, as is legally required, take on zoning changes requested by residents or other interests. These are handled with professionalism and care. Going before public hearings and city commissions and being presented to our council for a final vote.

10. Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a tool used to package multiple variances and waivers for a residential development project. WUNA members have asked the City to require that PUD scale and density be compatible with nearby existing structures. This includes limiting parcel aggregation and the extension of building footprints across multiple parcels. Will you support this?

You have to take each PUD individually because they are one-off development proposals. The comprehensive plan requires the Plan Commission to take into account existing neighborhood characteristics.

The Plan Commission and City Council consider each proposal, and the Council must approve it.

The Mayor does not control this.

11. Will you consider offering financial incentives to property owners to rehab rundown properties?

I hesitate to endorse subsidizing improvements to private property when there is such a great need across our community.

I would love to have a fund for historic preservation. But we are deeply constrained. My administration will gladly work with homeowners and businesses to seek potential historic preservation grants or philanthropic collaborations.

We would also assist local residents who want to buy and rehab properties by having quarterly open meetings with relevant city officials, allowing homeowners to meet them and each other to share available city resources, learn about properties, zoning regulations, variances, finance solutions, solar and geothermal solutions, and how to solve general fixes to their properties. This would allow small local developers to build equity in our community.

12. Expanding the real estate tax base is crucial to keep Urbana affordable for those of us on a fixed income and living in modest homes whose real estate taxes are fast becoming unaffordable. Urbana has a disproportionate number of properties that are used by units of government and non-taxable “charities.” What are your views about:

a) Selling surplus Urbana City owned properties that are not essential for city services so they can be developed for commercial or residential purposes?

31% of Urbana's land area is tax-exempt due to entities such as the University of Illinois, the County government, healthcare institutions, schools, and parks. The remaining property owners bear the property tax burden.

In recent years, the City has inventoried and sold small parcels.

The City is seeking developers for larger parcels that it owns. A Request ForProposal (RFP) for the properties south of Illinois St., south of Lincoln Square, will be released again shortly. The City will also seek a developer for the Race St. property formerly owned by the school district.

The development of these parcels will benefit the community.

b) Either restoring the Urbana Civic Center for public use, or selling it to be used for a public purpose?

The MTD is partnering with the City to build a much-needed downtown transit center on the Civic Center site.

The transit center is long overdue. MTD is leading the project, and after many months, they’re approaching the end of the required environmental analysis.

The project will serve as a transit center, combined with potential office, commercial, or housing, depending on who partners in the development.

c) Working with the county board to sell the old jail property to private parties who would develop its economic potential and restore it to the tax rolls?

Champaign County owns the county jail on Main St., which is in the Central TIF District. The city would be a logical partner in supporting its redevelopment and returning it to the tax rolls.

It’s a great site and an anchor corner with three grocery stores within a 5-minute walk. There is below-grade parking; there could be retail on the ground floor and apartments above.

d) Advocating the County sell the Brookens Building to get it back on the tax rolls.

Champaign County owns the Brookens site on Washington St.

In light of the closure of the Dart plant across from Lierman, it’s important that the entire area be considered holistically, integrating housing (for a range of income levels), parks, and the new park district Health and Wellness Center.

My administration would work closely with the Urbana Park District and MTD to attract developers and create a great, well-connected, affordable neighborhood.

13. Given that Urbana’s central business district has many large, empty lots, will you commit to prioritize development and infill in the city center over redevelopment of the surrounding residential neighborhoods?

The City is committed to infill downtown (e.g., 200 S. Vine). Getting more residents downtown is imperative and will spawn the organic growth of other businesses near housing.

Adding housing downtown allows for excellent access to our biggest employers, the University of Illinois and nearby medical facilities, with minimal impact on surrounding neighborhoods.

The downtown business district has many parking lots. Some of those lots are privately owned and serve adjacent businesses.

The opening of H Mart on Broadway Avenue, the relocation of County employees to downtown, the change in ownership of properties like Broadway Food Hall, and potential housing construction all will impact the near-term use of city-owned lots.

14. Do you support vigorous enforcement of property maintenance codes at rental properties?

The City is hiring an additional building inspector to catch up on inspections for the rental registration program and vacated homes.

However, in general, property maintenance codes must be enforced whether the building is rental, owner-occupied, or the absentee owner of a vacant property violates them.

15. What do you think the City should do about the older rooming houses that are zoned R-7 but are having trouble getting tenants?

These privately owned properties include beautiful sorority and fraternity houses. Unfortunately, student preferences have changed. Since COVID, they don't want to live in rooming houses or even with a bunch of people.

R-7 zoning was changed to accommodate a broader range of uses for these properties in addition to housing. The city will work with interested developers to attract new tenants and businesses.

—ANNIE ADAMS