Wilmette board members voted to unanimously oppose zoning changes proposed by neighboring Evanston that would allow concerts at a renovated Ryan Field at Northwestern University on Tuesday night.
The proposed $800 million project has drawn further scrutiny amid numerous lawsuits stemming from a hazing scandal within the school's athletic programs.
Wilmette residents packed the room in Tuesday night's board meeting, almost universally opposing the renovation project for the home of Northwestern's football team.
Residents of the North Shore suburb expressed concern over the added noise concerts would bring.
Wilmette resident Mary Spaldingburns expressed what seemed to be a widely echoed thought on Tuesday.
“How about the babies that need their sleep? How about the people who would like the peace and quiet uninterrupted that those concerts would, shall we say interrupt?”
Spaldingburns added that she attended both the Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concerts, and noted that the venue was not near a neighborhood.
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On top of noise, residents noted concerns over parking, traffic and increased congestion as reasons to oppose the zoning changes needed for the project.
Some of the board's resolutions including sound, traffic and parking mitigation strategies may be identified by a third party and put in place if the zoning changes in Evanston are approved.
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