More neighbors are joining the Diversey Community Coalition’s call to block a 1-acre ComeEd substation in Lincoln Park, after the utility rejected more than a dozen alternative sites for the project.The Diversey Community Coalition, a neighborhood group created in response to ComEd’s proposal, w orked alongside local elected officials, neighbors and consultants to propose 14 other locations for ComEd’s planned substation at 1111 W. Diversey Parkway. The utility purchased the land for $11.5 million in 2021, Cook County property records show.The coalition argues that ComEd can use a different site that isn’t so closely located near transit, schools and a daycare. Its list of properties included a Jewel Osco parking lot on North Clybourn Avenue and a 1.2-acre lot on Diversey Parkway. The coalition shared a map of the properties and updates on the substation during a Wednesday community meeting in Lincoln Park.“There's nothing magical about Diversey,” Marie Poppy, co-founder of the Diversey Community Coalition, said during the meeting. “They think it is, but we're saying no."ComEd in an August letter doubled down on the Diversey project, saying none of the 14 parcels were viable, citing various reasons from lots being too small, not for sale or not cost effective. But one of the alternative sites was a 1.2-acre parcel — the 1111 W. Diversey site is 1.08 acres.“ComEd is not being earnest with us,” Poppy said. “If you were at any of the other meetings, they said they want transparency. They want to work with the community. Well, we're not seeing it. We're just not seeing it.”A ComEd spokesperson said Thursday in a statement: “ComEd has continually explained both in writing and at our two community meetings that alternative locations suggested do not meet proximity requirements, size requirements or are available for purchase and most importantly would increase costs at the expense of customers and businesses in the 48 other Chicago wards. Increasing costs for customers who do not stand to benefit from the new substation is an ask ComEd is unwilling to support — we must continue to act in the best interest of all customers not a select few."The community coalition plans to hold a rally Saturday at 11 a.m. at ComEd’s proposed substation site.Diversey Community Coalition co-founder Jim Maggio said the rally's goal is to let people know they want housing — not just for the substation to be blocked."We need to be able to protect what they call equitable transit-oriented development,” Maggio said. “Anything within a half a mile of a transit stop, like the Brown Line Diversey stop, needs to be protected.”The utility giant has previously said it’s proposing the substation because of rising power demand on the North Side. It has three substations that serve Lake View, North Center, Uptown and northern Lincoln Park, but those substations are nearing capacity.The three substations reached 95% of their allowable capacity this year, according to ComEd. The substations are expected to reach 98% capacity by 2031, with two exceeding their limits.But the coalition has questioned why the substation needs to be built at the Diversey location, when the land could be sold to a developer that would build homes. The site is about 735 feet from the Diversey CTA station, making it an equitable transit-oriented development site. Streets within half a mile of a CTA or Metra station, or quarter of a mile of a qualifying CTA bus line, are eligible for a transit-oriented development designation, which encourages walkable and high-density projects by offering grants and reduced development costs, according to the city.The coalition has just over 2,000 individuals signed up for its newsletter, according to Maggio.Neighborhood groups Wrightwood Neighbors Association and Central Lake View Neighbors have joined the coalition’s call for ComEd to abandon the site. The coalition also has the backing of alders Timmy Knudsen (43rd), Bennet Lawson (44th) and Scott Waguespack (32nd), as well as Sen. Sara Feigenholtz and Rep. Ann Williams.Knudsen proposed an ordinance to the City Council earlier this summer that would require more oversight and community involvement in “major infrastructure proposals” for projects larger than 0.5 acres or within 600 feet of a residential property. Knudsen said Wednesday night that his ordinance was sent to the council’s Rules Committee in an attempt to block it. But Lawson has since put forth a new ordinance that would treat any new substation as a major utility if it’s within 100 feet of residential property and more than 0.5 acres. Classifying a substation as a major utility would trigger more community oversight, Knudsen said. Currently, ComEd’s substation is considered a minor utility and can be built by right.Feigenholtz said during the meeting that she called Gov. JB Pritzker about the issue. She hopes a bill, similar to Lawson’s ordinance, she introduced earlier this year will be discussed during the Illinois General Assembly’s fall veto session.“When I read [ComEd’s] responses and how disrespectful and dismissive they were … is when I made the call,” Feigenholtz said. ...read more read less