ILAPA News BURST! Village of Libertyville Comprehensive Plan

Village of Libertyville Comprehensive Plan by John Spoden, AICP

	The Village of Libertyville was fortunate to receive the 2006 ILAPA Silver Plan Award for its Comprehensive Plan. The Plan, adopted in May 2005, was a culmination of a four year effort by the Village’s Comprehensive Plan Review Committee to design a Plan that reflects the vision of the community. "Libertyville adapts to changing times and new conditions without forsaking its past." The Committee used extensive public involvement in their consideration of future land use, goals, policies, and implementation strategies, and sought input from all aspects of the community. Key Person Interviews were held on a one-on-one basis and a Downtown Focus Group was interviewed on issues regarding the plan. The Committee also met with a number of constituent groups which ranged from Village Boards, Commissions, and Departments to the School Districts, Condell Medical Center, Mainstreet Libertyville, East Side Industrial property owners, and students from Libertyville High School. In addition, a Community Survey was developed by the Committee with assistance from Camiros, Ltd. The survey was sent to 7,183 residential households and 1,161 Libertyville businesses. They were 2,164 surveys returned and tabulated for a 26% response rate. The survey was broken down into the four quadrants of the Village, with specific questions on the Community, the Downtown, Housing and Neighborhoods, and Economic Development and Growth. The excellent responses that were received from the community guided the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee in their drafting of the Plan. The document is an excellent representation of a complete Comprehensive Plan that forms a Community Vision with Mission and Vision Statements, specific Goals, Objectives, Policies, and Implementation Strategies, discussion of the Community Profile and Planned Elements, specific future land use recommendations with sub-area plans for areas of the Village under development pressures, and compliance with the Illinois Local Planning Technical Assistance Act. The document was laid out for ease of use. The Plan itself speaks specifically of its recommendations for the future, while the statistics, previous plan, and data profile are included in an Appendix. The strength of the Village of Libertyville Comprehensive Plan is in the Implementation Strategies within each Objective and Policy of a stated Goal. As members of the Committee did not wish to have a document that simply sat on the shelf, they demanded specific strategies to implement the Plan. Although it is a 20-year planning horizon, yearly reviews on Implementation Strategies are required along with full updates every five (5) years. The Comprehensive Plan assisted the Village of Libertyville in the following areas in its first full year: Initiation of implementation of the Village’s Economic Development Strategy by developing a full branding of the community. In addition, the Village hired an Economic Development Coordinator to assist in marketing, redevelopment, recruitment, and business retention. A Plan Commission study on implementing a Floor Area Ratio to assist in limiting the size of single-family homes being constructed in the Village. Discussions with owners of the property to the northwest and to the north for possible annexation. Both of these areas were listed as priority annexations in the Comprehensive Plan. Initiation of a study on inclusionary housing to address affordable and special housing needs. The Village of Libertyville was exempt by the study of the Illinois Housing Development authority as 12.9% of its dwelling units were listed as affordable. However, the Plan recognizes the need to continually review Affordable Housing as an issue and recommends that 15% of new residential developments be affordable. The Village will be reviewing this Implementation Strategy over the next year. The Village signed a long-term lease with the High School District to preserve the Brainerd Building, the former High School for the Village, as a community center per the direction of the Plan. The Village met with local taxing districts to discuss issues of mutual concern. The Village completed a parking planning study on the Downtown Area to determine locations and need for parking decks per the direction of the Plan. Per the direction of the Downtown Sub-Area Plan, the School Street Project has been awarded to The Hummel Group, Ltd. for an infill townhome development with preservation of the Central School building. The school building will be renovated into condominium units, eight (8) of which the Village has waived Building, Engineering, Fire, and impact fees to enable the developer the lower the prices for a more attainable level. These units have also been capped in terms of their yearly appreciation. The Implementation Strategies will continue to direct the Village with specific steps to realize its Goals and Policies.

	John Spoden, AICP Director of Community Development Village of Libertyville Phone: 847.918.2028 JSpoden@libertyville.com