When communities plan in isolation—or not at all—they miss the considerable benefits of planning in collaboration with their neighbors.
The Illinois Route 53/120 Land Use Committee worked together between March 2014 and November 2015 to discuss and develop sound, proactive, and implementable guidance for planning and future development in the Route 53/120 Corridor. The detailed information presented in the Corridor Land Use Strategy final documents found below represents a consensus-based approach to achieve balanced development in central Lake County, protecting the assets and values that are so important to the residents, community leaders, business interests, and others, while optimizing economic development opportunities that accompany major investments in infrastructure.
This strategy represents a framework for municipalities and others to work together and coordinate
efforts to create a balance of development, open space preservation and economic development, maximizing
benefits while minimizing impacts to Corridor resources and quality of life. The guidelines and
recommendations presented are based on common goals and sound planning principles, and if followed,
represent a visionary and thoughtful approach to creating the best possible outcomes for the
Corridor.
The final documents are available for download through the links below.
Individual sections of the document are also available for download.
With its population growth significantly exceeding forecasts, Lake County has seen traffic congestion become acute. In 2009, residents approved a non-binding referendum in favor of extending Illinois Route 53 north to Illinois Route 120 -- known as the Illinois Route 53/120 project. In 2010, the region’s award-winning GO TO 2040 comprehensive plan included the project on its highest priority list, and one of only five new major capital projects for the region to pursue, citing performance measures that show this facility as “ranking highest among all projects in its effect on regionwide congestion."
In 2012, the Illinois Route 53/120 Blue Ribbon Advisory Council recommended creation of a 21st Century urban highway. This modern boulevard would have a smaller footprint to minimize potential negative impacts while protecting the natural environment and preserving the character of Lake County.
As recommended by the Council, tandem committees were formed to examine feasibility. The Land Use Committee was staffed by CMAP, and the Finance Committee was staffed by the Tollway. This site is dedicated to the Land Use Strategy planning effort. For information about the Finance Committee or the Illinois Route 53/120 project in general, contact the Illinois Tollway.
The Blue Ribbon Advisory Council recommended creation of a corridor strategy that integrates land use, transportation, economic development, and open space. As the official planning agency for the seven counties of metropolitan Chicago, CMAP lead the land use planning effort, whose Land Use Committee was co-chaired by Aaron Lawlor (Lake County Board Chairman) and George Ranney (former Metropolis Strategies President and CEO), with membership drawn from the leaders of municipalities affected by the facility, the Lake County Board, the county’s economic development interests, and the environmental community. To a significant degree, the extent of collaboration between these stakeholders may determine whether and how quickly the proposed project can become reality.
This effort concluded in late 2015 with a broad land use strategy for the entire corridor, including guidance at a corridor-wide scale and for four sub-zones within the corridor. The committee endorsed the land use corridor on November 12, 2015.
When communities plan in isolation -- or not at all -- they miss the considerable benefits of planning in collaboration with their neighbors. A better approach is to consider "corridors" that integrate land use and transportation for improved mobility, quality of life, natural resource protection, and sustainable economic development.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) worked with Lake County and communities in the corridor along a future Illinois Route 53 and Illinois Route 120, as recommended by a Blue Ribbon Advisory Council of the Illinois Tollway. This corridor planning process engaged municipalities to plan for the potential market-driven development that can result from such a major transportation infrastructure investment, as well as the potential impact on quality of life and the environment.
This animation depicts the potential results when three neighboring communities do not plan collaboratively. They are intersected by a major highway that brings increased traffic congestion, disinvestment in existing towns, and depletion of natural resources. Infrastructure costs more but is less efficient and effective. Each community's character changes in unpredictable and often unpleasant ways.
A more positive future can be achieved through the power of collaborative corridor planning. By working together to guide development, communities reap numerous rewards:
What this animation can't show is the actual corridor planning process. It involves patience and cooperation on the parts of municipal leaders, residents, businesses, and other stakeholders. The best way to achieve each community’s unique vision is to work closely with neighbors and transportation implementers to maximize mobility and economic development while minimizing negative effects such as increased congestion and loss of open space.
Through the Illinois Route 53/120 Corridor Land Use Plan process (and the Illinois Tollway's parallel financial planning process), the residents and businesses of affected Lake County communities can -- in partnership with their municipal leaders -- defined their vision for the future. As the planned extension moves toward Tollway approval and construction, those communities can reap the rewards for generations to come.
February 2014 through June 2015
March 18th, 2014
May 8, 2014
June 2nd Update
Following the May 8th Land Use Committee meeting, the
consultant team has refined the Study Area Boundary to incorporate suggestions made by the
Committee.
An exhibit showing the final Study Area Boundary is shown below. A higher resolution version of the exhibit can be downloaded here. Using the new Study Area Boundary, the consultant team is completing mapping and analysis of existing land use, market, environment and transportation conditions for the Existing Conditions Assessment.
July 21, 2014
March 2014 through September 2014
September 2014 through January 2015
October 23, 2014
Wednesday November 12, 4-7pm
The Byron Colby Barn at Prairie Crossing
1561 Jones Point Road, Grayslake, IL
(map)
The purpose of the sessions will be to present an overview of the planning process and the analysis to date. The public is encouraged to come and review and comment on the materials as well as provide input on their priorities for the corridor.
Review materials from the meeting
Mobility: Page
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4
Open space & Natural Resources: Page
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Market: Page
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Land Use: Page
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Wednesday November 19, 4-7pm
Lake Zurich High School Cafeteria
300 Church Street, Lake Zurich, IL (map)
The purpose of the sessions will be to present an overview of the planning process and the analysis to date. The public is encouraged to come and review and comment on the materials as well as provide input on their priorities for the corridor.
Explore materials from the meeting under the November 12th section above.
February 5, 2015
April 16, 2015
May 20, 2015
May 21, 2015
June 10, 2015
June 30, 2015
July 30, 2015
September 24, 2015
September 2015
Held October 14th and 15th, 2015
Fall 2015
November 5, 2015
November 12, 2015
In 2014 and 2015, the Illinois Tollway, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), and Lake County partnered on a combined, two-pronged effort to examine the feasibility of the Illinois Route 53/120 project from a finance and land use standpoint. The Tollway’s feasibility analysis primarily focused on financing, and CMAP’s efforts focused on developing a corridor land use plan. Lake County was involved as a partner on both of these efforts.
The Blue Ribbon Advisory Council (BRAC) recommended the production of a corridor plan that integrates land use,transportation, economic development and open space. New roadway development can often bring unwanted results without adequate prior planning because of a rise in traffic, disruptions to environmental systems, and lack of forethought about desired future land uses. The Council recommends creating a corridor plan that is based on the integration and preservation of open space and natural areas, multi-modal connections, market-feasible development, and congestion relief. Specifically, the BRAC recommended the following as guidance for development of the land use plan:
The study area is roughly bound by Lake Cook Road on the south, I-94 on the east, IL 12 on the west, and the Chain O’ Lakes on the north. The land use plan and analysis considered the area within a two-mile buffer study area of the IL 53/120 corridor bound by these limits.
The corridor land use plan was managed by CMAP and guided by a Land Use Committee consisting of representatives of the corridor municipalities and other stakeholders.
The Land Use Committee participated in and helped guide the land use planning effort. At the end of the planning effort, the Land Use Committee voted to approve the land use plan by passing this motion.
This effort produced a land use strategy for the entire corridor (not parcel-by-parcel), and more detailed recommendations for areas expected to undergo significant change as a result of the construction of the facility.
This phase of work was completed in approximately two years.
The BRAC process, report, and resolution established a common understanding and agreement about the principles, practices, performance standards, and design standards that should be used for subsequent steps, one of which was the land use planning effort, as recommended by the BRAC report. Facilities such as Illinois Route 53/120 can have significant impacts on the area through which it runs, and the land use planning effort was intended to prepare adequately and appropriately to address those impacts.
These were distinct efforts, but information and insight was shared continuously. The representatives of the three agencies and the BRAC committee chairs comprised a core team to ensure coordination. The results of both efforts were intended to inform the Illinois Route 53/120 facility project itself if it moves forward to construction.
Lake County’s population has well exceeded growth forecasts conducted 10-15 years ago. As a result, congestion and accessibility to employment centers in this part of the region is even more real and apparent than it was back then. Subsequently, the project has gained both regional and local momentum as evidenced by its inclusion in the region’s GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan (adopted in 2010) and Lake County’s 2009 approval of a non-binding referendum that favors the project be built.
Shortly after the adoption of GO TO 2040, the Tollway convened the IL 53/120 Blue Ribbon Advisory Council (BRAC) to bring together key project stakeholders (including environmental and transportation advocacy groups, the business community, and elected officials) to determine whether there was regional consensus on the project and whether the Tollway should move forward to develop a feasibility analysis. The BRAC’s work concluded with a resolution and summary report, released in June 2012. Consistent with GO TO 2040, the BRAC’s report recommended innovative design features, financing options, and market-driven, multijurisdictional land use planning. Specifically, the BRAC recommended that CMAP manage the development of a corridor plan that integrates land use, transportation, economic development, and open space (p. 67 of the BRAC Report).
The land use strategy builds on the progress of the BRAC and was intended to identify challenges and create recommendations regarding land use, open space, community character, and economic development before further progress is made with road design and engineering.
The land use plan effort included public engagement specifically designed to involve residents, business owners, and others with an interest in the project in a conversation about the corridor land use plan. A number of public workshops were held in various locations throughout the corridor.
For questions about the Land Use Strategy, contact Jason Navota at [email protected].
The Tollway’s Feasibility analysis, which examined financing for the road, assumed construction of the facility would begin in 2018.
If you have comments or questions about whether or not the road should be built, please contact your county board representative.