In 2013, Zion applied to CMAP's LTA program for assistance in updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. Significant changes have occurred since the community's last plan, including the annexation of 1,000 acres in the northwest sector of the City, the emergence of the Cancer Treatment Center of America as a major regional medical facility within Zion's downtown, and the decommissioning of the Zion Nuclear Power Plant along the Lake Michigan lakefront. The City is keenly interested in outlining innovative economic development strategies to guide future development near the Metra station and along the Sheridan Road, Route 173, and Green Bay Road corridors, including infill opportunities in the Trumpet Business Park. Additionally, the City would also like to build better connections between different parts of the community as well as access to the lakefront. The plan update will also identify ways to maintain and improve the community's aging housing stock and increase homeownership. The presence of the nuclear power plant presents a unique issue in planning for Zion. While the decommissioning process is not anticipated to be complete by 2020, the plan update will explore different scenarios for the site.
For more information about the project, please visit the external project page available at plan4zion.com.