OK, you’re not happy with all the construction work you see out there. Or you feel there’s not enough of it. Or you don’t think there’s enough good planning for open space, or that the 30 municipalities in Kane County aren’t working together to coordinate projects. Or maybe we need to use more wind and solar energy, explore clean-water resource alternatives and flood management. Or maybe we’re spending too much money as it is, and you don’t want any of pie-in-the-sky spending on your watch.
Well, here’s your formal invitation to chime in.
From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, 2014, Kane County residents are invited to take part in an open meeting in the Kane County Government Center auditorium on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s update of the GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan.
This draft plan update is available for public comment through Aug. 1, 2014.
As part of the public comment period, CMAP is holding a series of open house meetings throughout the region this summer. These meetings will provide residents and stakeholders with an opportunity to learn about and share feedback on the draft plan update, as well as on the proposed Federal Fiscal Year 2014-19 Transportation Improvement Program.
The first is being held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, in the second-floor conference room of the Historic Kendall County Courthouse, 209 West Ridge Road, Yorkville, IL, 60560.
The second — and closer to home for most Kane County residents — takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at the Kane County Government Center auditorium, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Geneva.
Attendees are encouraged to drop in whenever convenient for them during the meeting hours. Each open house will feature posters and additional visual materials for review, with CMAP staff on-hand to answer questions. Formal public comments will also be accepted.
“Readers may be wondering how the update to the GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan touched their lives, or the success of their neighborhood or community,” Kane County Development Director Mark VanKerkhoff said via email. “Here it is in a nutshell: Kane County is part of the seven county Chicago metropolitan region, and regional coordination for land use, open space, transportation, and other topics is critical for the success of the entire region.”
Kane County and its 30 municipalities have a long history of planning cooperation, historically working with local regional and state partners, bringing valuable planning resources and grants of all types. One example is Kane County’s partnership with CMAPs’ Local Technical Assistance Program, representing a three year combined value of planning assistance of about $1.2 million.
These projects have included municipal comprehensive plan updates, housing studies for eight Kane County communities, and other planning projects requested by municipalities through a competitive process.
Kane County’s vision, leadership and the Kane County Planning Cooperative have been a large part of the success for gaining approval from CMAP for these projects, VanKerkhoff said.
The Kane County Planning Cooperative is a collaborative effort between Kane County’s Health, Transportation and Development planning staff. One of the Cooperative’s fundamental goals is to help municipalities and other planning partners “fill in the gaps” in local planning resources by providing technical assistance.
So what can Kane County residents do? Stop by one of the open houses and learn about CMAP’s GO TO 2040 plan and update process.
You can also learn about Kane County’s award winning planning efforts and partnerships at www.countyofkane.org/Pages/Kane-County-Planning-Cooperative.aspx
SOURCE: Kane County Development and Community Services Department
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