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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 07-76 03/16/1976 ~ ... ~fI'- rl' "",!'" RESOLUTION NO. 7-76 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE VILLAGE OF MOUNT PROSPECT BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MOUNT PROSPECT, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS: SECTION ONE: That, pursuant to Section 11-12-7 of the Municipal Code of 1961 (Illinois Revised Statutes, Chapter 24) , request is hereby made to the Planning Commission of the Village of Mount Prospect to prepare th.e Comprehensive Amend- ment to the official Comprehensive Plan and make recommendations and report on same within ninety (90) days hereof. A copy of the proposed Comprehensive Amend ment to the official Comprehensive Plan has been drafted by the ad hoc Comprehen- sive Village Plan Committee and is attached hereto and hereby made a part hereof as Exhibit A for consideration and recommendation of the Planning Commission. SECTION TWO: That this Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its pass.age and approval in the manner provided by law. AYES: 4 NAYS: 0 PASSED this 16th day of March, 1976. APPROVED this 16th day of March, 1976. ~ .L. . . Mayor ATTEST: 4t14) if) A .. ~--- VIllage Clerk ... .,; "f (j ;{.- {/G/ .......-. .. "'.", ~: ~ COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VILLAGE OF MOUNT PROSPECT ~ APRIL. 1976 1""'. VILLAGE OF MOUNT PROSPECT PLANNING COMMISSION $"XHI8/-r A /"'\ ~ 1""""', f"""'. f"""'. /~ -.....,,/ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Grateful appreciation is given to all the Village employees who worked so hard to help prepare this Plan. The Village of Mount Prospect thanks Barton-Aschman Associates, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, for their advice and counsel in preparing this report. COMPREHENSIVE VILLAGE PLAN COMMITTEE James P. Grier ~ Jr., Committee Chairman J. C. Busenhart Marie L. Caylor Louie Velasco Malcolm G . Young '--:,. " .oj \ \ ~\ .~ .-;.,r '..:.'"... .. . c.. ~ ~. PARTICIPATING OFFICIALS VILLAGE OF MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS Elected Officials ROBERT D. TEICHERT, MAYOR Trustees LEO FLOROS RICHARD N. HENDRICKS MICHAEL H. MINTON E. F. RICHARDSON EDWARD.B. RHEA, JR. THEODOREJ.WATTENBERG DONALD W. GOODMAN. VILLAGE CLERK Village Planning Commission I""'" MALCOLM G. YOUNG. CHAIRMAN ROBERT L. BENNETT* J. C. BUSENHART MARIE L. CAYLOR JAMES P. GRffiR. JR. LYNN M. KLOSTER LENNART A. LORENSON ROBERT E. McBRIDE* HAROLD H. ROSS LOUIE VELASCO DONALD C. WEIBEL Appointed Officials ROBERT J. EPPLEY, VILLAGE MANAGER JOHN J. ZIMMERMANN, VILLAGE ATTORNEY r' *Now members of the Business District Development and Redevelopment Commission ,~ /~ ,1"""'\ ILLUSTRATIONS i -I FUNCTIONAL HIGHWAY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM NEIGHBORHOOD STRUCTURE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE COMMERCIAL F ACILITffiS INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES PUBLIC F ACILITffiS PRIMARY WATER MAINS MAIN SANITARY SEWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM r' FLOOD CONTROL MANAGEMENT - MAIN STORM SEWER SYS'rEM SCHOOL and RECREATIONAL FACILITIES CHURCHES and CEMETERIES ......,..:,..... . ... 7M 13M1 13M2 15M 17M IBM 19M 1 19M2 19M3 20M 21M:: THE COMPREHENSIVE VILLAGE PLAN Inside Back Cover r' ~\ , ."","" TABLE OF CONTENTS PLANNING RESPONSIBILITY PURPOSE OF THE PLAN THE NEED FOR PLANNING TRENDS IN THE FIELD OF COMMUNITY PLANNING ANTICIPATED ACHIEVEMENTS TRENDS IN MOUNT PROSPECT OBJECTIVES FOR MOUNT PROSPECT ANNEXATION OBJECTIVES ~ ZONING -SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS -'COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS ,LAND CONDITIONS IN MOUNT PROSPECT TRA+:rSPORT ATION RESIDENTIAL LAND COMMERCIAL LAND PRINCIPLES COMMERCIAL LAND MISCELLANEOUS OPEN LAND USES INDUSTRIl).L LAND COMMUNITY FACILITIES APPENDIX ~ /" 'I ""'." "..<II!; 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 14 16 16 18 19 20 I ~, t\ .:...... ..*"'. /""". PLANNING RESPONSIBILITY The preparation' of the Comprehensive Plan and coordination of planning and development within Mount Prospect rests with the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is established under authority granted by Article VII of the l11inois Constitution (concerning Home Rule, adopted 1970), and by Chapter 24, Division 12, of the Illinois Municipal Code which states: ~" The Planning Commission is authorized tf (1) to prepare and recommend to the future development or redevelopment of the municipality. Such plan may be adopted in whole or in separate geographical or functional parts, each of which, when adopted, shall be the official comprehensive plan, or part thereof, of that muni~"'pality . . . The plan, as recommended by the Plan- ning Commission ~d as adopted in any municipality in this State, maybe made applicable, by the terms thereof, to land situated within the corporate limits- and-contiguous-:-territol"y not-more . than one and oIie";haIfffiiIes-:neyond ..~c-' the corporate limits and not included in any municipality. Such plan may be implemented byordinancesc (a) establishing reasonable standards of de- sign for subdivision and for resubdivisions of unimproved land and of areas subject to redevelopment in respect to public improvements . . .and (c) may designate land suitable for annexation to the municipality and therecom- mended zoning classification for such land upon annexation. (2) to recom- mend changes, from time to time, in the official comprehensive plan. (3) to,prepare and recoiIlmend to the corporate authorities from time to time, plans .for specific improvements in pursuance of the official comprehensive plan. .(4) to give aid to municipal officiaIs..:.;.for improvements.embraced within the officialplan~ :..:;and:.to:promotethe 'realization :of the':officialc.-com-::;;3' prehensive plan.J' , , ~ f { to .~ ~ '[ PURPOSE OF THE-PLAN' The Comprehensive Village Plan for Mount Prospect is a general guide for the future development of the Village and its contiguous unincorporated en- virons. The recommendations contained in the Plan are a guide to the day- to-day decisions that must be made by Village officials and local citizens. ThePI8l) establishes a general framework within which decisions may be reached and .outlines more detailed studies and programs needed to achieve the objectives of the planning program, and to establish a concept for com- munity development. r" - , The proposals and recommEmdations of the Plan are based l.lpon projections of basic data to 1990 and depicts Mount Prospect .as it is expected to be by . then. The basi'c data utilized in the development of the Plan was assembled in planning study and includes information on physical and geographic characteristics, population size and distribution, economic characteristics, housing sUPPlY and demand, traffic and circUlation, and public facilities. To achieve maximum results from the Plan, Mount Prospect makes planning a continuing process in the Village. -1- ~ r, "'. ...~, ~ THE NEED FOR PLANNING Planning is comprehensive; it. is concerned with all essential aspects of com- munity growth and change, the social and economic as well as the physical and environmental. . Mount Prospect has enjoyed excellent growtl1... This growth has resulted from properly enforced zoning, building, and subdivi- sion controls. If, as it is expected, future growth continues', the planning process must provide new and creative methods to meet the challenge of modern development techniques. Therefore, the Village Plan is uniquely creative and development controls are flexible enough to meet changing de- velopment methods. TRENDS IN THE FIELD OF COMMUNITY PLANNING In the field of community planning, several important trends are occurring. Among these are: - 1. Community goals, policies, and plans must represent a broadly based consensus within the community after having been exposed to community-wide discussion. I'" 2. Sound rationale accompanied by supporting data is essential to es- tablishing the integrity of the adopted Plan. 3 . The potential impact of planning decisions should be considered -prior to making final decisions. 4. States are more actively asserting their constitutional responsibili- -ties to coordinate those aspects of community planning which are considered to be of regional importance. 5 . The courts of justice have become active participants in the planning process. ANTICIPATED ACHIEVEMENTS Without a Comprehensive Plan, Mount Prospect would pay expensive penal- ties in the form of inefficient land utilization, poor public facilities, costly extensions and operation of utilities, traffic congestion, and lower property values. The Plan allows for the preservation of presently desirable and ad- vantageous'policies and procedures for the orderly and harmonious develop- ment of vacant lands. If effectively carried out, the Plan will: f"""\ Provide for the efficient allocation and arrangment of land uses, and the gradual correction of deficiencies; Protect and enhance property values and guide physical and econo- mic development toward achieving accepted community objectives; -2- ~ /~ \ '. . . .11: ~ Guide investors and developers to build within Mount Prospect's development objectives, and provide a legal base for develop- ment controls and zoning decisions; , Promote good design and community aesthetics and encourage a municipal capital improvements p~ogram, which is a technique for identifying, scheduling, and financing major physical improve- ments over the period of approximately six years; and Coordinate the various activities of the Village Boards, Commissions, ' and Departments toward a better Mount Prospect. TRENDS IN MOUNT PROSPECT Change has occurred at a rapid pace in Mount Prospect. Population increas- ed by 15,000 persons in the 1950's and by 16,000 inthe 1960's. In the first five years of the 1970' s, over 14,000 new residents have been added to Mount Prospect, the majority by annexation. This trend is likely to continue throughout the remainder of the decade because of the prominent location of Mount Prospect in the northwest suburban corridor. /""" However, the most fundamental and important trend that the Village is begin- ning to experience is its transition from a developing community to a mature community. The latter is achieved when all vacant land is absorbed, when population stabilizes and when attention is focused on the improvement and revitalization of existing neighborhoods rather than the development of en- _tirely new areas. Understanding this trend . and managing .any,change that"- -will result from it, is the key challenge for Mount Prospect. OBJECTIVES FOR MOUNT PROSPECT The following objectives express the goals of the Board of Trustees and the Planning Commission of Mount Prospect: That the Village shall be substantially a residential community and shall be developed to insure its physical, social, and economic growth. To implement the continued growth of Mount Prospect into a ' well-balanced community, providing for its inhabitants the orderly development of all phases of suburban living, this Comprehensive Plan for Mount Prospect is to be developed and carried out. Some of the factors essential to the development are as follows: 1"""'. -3- ~. /~ '. . . ... 1"""" 1. Continued encouragement of construction of high quality residences. 2. Development of all public and quasi-public facilities that will be needed in this expanding community. Some of these are churches, grade and high schools, colleges, public buildings, parks, playgrounds, golf courses, and other open space areas. 3. Control of vehicular traffic to insure proper circulation of automobile traffic in, through and around the community. This should provide adequate, properly planned traffic flow in cooperation with the County, State and Federal highway departments; should provide well planned off- street parking facilities; and should consider the need for public transportation facilities. 4. Continued development of office, commercial, research, and light industrial facilities. 5. ' Reappraisal of our central downtown area needs. ~ 6. The provision for all the necessary Village service such as water, sanitary and storm sewers and drainage, fire pro- tection, police protection, civil defense, garbage and re- fuse disposal, transportation, road maintenance. etc. 7. The general over:::all provision for the livable conditions associated with and expected from living in an essentially residential -community and for the enhancement and protec- tion of residential. property values of the property owners of Mount Prospect. ANNEXATION OBJECTIVES Village boundaries encompassing a community or land must be such that it can be efficiently and economically served by Village facilities. Preplanning of unincorporated territory must assure that proposed annexed areas: 1. Be developed so as to be compatible with surrounding neigh- borhoods and will not create hardships on property owners in the vicinity of the annexed areas; and ~ 2. Be annexed to the Village in their entirety . -4- ~. , r' t"" -1- ~ r ' (~ -' , .", iI..i" i -I , 3. Multi-family residential development deserves additional study and policy. Most such development has occurred in recent years at the periphery of the community in response to land availability and mar- ket demand. However, most units are not conveniently located rela- tive to the Village center, business district ~ commuter railroad sta- tion, and bus service. There is also a tendency for residents to identify less with the community if they live on the periphery . 4. While taxable valuation is one factor in managing residential growth and improvement, it must be clearly documented and decisions must be based on facts, not intuition. 5. The 1973 Supplemental Flooo. Control Report should be considered whenever annexations are requested or desired. ZONING Zoning of land in Mount Prospect should be based upon the recommendation of the adopted Comprehensive Village Plan. It is becoming increasingly im- portant that the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance be based upon a plan designed to promote the public health, safety, morals, aesthetics and gene- ral welfare. As a rule ~ areas designated for commercial, industrial and re- sidential uses should be zoned as shown on the Plan. We recommend that a j oint committee of the Zoning Board, CBD, and Planning CommissIon be created to examine the need for a new zoning district for the CBD areaanddts periphery. SUBDIV ISI0N-'REGULA TIONS Everyn'0w'Subdivision in Mount Prospect becomes a physical"feature of the , community and has a lasting effect on the Village. The physical design of our Village is simply a composite plan of individual subdivisions. It is evi- dent that control and guidance of land subdivisions are essential. The le- gal basis for making such guidance and con,trol effective is the exercise by the Village of the right to withhold the privilege of public record from sub- divisions within the Village or the one and one-half mile unincorporated area around the Village which do not meet the Village standards or are not in accord with the recommendations of the Village Plan. Subdivision regulations should be implemented by ordinances establishing reasonable standards of design for subdivisions and for resubdivisions of unimproved land and of areas subject to redevelopment in respect to public improvements. Such regulations should require locations of major streets, street lights ~ parks, schools, provisions for storm water drainage, water supply and distribution, lot sizes and other-stipulations which provide the means by which new subdivisions are dovetailed into the community . -5- ~\ J~ ... . ~ " 1""', COOPERA TIVE AGREEMENTS Proposed land developments in and around Mount Prospect should be contin- uously'reviewed. The Village, along with adjacent JIl1Jnicipalities, share jurisdiction over proposed developments within one and one-half miles of the Village. These units of government have by law and the Constitution of the Stat~ of Illinois the right to be heard in County rezoning matters. The establishment of common development policies can be mutually advantageous in encouraging better land development. The Village Plan is of value to the citizens, government officials, and community leaders of Mount Prospect only if it is utilized as a working document to achieve a better community . This Plan emphasizes the desirability of cooperative efforts wit~ C?Ok County, the Metropolitan Sanitary District, the Northeas~ern IllmOls Plan- ning Commission. the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Co~~ County Forest Preserve District, and last but not least. the Northwest Mumclpal Council. Mount Prospect can continue to work with these gr:oups without losing or giving away any of its "Home Rule Powers" guaranteed under the State of Illinois Constitution. r- LAND CONDITIONS IN MOUNT PROSPECT Soil - An ,analysis of the environment must start at the ground. The entire northern Illinois area is generally either an area of glacial till (material de- posited with the recession of the Ice Age) and lake bottom sediment layers consisting generally of clay and silt. Mount Prospect is baSically flat lake bottom hrcharacter, with minor surface deposits of sand and gravel, or iso- lated peat pockets. Drainage - This relatively flat plain is drained by a shallow surface drainage system Tum:1ing southerly parallel to the Lake Michigan shoreline, with la- teral branches winding through and connecting various low points and de- pressions. Waterways - Four open channel waterways serve the Village of Mount Pros- pect and carry storm run-off water from the area to the Des Plaines River. These waterways are McDonald Creek, Feehanville Ditch. Higgins Creek and Weller Creek. Each of these waterways can only accommodate storm run-off from a rainfall between a five and ten year average recurrence in- terval before serious overbank flooding occurs. ~ McDonald Creek - Runs in a southeasterly direction through Pros- pect Heights, Arlington Heights, Wheeling and the northern area of the Village of Mount Prospect. Parts of the northeast section of the Village and an area of the Randhurst regional shopping center drain into this creek. -6- f~, Jt\ ... <lo'. r"". Feehanville Ditch - The ditch begins east of Rand Road and south of Foundry .Road _extending easterly to the Des Plaines River. The water- shed for this ditch covers most of the northern area of the Village as far west as Prospect High School. The waterway consists of both open channel and closed conduit sewer pipe. Higgins Creek - The creek originates af Lake Briarwood south of Algonquin Road. It continues running southeasterly to the junction at Willow Creek , through the Village of Rosemont, to the Des Plaines River. A small .section to the southwest area of the Village drains to Higgins Creek. A large portion of the Northwest Toll Road storm water run-off drains into Lake Briarwood which, in turn, drains to Higgins Creek. r'" Weller. Creek - This creek runs southerly from Arlington Heights to the Mount Prospect Park District golf course where it turns in an easterly direction through the approximate center of the southern half of the Village. The watershed includes most of the Village ex- tended from the western Village limits to south of Golf Road and north of Northwest Highway. During the past three years, the Illinois Division of Waterways has widened and improved the creek from the Des Plaines River to School Street in Mount Prospect. The most recent section to be improved was in 1972, extending from Mount Prospect Road to School Street. The Village has a very good flood plain ordinance and this plan recommends the green belt areas shown on Map 19 M-3 should not be built on or developed in any other way, but retained as open space . TRANSPORTATION Community and Regional Elements - Mount Prospect is situated in one of. the most complex transportation systems in the nation, having six major traffic routes passing through and intersecting within the Village limits in addition to two major railroad lines, both dealing with the movement of freight and one serving- the northwest suburbs as a commuter line into the Chicago central area. The traffic patterns developed throughout the Village are influenced not only by the location and direction of these transportation . routes, but also by community and regional elements which serve to gene- rate many of the daily trips. ~ Among the many community generators are the downtown area consisting of many specialty and service shops, Village Hall including the Fire and Po- lice Departments. the Post Office, banks and the commuter railroad station. This area is served by three major traffic routes in addition to the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad commuter line. The traffic routes are Main -7- --- ~ /'~\ .~ . . . ~ Street (Illinois Route 83) running north and south through the center of the Village. Central Road running east and west through the center of the Vil- lage, and Northwest Highway (U. S. 14), which runs in a southeast and northwest line, also through the center of the Village. Another aspect of the community traffic generators is the major commercial areas situated throughout the Village. Randhurst is located in the north end of the Village, Mount Prospect Plaza is located at the east end of the Village, and a shopping area at Golf Road and Elmhurst Road serves the south end of the Village. Another area farther to the south but still within the Village is also developing into a major commercial traffic generator. The remainder of the Village is comprised of industrial, office, residential, strip commercial, recreational and educational facilities which generate many local trips during an average work day. r': Regional elements serve the Village in many ways, but also are responsible for many trips through the Village that neither originate or terminate in the Village. Some of these elements are the Chicago central area, shopping areas of surrounding Villages such as Woodfield Shopping Center and Golf-Mill Plaza, and O'Hare Airport. Trips generated by these elements can make use of the existing rail commuter line, but for the most part use the major thoroughfares within the Village. Functional Classification of Streets - Operation of the complex highway system within the Village requires significant consideration if it is to help decrease the magnitude of existing deficiencies. and prevent additional pro- blems . To move traffic effectively requires that streets be assigned to provide a specialized function. Groups of streets are designated to different functions or classificatiomfwith varying purpose and varying right-of-way, pave- ment width, and design standards. The classification of streets depends on the existing or future purpose of the street and its relationship to the metropolitan traffic system, the location of traffic generators, adjacent land use patterns, and anticipated traffic vol- umes within the general vicinity of the street. An efficient system of thor- oughfares depends upon establishment of consistent standards and pave- ment widths for various types of streets. The existing classification of Village thoroughfares is shown on Illustration 7M. The system is comprised of freeways and expressways, major arterials, secondary arterials, collector streets and local streets. ~ -8- r-\ ,~ It .'\, ...~ .. . . . . , I""""'- ", The freeway or expressway is a high capacity facility designed for safe, fast, uninterrupted traffic flow. Its primary function is to carry traffic quickly and conveniently between major centers. Characteristics of "these roadways are right-of-way widths of at least 200 feet, pavement widths of at least two 12' lanes in each direction separated by a barrier median of at least 44' in width. In addition, these roadways require stabilized shoulders, 10' wide, at the edge of the pavement. The speed limit is usually set at the highest allowed by law and parking is not allowed except in an emergency . Facilities in this category serving Mount Prospect are the Northwest Tollway located south of the Village, the Tri-State Tollway located east of the Village, Palatine Road located north of the Village, and the recently completed 1-90 extension located west of the Village. Major arterials are the backbone of the thoroughfare system and are built to carry the bulk of all through traffic as well as local traffic. These roadways are characterized by right-of-way widths not less than 100', two 12' traffic lanes in each direction separated at times by a variable width median, and parking restrictions except in emergency instances. Major arterials serv- ing the Village are as follows: r"', Euclid- Lake A venue - Provides for the primary movement of east~west traffic on the north side of Mount Prospect and makes .- direct connections to Arlington Race Track to the west and Glen- view and Wilmette to the east. Milwaukee ,Avenue - (State Highway 21) , which runs in a north- ,.west dire<:'.Jlonto the east of the Village. River Road - (State Highway 45)., whichfun.ctionsas a north....- south route on the east boundary . Rand 'Road -(U. S. Highway 12) carries traffic between Chicago and the Chain-of- Lakes region. This facility plays an increasing- ly important role in the movement of through traffic, being the principal traffic route servicing the Randhurst Shopping Center. Northwest Highway - (U. S. Highway 14) carries large volumes of traffic from Chicago and the northwest suburbs of Park Ridge~ Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Barrington, and Cary . Central Road - As an east-west route to the central business district. ~ -9- ,r\ /~ 1 ", . ..' r' Golf Road - (State Highway 58), which functions as an east-west route between Elgin and Evanston, is expected to carry increas- ingly larger volumes of traffic in the future. Elmhurst Road - (State Highway 83) is the main north-south route through Mount Prospect and is expected to carry increasingly larger volumes of traffic. Because this is the only continuous north-south I route in Mount Prospect, it must serve as a facility for both through and local traffic. Some traffic relief can be expected from the upgrad- ing and increased capacity of Busse Road, Mount Prospect Road, and Wolf Road as secondary arterials. Elmhurst Road serves as the prime north~south access to both the central business district and the Rand- hurst Shopping Center. Oakton Street - is a main east-west route along the south edge of Mount Prospect serving as a connecting link for Illinois Route 83 between Elmhurst and Busse Roads. Secondary arterial streets function as internal thoroughfares within a com- munity, oftentimes acting as links between local streets and collector streets and major arterials. Characteristics of these roadways are right-of-way widths of at least 66' , two traffic lanes, one in each direction, and prohibi- tion of parking. Secondary arterial streets within the Village are: 1"""'\ Camp McDonald Road - In the extreme north of Mount Prospect, to carry east-west traffic to and from Elmhurst'Road. Dempster Street - Which runs east and west from River Road to Algonquin Road. Kensington Road - Which runs east and west, serves as a feeder facility for Randhurst Shopping Center. . Algonquin Road - Which runs northwest, 'serves the south side of Mount Prospect and'serves as a commuter and recreational route for the far northwest suburbs with full access interchanges; at maj or and interstate routes. Busse Road - A north-south arterial on the west side of Mount Prospect, serves the industrial area at Central Road and Busse Road. Wolf Road - A north-south arterial, on the east side of Mount Prospect. r' Mount Prospect Road - A north-south arterial, on the east side of Mount Prospect. -10- r"\ t"'- i~ -.... ... Collector streets have the function of bringing traffic from residential and other local streets to arterials. Characteristics of these roadways are right-of-ways at a minimum of 66' , two traffic lanes, one in each direction, with parking prohibited at intersections with major and secondary roadways. Collector streets designated within the Village are as follows: - - i Burning Bush Lane; Council Trail; Elmhurst Avenue, from Central to Kensington Roads; Emerson Street, from Golf to Central Roads; Gregory Street, from Waterman Avenue to Rand Road; Highland Street, from Forest Avenue to Rand Road; Lincoln Street, from Meier Road to Elmhurst A venue; Linneman-Church Road; r" . "Lsnnquist Boulevard; Meier Road; -Prospect Avenue, from Central Road to Mount Prospect Road; See Gwun Avenue, from Golf Road to Lincoln Street; Seminole Lane, from River Road to Wolf Road; We Go Trail, from Lincoln Street to Central Road; Westgate Road; Wheeling Road; and William Street, from Golf Road to Prospect A venue. ,1"""'\ -11- n /~ ., . ..' 1"'-, All other Village streets are categorized as local streets. These streets serve very low volumes of traffic and are usually characterized by right- of-way widths not less than 66', two traffic lanes, no parking prohibitions and a low speed limit. Traffic control on these streets consists only of Stop and Yield signs where warranted. Railroads - The Chicago and Northwestern and the Soo line both run through or near the corporate limits of the Village. The Chi~ago and Northwestern runs approximately southeast and northwest through the middle of town. The Soo line runs north and south just east of Wolf Road, and could be a very important railroad source to the Northern Illinois Gas Company pro- perty and/or the other areas east and west of the tracks. The Chicago and Northwestern, of course, is the source of commutation for literally thousands of Village residents to and from the City of Chicago and westwardly to other places as far north and west as Lake Geneva. Airports - O'Hare Airport is located minutes away from the Village to the southeast. As the world's busiest airport, O'Hare Airport is important to the Village in the following ways: ~ 1. Easy accessibility for business people of all types with al- most hourly flights to every area of the country, and the world. 2. Many airline personnel make the Village their home. 3. Many vacationers from Mount Prospect begin and end their trips at O'Hare. 4. For the industries in and around the Village, speedy air travel is an important business consideration. 5.' Our industrial and some' commercial areas are more attrac- tive because of their proximity to the airport. r" Only one-half mile from the northern edge of the Village, Palwaukee Airport provides a source of access to the region for business and general aviation users. Palwaukee is a privately owned, high-quality facility which is ,de- signed to handle all general aviation aircraft, including passenger and busi- ness jets~ Palwaukee is the only airport outside the City of Chicago in this area which has a Federal Aviation Administration control tower. It is con- sidered a high-quality airport in terms of runways and air traffic control equipment. Ground access to Palwaukee is almost entirely by private auto":' moble for general aviation pilots and aircraft owners, most of whom live in Cook County. Because it is a private facility, Palwaukee is not eligible for Federal grants. ' -12- ~. r'"' .';:,''''#,'' , ,~i::: 'r", . r-\ " , !~ , ..~ . .. " . Roadway Improvements - It is recognized that the transportation network of Mount Prospect requires changes, especially in the thoroughfare system, be- .tor.e it will function properly. Illustration 7M designates arells of improve- ment proposed for the major, secondary and collector street systems of the Village. Improvements to the street systems include the following: i 1. Mount Prospect Road is proposed to be improved at the intersec- tion of Central Road and Rand Road to provide additional safety and convenience to motorists desiring to bypass the center of the Village. 2. Addition of Willow Lane to the collector system between, Linneman-Church Road and the Village limits on the west. , 3. Extension of Meier Road from Connie Lane to Central Road. 4. Extension of Wheeling Road between Gregory Street and Kensington Road. 5. Addition of Owen Street to the collector system between Northwest Highway and Gregory Street. 6. Improvement of all half-width streets to full width where feasible and necessary to provide a uniform roadnet throughout the Village. \ 7. Busse Road from Golf Road to Central Road is proposed to be widen- ed and upgraded to major arterial status. In addition , it is recom- mended to extend Busse Road north from Central Road to Northwest. Highway. This improvement would make this roadway moreattrac- ,tive to non-local travelers and decrease congestion on Illinois Route '83 through the center of the Village. In addition to the majorrecommendedimprovements,"acontinual traffic en- gineeriJ:~'gprogram will be implemented to determine where improvements are required in terms of signalizations, signing and major intersectionre- construction. Rail Imp;rD1l.ements - Improvements to the rail system will be of benefit more to the~:J:lofl9mrt in terms of reducing safety and congestion. Theseimprove- ments include; 1. Additional crossings over the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad tracks where justified and feasible based on an engineering study. 2. Underpass improvements at EucliQ..A yenue tK:E!nsington Road, and Wolf Road with the Soo Line Railroad. -13- -~ ~ /~ " ' f' Miscellaneous Improvements - Other proposed improvements to the trans- portation system of the Village include the following: 1. Improved and additional parking for shoppers and commuters in the downtown area. This improvement could be in the form of a structure or shared surface lots which would provide both long and short term parking. 2. Improvement of the bike route system throughout the Village to serve the " needs of shoppers, commuters and pleasure riders. 3. Establishment of a bus system which could link major shopping areas with residential areas and with the downtown area. Also included would be routes to and from recreational and educational facilities; all of which should be done in coordination with the RTA. 4. Street lighting for our arterial, collector, and local street systems to decrease accidents and crime and improve safety through the Village. r"". The maintenance of the existing transportation network and the implementa- tion of the recommended improvements plus a continual analysis of the traf- fic problems in the Village will be consistent with the objective of the Village Plan and insure realization of some of its goals. RESIDENTIAL LAND Communities are for people, and residential areas occupy far greater quanti- ties of land in Mount Prospect than do other uses. Because of this, it is im- portant that the future pattern of residential areas, density of population, and size and relationship of one residential area to another have a signifi- cant bearing on other elements of the over-all plan. Neighborhood Structure - A plan of neighborhood structure establishes an organized system of self-contained residential sections that are bounded ot: separated from one another by various physical barriers such as major high- ways, railroads, or areas of nonresidential use such as industrial or com- mercialareas. These residential sections are referred to as "neighborhoods" and are the minimum area that will ordinarily support the average require- ments of everyday living such as elementary schools, recreational facilities, churches, and adjacent shopping areas. This allows movements within the area, especially those of children, to take place comfortably and safely on foot. The neighborhood street pattern is designed so as to discourage the movement of through traffic within the area. I"'" -14- .' f""'. ~ ~ ~, f\ . /~ " " ,.." It is important that existing residential neighborhoods are protected from noncompatible uses and through traffic, and new residential developments ',c must become a part of the designed neighborhood unit. The suggested neighborhood structure for both existing and future residential areas of Mount Prospect is shown on Illustration 13.l\n, "Neighborhood Structure" . ,R-esidential Recommendations - Future residential development should be directed to the locations best related to existing developments and to where l'equired facilities and services either exist or can most efficiently be pro- vided. New residential growth should be encouraged that will provide tax- able valuation to help support required municipal service and facilities. This type of residential growth is reflected in high value, low density, single 'family areas and apartment areas with a limited number of bedrooms. , Zoning controls must be adopted to encourage this desirable type of resi- dential development. (See Illustration 13M2) , Mount Prospect's fine residential areas are one of the Village's main attrac- tions and future residential growth should be required to be equally as good. ' Land is Mount Prospect's principal resource and must be carefully con- trolled and allowed to develop only in a manner to permit the greatest finan- cial and aesthetic return to the community. This type of planning and con- trol by the Village will also allow the greatest return to the individual pro- perty owners. . This Village Plan recommends development of a limited amount of multi-fami- ly residential areas either within the present Village limits or in contigu- ous unincorporated areas where single family housing is impractical. It is felt that the areas so designated are in accord with 'recognized Village poli- cies and provide for a balanced community development without an over- abundance of this use. One or'two bedroom rental apartments ,condominiums.and townhouses will complement thelargely single-family character of Mount Prospect. During the 1960' s, many three and four bedroom homes were built to accommodate large family units. A present need exists for residential units of minimal bedrooms to accommodate: 1. Newly marrieds who want to remain in the Village but cannot because of the high cost of housing . 2. School districts which need a consistent flow of children thro~gh all grade levels. Small apartment units will at- tract new families who will move into single-familyresi- dences as their families grow. -15- ~-~ (\ ~ '; . ...- (", 3. Senior citizens (singles and couples) who do not desire responsibility of home ownership and/or physically or economically cannot maintain single family homes. Multi-family deve19pments with three or more bedrooms must be properly designed and controlled to preclude adversely affecting the Village. , Single-family development has always been the backbone of Mount Prospect's growth, suggesting that the character and quality of future single-family growth should be encouraged. COMl'vffiRCIAL LAND, PRINCIPLES Land resources for commercial use must be conserved and premature com- mercial exploitation, principally along thoroughfares, should be discourag- ed. If adequate space for commercial development is provided in accord with the Village Plan, a more rational pattern of commercial uses should emerge for the Mount Prospect area. In locating commercial areas, the fol- lowing principles were used: ~ 1. Commercial areas physiCally separated from residential areas, but convenient and accessible via major thoroughfares. 2. Adequate facilities for off-street parking and off-street loading. 3. Controlled access from major thoroughfares with properly de- signed deceleration and acceleration lanes. 4. Pedestrian circulation with-minimum vehicular interference. 5. Integrated groups of stores rather than string developments along major thoroughfares. COMMERCIAL LAND Commercial areas serve a community's need by providing goods and ser- vices, tax revenues, and places of employment. These same commercial areas also produce large volumes of traffic, create parking problems, im- pede or in some cases encourage the development of adjacent properties, and in general affect the over-all structure of the community. ~, Mount Prospect's commercial land areas are currently broken down into eight area group types. (Illustration 15M) Following is a brief description of each area: ' -16- r' 1"'\ r", -~ ,~. ,~ ! ' \ of ..' . , Randhurst - A regional shopping center, being Mount Prospect's principal .- commercial area occupying approximately one hundred acres of land and containing about eighty retail outlets and off-street parking space for about 6,900 cars. The center opened in 1962 and had its most recent expansion in 1913. This shopping center is a fine example of a well designed and ' adequately planned cOmmercial facility . Mount Prospect Plaza - Located at the intersection of Rand and Central Roads, this intersection is due for considerable vehicular traffic improve- ments as soon as the State has completed plans for major road changes. . The center has about thirty retail outlets and ample off-street parking. Central Business <District - Until the establishment of Randhurst, the Cen- tralBusInessDistrtct'(CBD) was the dominant shopping facility in Mount Prospect and the only area where certain types of retail activities were lo- cated. 'However, because of the development of new free-standing shop- ping facilities and the gradual decline of the desirability of the CBD, many retail establishments have moved from the CBD and the area has generally changed in character. Activities in Mount Prospect's Central Business District for the most pa~t fit into one of three categories: Commercial, residential, or public. .The commercial category is composed primarily of service and office type uses, .'with.some',retailing operations. Residential uses are scattered around the exterior'of the commercialoore and are composed principally of single-fami- ly uses with a few apartments. Public uses are located mainly in the north- east quadrant of the CBD. Recently., the Board of Trustees of the Village of Mount Prospect created a citizens! cOl1unissi'Ouknown as the "Business District Development and Re"'" development Commission of the Village of Mount Prospect" ,for the purpose . . of establishing a plan for the Central Business District within the corporate limits of the Village to assure opportunities for redevelopment and to at- tract sound and stable commercial growth therein. A preliminary study of the area indicates the following improvements should be made to the CBD,: 1. Vehicular accessibility . 2. Controlled vehicular circulation. 3. Convenient and attractive parking facilities within easy walking distance of commercial areas. 4. Convenient pedestrian circulation without conflict with vehicular traffic.. -17- l""-\ ,~ /~ ~ '''"- t t ..0 .. ". r'" 5. Attractively landscaped open areas and visually attractive buildings to aid the shopping environment. 6. Development of limited office buildings. 7 .,' Development of a limited number of apartIDEmt buildings. 8. Creation of a civic and cultural center. Northwest Highway - It is suggested that the string-type commercial de- velopment that exists along Northwest Highway be gradually elinUnated w:ith the uses presently located ~n this area relocating into integrated shop- ping centers or areas having controlled access from highways arid adequate parking facilities. The Plan proposes and designates that the area along Northwest Highway be developed with well designated and properly con- trolled office developments. t""" Neighborhood Shopping Centers - The Village has several neighborhood shopping centers which are intended to serve the day-to-day needs of fami- lies within the immediate vicinity of the center. The neighborhood center ordinarily varies in size from two and one- half to six acres and contains from five to ten stores, with a food store of approximately 8,000 to 12,000 square feet being the principal retailer. Golf Shopping Plaza - Opened in October, 1970, this cent~r provides people in the western part of the Village with goods and services; Ample off-street parking is provided . "- Rand Road -Passes through Mount Prospect diagonally in a northwest di- :. rection as a major U.S. arten-al highway (Route 12) " Commercial develop~ menthas sprung up on both sides of the highway ranging from car dealer,S, to motels, to small service-type stores. Considering the high density uses of Rand Road , access to and from parking along most of this road is cumber- some and dangerous. Commercial strip zoning should be discouraged. Route 83 South of Golf Road - Designated as a major arterial and serves as 'the dividing line between Mount Prospect and the City of D.es Plaines. Hunt- ington Commons, a planned unit apartment and condominium development in- cluding a bank and a shopping, center is located close to Golf Road and Route 83. The Colony, another complex of apartments, b~, shopping center and office space located at the corner of Oakton Avenue and Route 83 is under construction. ,....,., f \ -18- .-'~ (\, ,t\ ~ ,/ ~- , . , .. ' ".. "J ~, MISCELLANEOUS OPEN LAND USES The Simonsen Nursery property on 'Wolf Road between Kensington and Eu- clid Avenue, in the Village and presently zoned single family, should be considered for purchase by the Village or the adjacent park district and de- velopedas a flood water retiiition basin for McDonald Creek. If such pur- chase- is not economically feasible, the property should be rezoned for light CO'lilcIll!:!rcial since the 800 Railroad and high capacity power lines impede the land's value for single family dwellings. The 200-acre Rob Roy Golf course covering an area between Euclid A vneue and Camp M~Donald Road, and between Wheelirig Road on the west and River Trails Park District property on the east, is immediately adjacent to Mount Prospect in unincorporated Cook County. It is the Commission's recommenda- tion that this propertybe considered for retention as an .IS-hole golf course. The Northern Illinois Gas Company's property, presentlysurroU:nded by the Village, but with acreage too great for involuntary annexation, should, upon possible future annexation, be considered for a mix of single family and mUlti-family residential development with light commercial and/or mdustrial. .. r'\ INDUSTRIAL LAND \ The northwestern suburban area has been the location of the most intense industrial growth in the Chicago metropolitan area. Mount Prospect'sgeo- graphical location in this northwestern areacplaces the community in an_ ideal competitive position to encourage new industrial and office building complexes to locate within the community or in areas of potential annexation contiguous to Mount Prospect. Indu,strial Assets- - The Village iscontinl1ingto make improvements-in its--, industrial and office building character. Mount Prospectl s principal assets are available land, proximity to market, good transportation facilities, and adequate labor supply. The progressive attitude and initiative shown by both the business community and the Village government are factors indi- 'catingthgj; Mount Prospecti$ a good industrial and business community. Indusiriai. Recommendations - The recommendations of, the Plan regarding indus'trl81::c'growth intend to make land available for industry withot!t en- cooaelnneht on residential neighborhoods . The proposed industrial areas ,_,are located adjacent to transportation facilities and in relatively open areas soasto1iUlow room for buffering the industrial area. Four ,general areas for indUStrial and office building development are proposed: r"' -19- r'\ ,~ ~ \~' '. "\ 1"""\ 1. The west side of Mount Prospect between the Chicago and Northwestern Railway and Central Road; 2. Northeast of Mount Prospect on the Northern Illinois Gas Company property; 3. South of Mount Prospect in the unincorporated area of Cook County, north of the Northwest Tollway, south of Algonquin Road, a,nd west of Elmhurst Road; and 4 . The open ,area northeast of the Village to the Tri-State Tollway ,.and Forest Preserve . . Each of the proposed industrial areas has industrial uses presently located within their general boundaries. The proposed industrial areas are shown on Illustration 17M, "Industrial Facilities" . r- The Plan proposes the annexation of the Northern Illinois Gas Company pro- perty and the industrial land south to the Tollway. Through annexation, Mount Prospect is in a position to control the type and amount of industrial growth and re.ceive maximum tax benefits. Such annexation will bring into Mount Prospect established industries and additional land suitable for in- dustrial and office building development. COMMUNITY FACILITIES Superior" community.. facilities', next to good government, are perhaps the most important stabilizing factor in a mature suburb. Provisions for and timely development of public facilities for use by the citizens of Mount Pros- , pect ar~an importanfpart of the Village Plan.' (Illustration 18M) The Plan provides general guidelines for the location and distribution of community facilities and provides the basis for reservation and acquisition of desired sites. The municipal officials of Mount Prospect are actively concerned with the land planning aspects of all community facilities although the actu- al provisions and operation of two of the major community facilities" schools and parks, are vested in public bodies other than the Village Board. Fire Department and Paramedic Protection - Among the many on-going services of the Village of Mount Prospect, fire protection and paramedic assistance rank high . The basic f.unction of the Fire Department is to pro- vide fire protection and ambulance service to its citizens. r"", . -20- . . .'.' . ~ ~, ',,--, ,~ ~ t..- ..'" it' "\ r', One of the chief services of the Department for which it has become noted is the paramedic program which the Department maintains with The Northwest Community Hospital. In this life saving program, ambulance drivers on call are in constant touch with the hospital and staff doctors. In emergen- cies, trained paramedics can administer intravenous fluids, 'he~t defibril- lation and other treatments, either at home or in the, ambulance enroute to the hospital. In a typical year, the Fire Department makes 2,400 calls, of which some 1,400 are for the paramedics .--" --,- In addition to Northwest Community Hospital, Alexian Brothers Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital are also nearby. Existing plans call for the phasing out of the existing Station No.3, with relocations to the west at a point equidistant between the east and west Vil- lage limits. This facility should be established as a public safety building housing both police and fire. Police Department - The Mount Prospect Police Department serves and pro",:" tects the people.of theVUlage twenty-four hours each day. 1""', , The 'Poli.c.e-Department serviced 15,066 police-related complaints in 19'73 and , anticipates. ,an increase to 16,000 by the end of 1974. With the growing in- creaseinpO,pulation, services will be increased proportionately. With anticipated growth within the Police Department, recommendations are given tothe..priority .of expanded Police and Fire public service facilities. Many new programs are underway to provide the best for the citizens of Mount Prospect. Some of those to mention are: Police Cadets; Ride Along; Operation.Identification;. Tactical Enforcement; Operation Crime Watch; Officer Friendly. ."t Other Public Utilities - Public utilities and services (sanitary sewer, storm drmnage,' new streets, sidewalks, etc.) are normally providecfInres.ponse to urban development trends. (Illustrations 19M1, 2, 3) When a new subdi- . visionisiconstructed on a vacant site, the public facilities required to service the development are normally provided simultaneously. 1"""'. It is the purpose of the Plan, with respect to public utilities, to coordinate the future provisions of utilities with the recommendations and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. However, actual utility constrUction occurs as the co- ordinated result of requests by land developers just preceding the time of development. Areas ,to be serviced with new utilities should be developed in a logical sequence and with programmed utility extensions. Intermittent, areas should not be left vacant with unused utilities available. An exception to this rule may occur wh~ payment for construction and maintenance of the , , . -21- r'"', ~ r'- .. r\ ,/""-.. r-"\ ~ ~ ~~ "-:;r ~ ., .. utility adjacent to unused land is borne entirely by the developer of the land parcel obtaining the utility extension . Water Resources - The need for water is a primary consideration for !\1ount Prospect as well as our neighboring. communities. Water levels are dropping according to studies done by local, State and Federal bureaus. Lake Michigan water seems to be the logical source for the adequate solution to the problem. The Planning Commission recommends strongly that the Board of Trustees continue to .work with DAMP (Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights and Palatine Water Commission) and Share +3 which hopes to join with DAMP. Along .with the acquisition of Lake Michigan water, we strongly recommend thatL'1e-Citizens Utilities Company be1>urchased by the users served by that facility so that all water resources are under the control of the Village of Mount Prospect. The Plan should be utilized to assist in the planning, designing, and timing of new facilities, since all utilities and services must be adequate to handle future land uses. Civic and Cultural Center - Public buildings that serve citizens of Mount Prospect include municipal administration buildings ,central fire station, po1icif~station, library and post office . These buildings and/or functions areallloeated near each other in the--northeast quadrant of the Central BusinesscDistrict.While located in the same general vicinity, they have not been integrated as a designedcCivic andCtiltural Center-~- Theadvan- 'tages ofa iunctionalgrouping of public Duildingsare many: Offering con- venienee,ef interchange between different offices, one-stop service for the citizen, greater aesthetic significance,.Jower site cost, joint use of park- ing faCilities, and often lower maintenance:.and operation cost . - It is sug-,c gested in'the Village 'Plan that a Civic and Cultur:a1 Center be dev-eloped near the presently existing public buildings and that additional public parking or quasi-pUblic facilities be integrated ~nto the civic complex. Parks and Schools - The Plan designates both park and school facilities in accord'with sound planning principles. The locations and recommendations for thes~"facilities have been coordinated with the plans of each of the com- munity agencies, by designating the locations of sites desired for schools or parks on the Comprehensive Plan. (Illustration 20M) It becomes possi- ble to reserve proposed sites for future acquisition by means of an official map ordinance. -22 1"""', f' ~ If ~~."; ~ ~ ., f'\ -., / -'" -11 '""- ' .i .. . '\ ~ Joint park-school sites, a concept increasingly recognized in recent years, should continue to be developed in Mount Prospect. The park-school com- bines park, school, and re,creation facilities on <;>ne site as a neighborhood educational-cultural-social center. By joint planning and development, and cooperative maintenance and operation, the park-school becomes a unit that makes possible the programming, of year-round activities and longer use each day . This type of operation produces substantial savings over the cost of separate facilities. Locations of existing and suggested park-s9hool facilities are shown on the map. Summary of Community Facilities - Community facilities that are properly placed and developed are adjuncts to a better community. Although the various facilities needed by Mount Prospect will require a sizable outlay of public funds, the outlay will add to the attractiveness and livability of the Village, while encouraging private investments in the community. -23- .. , ":a'if