The Wesley Township Planning Committee is beginning the process of updating the Township Comprehensive plan. For this to be a success input from the community is an important part because the plan needs to reflect the views of the Township residents. Trying to find times for groups of people to meet and spend a couple of hours discussing different aspects of the plan is difficult so the tendency is to forgo this important step in the process.
The committee has decided to use the resources available on the internet to supplement the normal methods of distributing information to gather opinions so that the committee can discern where residents stand on import issues that will be faced in the future. For that purpose a website has been setup that will allow anyone to share ideas and keep up with the process without having to attend meetings. The input received from the website will be presented at meeting for discussion.
Many diverse items need to be decided. Everyone hears about conservation design, open space, large lots. Conventional lots, sense of community, rural character, cluster development, lot density and many others. One purpose of the plan is to define what these terms mean for Wesley Township because developers, planners, real estate agents, residents and government officials more often than not use them to mean different things. Then when plans are submitted the terms are argued over and more often than not interpreted differently from case to case instead of remaining consistent.
Realistically development can’t be stopped however it can be guided and controlled if proper planning prior to it coming rather than waiting to react to the development as it arrives. A good plan will let developers know prior to starting their planning what type of infrastructure and amenities the Township expects from them.
Plans for locating future trails, parks, schools and places that should be kept undeveloped etc need to be made now even if they are never needed in the future. Why? Because if development does come and we haven't done the planning then it will be the developers who will decide for us.
What many may not realize is the plan more than just land use and zoning. They are important components of a plan; they are the tools elected officials will use to see the plan gets implemented. A well written comprehensive plan also considers and provides guidance on other important issues. The purpose of the plan is to serve as a guide for elected officials to follow helping reduce sudden changes in policy and direction without input from residents. It also provides a way for residents to evalute the effectiveness of their elected officials.
Among things that can be considered:
Should the Township consider annex agreements?
Should the Township pursue incorporation itself similar to Homer Glen? Do residents want this?
Should public water and sewer be considered for parts of the Township? Is there Interest?
A transportation can be included to help prioritize road maintenance and construction. Part of the transportation plan could identify the main roads not everyone agrees completely on this. Prioritize road for snowplowing and areas for salting. Establish what improvements are needed on what roads. How are roads improvements are prioritized; as they cannot all be done at once. This will help reduce misunderstandings and arguments about why one road was done over another.
Questions that can be addressed include :
How will the funding be obtained?
What options are available which are practical?
These are many other items that can be documented so that things can be evaluated in a consistent sensible manner and allow residents to know what to expect.