The draft of a new McLean County Land Use Plan suggests future growth will largely happen on the fringes of Bloomington and Normal.
The McLean County Regional Planning Commission has refreshed a tool used to make future development decisions in the community. The draft of the Land Use Plan is up for public comment through July 23.
“This Strategic Land Use Plan is more than an advisory document. It is a shared vision and collective commitment to shaping a prosperous and sustainable future for all of McLean County,” said the conclusion to the draft.
Previous versions were all done independently by municipal governments.
“This plan is a little bit different, where it's focusing mainly on an updated land use map, and then that map is going to be a cohesive framework for all three of the major municipalities: city, town and county,” said Anthony Baumann, community planner for the Regional Planning Commission.
A "future growth" map highlights major growth areas.
“We have some in Normal, closer to Rivian, north Normal — near Nussbaum, and then east Normal — more residential. In Bloomington, there's going to be a lot of growth, pretty much all on the outskirts of the city limits,” said Baumann.
The document does not contain as much detail about infill or changing characteristics of already developed land in the community that could encourage more density.
“This plan is meant to be an update to the existing comprehensive plans for the city, town and county," said Baumann. "Currently, we're working on the county's newest update, but this is going to be essentially an appendix to what they have in their current adopted comprehensive plans that outlines a little bit more detail on infill development and utilizing existing developments. Those more intricate details will follow in individual comprehensive plan updates.”
Some excerpts of the plan are below.
West Normal
Planners identify the area as a future industrial/employment center because it has similar land uses and is not close to existing major residential areas. Public utilities are either already there or under study to the south.
The plan does not recommend growth north of Interstate 74 because utilities are not available.
North Normal
A future industrial or employment center. Plans are under way to bring utilities north of Northtown Road.
East Normal
Future residential with an emphasis on mixed densities. Road connectivity between Raab Road and Old Route 66 offers an opportunity for a commercial and light industrial employment center and a variety of residential. Sewer is not yet available east of the Vineyards and the Trails on Sunset Lake subdivisions.
There is an opportunity for a regional detention basin south of Raab Road and east of Towanda Avenue.
West Bloomington
Significant development pressure exists due to the distinctly different and physically separated nature of this part of the city because of the I-55/I-74 corridor. Connecting the residential population to the south with the large commercial and industrial area to the north is of paramount importance for the integrated, long-term success of both areas.
One restriction on growth is that the future alignment of Rivian Motorway is at a "high point" that may result in splitting sewer sheds with the east side [of the motorway] becoming quickly serviceable and the west side servicing potential not yet evaluated.
Southwest Bloomington
Possible future residential area is bounded by Six Points Road, Carrington Lane, Fox Creek Road, Scottsdale Avenue, and Timberwolf Road. Development of this area could result in the creation of a western access point for the Fox Creek subdivision, improving the connectivity and safety of this entire section of the city.
The document identifies pre-requisites to capitalize on growth potential. Among them, an extension of Rivian Motorway south from West Market Street to Six Points Road.
“I believe there's been a designated alignment for almost 20 years now,” said Baumann. “There are limiting factors ... a transportation project that significant … can typically not be constructed relying upon private development. So, there's a major barrier there when it comes to funding.”
South Bloomington west of Main
Public water and sewer are not yet available, and sewer would require use of lift stations. Installation of a proposed interceptor sewer along I-74 to the south would "drastically alter" the financial viability of utility servicing in the area. I-74 remains a barrier to development which prevents most commercial or mixed uses.
South Bloomington east of Main
Development would require water and sewer extension to be viable. Sewer access [N-S run of public main just west of Bunn Street] and the improvement of Bunn to “city collector” standard is the restriction in this area.
Southeast Bloomington
Water and sewer already are relatively available. Land acquisition and funding for an above-grade railroad crossing that would extend Hershey Road could significantly alter the future character of this area to reasonably include commercial and mixed-use surrounding the Hershey Road extension corridor, between Hamilton Road and U.S. Route 150, as well as southwest of that intersection.
The transportation network is "severely restricted" without a railroad crossing at the south end of Hershey Road.
In the area bounded by U.S. 150, Morrissey Drive, Long Lane Road, and Capodice Road, a single long-term landowner between existing development and the public school to the southeast may prohibit contiguous infill development.
Southeast Bloomington west of Towanda-Barnes
A new east-west transportation corridor must be identified and constructed before the area south of the railroad can be significantly developed. The vacation of Brokaw Road and existing substandard road status is restrictive.
On the east side of Bloomington-Normal, the draft plan notes a past reference to a proposed east side highway project, which failed to gain federal support. That will inflect the potential for future development.
“We met with engineers and planning staff from the city, town and county to discuss what to show on these proposed roadway maps ... It was determined that there would be some type of need for a new east side corridor to justify some of these land use developments. I would suggest, for any specific questions related to the proposed roadways, to reach out to those municipalities,” said Baumann.
East Bloomington
Future commercial/mixed use [roughly bounded by East Empire Street, Prairie Commercial Park, Ireland Grove Road, and Towanda Barnes Road.
Moderate-to-high intensity commercial park and retail uses could happen near the Towanda-Barnes corridor, accessed primarily from developments to the east. Mixed Use could transition from the commercial area into higher density residential, and suburban neighborhoods to the east.
Without the east side highway a linear, connected pattern of development is feasible, relying heavily on existing oversized public infrastructure. The neighborhoods that would support the commercial development appropriate for proximity to Towanda-Barnes would be located further from the borders of existing development and separated from that commercial use.
Community feedback needed
The draft also suggests a need to preserve natural resources, one of the land designations identified.
“It highlights areas of forest in the county as well as potential flood hazard areas and parks. It's something that in McLean County we want to prioritize, preserving the natural resources in the county is going to be one of the more important topics in the coming future,” said Baumann.
A public comment period on the document closes July 23.
“We are now looking for some public review and comment on the draft plan itself," he said. "Things in the plan that you like, you don't like, you think makes sense. You think don't make sense. Just an overall review of the plan so we can get some of that feedback and go back in and update it from there before we adopt it.”
