BLOOMINGTON, IL - A public meeting to kick off the Main Street Redevelopment Plan for Bloomington and Normal will be held Thursday, November 30 at 6:00 p.m. at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (110 E. Mulberry St.).

The plan will address a number of important issues impacting the five mile corridor between Interstate 55 on the north and Veterans Parkway on the south. Issues to be addressed in the plan include appearance, traffic flow, access to destinations along the corridor, business and housing development, parking, and integration of alternative transportation such as biking, walking and public transit.

The focus of the meeting will be an Image Preference Survey (IPS) designed to establish public opinion to help guide the planning process. This survey will include a slide presentation that compares different building and development types, which community members will be asked to rank based on their preferences. The results of the IPS will be considered in forming plans for the corridor. Additional opportunities for public input will be provided during later phases of the planning process.

The plan is a cooperative effort of the City of Bloomington, Town of Normal, BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University and McLean County Regional Planning Commission.

Farr Associates of Chicago has been contracted to serve as the urban planning consultant. Founded in 1990, this architecture, planning, and preservation firm specializes in sustainable architecture, town planning and urban design, and historic preservation. In 2001 Farr Associates designed the redevelopment plans for downtown Normal, and has completed projects throughout McLean County. The firm will provide an analysis of existing conditions within the Main Street corridor and provide a detailed plan that considers the public input received. The plan will include recommended strategies to enhance the corridor as a viable part of the community.

The project is being coordinated by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. For additional information, contact Paul Russell, executive director, at 828-4331, extension 22.

Former Mayor of Indianapolis, William H. Hudnut, III, will be the featured speaker at an Information Forum on Wednesday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m. at the Normal Theater located at 209 West North St. in downtown Normal. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.

Hudnut currently occupies the Urban Land Institute/Joseph C. Canizaro Chair for Public Policy at the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit Washington-based organization dedicated to promoting quality land use and influencing public policy through research and education. Hudnut also serves as Mayor of Chevy Chase, MD.

The event is being hosted by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission, City of Bloomington, Town of Normal and the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area. The topic of Hudnut's presentation is : "How Good Planning Can Make Your Community Attractive to People and Business."

Hudnut was Mayor of Indianapolis from 1976-1991 and is credited with helping to revitalize the City of Indianapolis during his administration. He is also a former United States Congressman (1973-75). After winning the Indianapolis mayoral election in 1976, Hudnut's stated goal for the city was to "build a cooperative, compassionate, and competitive city." Under his leadership, Indianapolis undertook major urban renewal initiatives that positioned the city for new business, education, tourism and special event opportunities. Hudnut is also a noted author having written several books including: "The Minister Mayor" (1987), "The Hudnut Years in Indianapolis" (1995), "Cities on the Rebound" (1998), and "Halfway to Everywhere" (2003).

He has also held positions at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, The Hudson Institute (Indianapolis), and the Civic Federation (Chicago). A board member and former President of the National League of Cities, Hudnut has received many awards including the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, Princeton University's highest alumni award. He was also named the Nation's Outstanding Mayor in 1988 by City and State Magazine and received the Rosa Parks Award from the American Association for Affirmative Action in 1992 among others. In addition to being a summa cum laude graduate of Princeton, Hudnut is also a Graduate of the Union Theological Seminary in New York and is an ordained minister. He has received honorary degrees from thirteen colleges and universities in recognition of his work as a public servant.

The McLean County Regional Planning Commission (MCRPC), in accord with 23 CFR Part 450.334 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, has prepared the draft FY 2004 - 2006 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the Bloomington-Normal Urbanized Area. The TIP is a three-year summary for urban area road improvement projects and public transit activities. The draft TIP is available from July 23, 2003 to August 22, 2003 for public review at the MCRPC office, 211 W. Jefferson, Bloomington, IL, M-F from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on the MCRPC web site at www.mcplan.org, and at the Bloomington and Normal Public Libraries.

The MCRPC is holding a public hearing concerning the TIP on Friday, August 22, 2003, at 10:30 a.m. at the McLean County Law and Justice Center, Room 700, 104 W. Front Street, Bloomington IL. Comments on the TIP should be submitted at the public hearing or to the MCRPC. If this draft TIP is not subsequently amended, except as by inclusion of public comment submitted as described above, the draft TIP is the final document and this Public Notice is the final notice of public hearing. If there are changes to the draft TIP, a subsequent notice of public hearing on the revised TIP will be published. Please direct questions to Jennifer Sicks, Transportation Planner, MCRPC, 309-828-4331 or jsicks@mcplan.org.

REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION ELECTS NEW CHAIR

Sharon A. Mcginnis was recently elected to be the Chairperson of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission for the 2003 Calendar Year.

Ms. Mcginnis is well prepared for her new role, having served on that Commission for the past six years and as Vice-chair for the past three years. She began her service on the Regional Planning Commission in January of 1997 as a Town of Normal representative, following a nomination by Mayor Kent Karraker and confirmation by the McLean County Board.

Previously, she was appointed by former Mayor Paul Harmon to the Normal Zoning Board Of Appeals, where she served for six years.

Her private sector experience includes serving as the Executive Vice President for Bloomington Unlimited, a downtown development corporation. She currently is a broker with RE/MAX Twin City Realtors in Bloomington.

The Commission also elected Don Fernandes as Vice-chair. Mr. Fernandes was nominated by Mayor Judy Markowitz to represent the City of Bloomington on the McLean County Regional Planning Commission where he began his service in October of 2000. Mr. Fernandes is currently a Financial Consultant with A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. in Bloomington. Previously, he served as CEO of First Federal Savings of Bloomington.

Both Ms. Mcginnis and Mr. Fernandes have been actively involved in a number of professional and community service organizations.

The mission of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission is to create a vision for the future and to promote that vision through long-range community planning, concensus building and advocacy. Funding for the Regional Planning Commission comes from the Illinois Department of Transportation and from equal contributions from Bloomington, Normal and McLean County, as well as from various service contracts.

- Press Release -

EAST SIDE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR OPEN HOUSE

The alignment recommendation for a freeway bypass on the east side of Bloomington-Normal is the topic for an Open House from 4 to 7 PM on Tuesday, April 2, 2002, at the Central Illinois Regional Airport conference facility, in the new airport terminal building.

Sponsored by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission, the Open House will feature presentation of recommendations for the routing of a freeway intended to connect I-55 near Towanda and I-74 near Downs. Such a freeway would be expected to provide enhanced access to developing areas on the east side of Normal and Bloomington, the corridor connecting Towanda and Downs, and offer a connection between Interstates 55 and 74. Current estimates place total project costs at between $235 to $250 million.

This will be the last of three public open houses conducted as part of a year-long feasibility and needs study of transportation requirements on the east side, conducted by project consultant Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates, Inc.

Substantial public interest in the study resulted from a January 31, 2002 public open house regarding alternative road corridors. The five corridors presented a broad set of options, from connecting Towanda-Barnes Road with the interstates, to constructing an interstate bypass with interchanges at key east-west streets in Bloomington and Normal. Approximate corridor cost estimates ranged from $158 to $266 million.

Persons with a disability planning to attend this meeting and requiring special accommodations should contact Phil Tegeler, Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates, Inc., by March 29, 2002 to advise of their planned attendance and requirements. The contact may be by telephone (888-839-9677), in writing (655 West Lincoln Ave., Suite B, Charleston, Illinois, 61920, by fax (217-348-1301) or by e-mail at ptegeler@mcleodusa.net. The meeting room is accessible for the disabled.

For more information, contact Jennifer Sicks, Transportation Planner, McLean County Regional Planning Commission, at 309-828-4331, or by e-mail at jsicks@mcplan.org.

Five possible alignments for a major transportation project on the east side of Bloomington-Normal will be presented at an open house from 4 to 7 PM on Thursday, January 31, 2002, at the Central Illinois Regional Airport conference facility, in the new airport terminal building. (See attached graphic file)

Sponsored by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission, this informal open house is the public's first opportunity to review and comment on potential routes for a new roadway, intended to connect I-55 near Towanda and I-74 near Downs, and provide enhanced access to developing areas on the east side of Normal and Bloomington. Consultants from Bernardin-Lochmueller will describe the alternatives, and the impact they are projected to have in lessening traffic congestion on the East Side.

The alternatives developed in the study present a broad set of options, from the addition of interstate interchange links with Towanda-Barnes Road, to the construction of a limited-access interstate bypass with interchanges at key east-west streets in Bloomington and Normal. Approximate project cost estimates range from $158 to $266 million.

Persons with a disability planning to attend this meeting and requiring special accommodations should contact Phil Tegeler, Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates, Inc., by January 28, 2002 to advise of their planned attendance and requirements. The contact may be by telephone (888-839-9677), in writing (655 West Lincoln Ave., Suite B, Charleston, Illinois, 61920, by fax (217-348-1301) or by e-mail at ptegeler@mcleodusa.net. The meeting room is accessible for the disabled.

For more information, contact Jennifer Sicks, Land Use/Transportation Planner, McLean County Regional Planning Commission, at 309-828-4331, or by e-mail at jsicks@mcplan.org.

• A clear majority felt growth would adversely affect the important quality of life features of traffic and commute, clean environment and low tax rate, while improving those of job opportunities and health care;
• Almost half of the respondents felt that government should neither encourage nor discourage future growth, with the other half split between favoring government's encouraging and discouraging future growth;
• Nearly two-thirds indicated that growth in McLean County should proceed on either a slower, or zero, growth rate;
• For those favoring limits on future growth, the most popular methods were the enforcement of stricter zoning laws and the encouragement of growth in the smaller towns of McLean County, followed by imposition of fees on new development, and limiting the number of building permits;
• An overwhelming majority of the survey respondents felt that the conservation of natural resources was a good reason to curtail further urban expansion;
• Even those who favor faster growth believe that steps must be taken to preserve natural resources;
• Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents support the development of new, mixed use, neighborhood centers intended to accommodate new growth and retain the high quality of life;
• Over half of the survey respondents stated that they would consider living in this type of neighborhood center based development;
• An overwhelming majority of the survey respondents believe that government should invest more resources to renew older neighborhoods and to encourage people to live there;
• Approximately thirty percent of the survey respondents indicated they did not want any more growth in McLean County;
• Over one-third of the survey respondents were concerned with the aesthetics of the current growth and would like to see future growth become more attractive;
• The overwhelming majority of the survey respondents had lived in McLean County for over ten years due mainly to job and family, mirrored the geographic distribution of population, and claimed to follow the local discussion of population issues at least "some".

February 16, 2000

Public Hearing Dates for the Preliminary Report of the McLean County Regional Comprehensive Plan

Public hearings have been scheduled (see below) for the presentation of the preliminary report of the McLean County Regional Comprehensive Plan ("Plan"). The Plan presents a guide for sensible growth through regional cooperation. It is a twenty year plan which addresses the key issues which will impact the quality of life in the urban and rural areas of McLean County. These issues include the natural environment, historic preservation and urban revitalization, economic development, population, housing, land use, transportation, and community facilities.

The Plan was developed in cooperation with over 100 persons from all walks of life. These individuals represented a wide range of public and private interests and who served on subcommittees to address the identified issues. The individuals provided ideas and expertise that benefited the Plan in many ways, including broadening of public understanding and support. The Plan also considers the three citizen visioning reports formed by Bloomington, Normal, and McLean County. More than 300 strategies were identified by the subcommittees. Of these, 118 were identified as priorities, and eighteen were identified as the top priorities for consideration within the next five years.

Citizens of McLean County may learn more about the Plan and express their opinions in a variety of ways. They may obtain a copy of the Fall 1999 edition of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission (MCRPC) newsletter "VISIONS", which summarizes the Plan by calling the MCRPC at (309) 828-4331 or sending an email to mark@mcplan.org. They may visit the MCRPC website, www.mcplan.org, to download the entire plan in a "pdf" format. Citizens may also view a copy of the Plan at the MCRPC office or at the Bloomington and Normal Public Libraries. Finally, all citizens are encouraged to attend the following public hearings to voice their opinion.

City of Bloomington
Wednesday, February 23, 2000, 4:00 p.m.
Bloomington City Hall
109 E. Olive St.

Town of Normal
Thursday, March 9, 2000, 5:00 p.m.
Normal City Hall
100 E. Phoenix Ave.

County of McLean
Thursday, April 6, 2000, 5:30 p.m.
Room 700, Law and Justice Center
104 W. Front St., Bloomington

For more information contact Mark Dravillas, Community Planner, by phone at (309) 828-4331 or email at mark@mcplan.org.