Elgin thinks outside the box for 'sustainable' development
Americans have embraced replacing their incandescent lightbulbs with compact, energy efficient fluorescents.
And the Toyota Prius is here to stay, while vehicles like the Hummer might go the way of the dinosaur.
But what about encouraging sustainable communities, those designed so well that people are able - and willing - to walk or bike nearby for their staples instead of piling into the SUV to grab a gallon of milk at the nearest superstore?
Elgin officials have asked themselves that question, and next year they will flesh out whether sustainability in new developments is an ideal the city wants to encourage.
City leaders took the first step by working with a Chicago-based planner this week who said the concept requires smaller lots, residences closer together, more apartments, better connections to mass transit and a high enough density to support small corner stores and a neighborhood center. In addition to people walking or biking, these developments are in harmony with nature.
"It is both about the natural environment and the human environment," said Doug Farr, president of Farr Associates.
He noted that many of Elgin's existing requirements, such as having as many as four houses per acre for developments on the far west side of town, make pursuing a sustainable development difficult if not illegal in the city.
Farr said people should not fear higher densities or rental units if they're planned correctly.
"This is not scary Communism or something like that," said Farr, noting rental units should be interspersed, not concentrated in one area. "A proper mix of these and you're there. This is not towers or high rises."
The next step is for the city council to discuss the concept during a spring retreat. Any actions or change in policy won't come until later next year or even 2010, and plenty of voices will be sought beforehand.
Mayor Ed Schock acknowledged it must take a shift in thinking. If it's adopted, he said, the city might have to offer developers incentives to integrate some of the concepts spelled out by Farr.
"There's going to be a lot of public input so people will accept some of these new ideas. There's still people who think the bigger the lot, the better the house ... but I think we're ahead of a lot of communities because we are acknowledging and inviting change," Shock said. "One of the things we have to dispel is the notion that density is bad. Density isn't good or bad. It depends on how it's designed. If it's well designed, it can be good. If it's poorly designed, it can be bad."
City spokeswoman Sue Olafson said officials in January hope to hire a firm that will review city policies, procedures and codes and suggest changes. She said sustainability also has social and economic ramifications.
"It's an education process," she said. "Everybody needs to understand what it means to be sustainable. It goes beyond changing your lightbulbs or riding your bike to work."