Naperville seeks resident input for master plan

Naperville residents are invited to share their vision for the city's continued development as part of planned updates to the comprehensive master plan.

The plan, first adopted in 1960, serves as a guide for growth and development, providing direction to those seeking to develop their land, as well as the decision-makers who decide whether requests should be approved.

Two workshops have been scheduled to provide residents with the chance to learn more about the planning process and help identify valued development trends and concepts. They will be held simultaneously from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, June 17, at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St., and at the 95th Street Public Library, 3015 Cedar Glade Road.

Workshop content will be the same at both locations.

Community members also are invited to visit the project website at naperville.il.us/master-plan-update/ for project news.

As Naperville has grown, so too has its plan - from a single document serving 12,933 residents in 1960, into three area plans and 27 subarea plans that have helped shape Naperville into the destination city of today.

The comprehensive master plan update will result in a new, user-friendly plan document that:

• Takes into consideration rapidly changing development concepts and trends.

• Incorporates resident input and ideas.

• Consolidates area and many subarea plans into a single, streamlined master plan that provides clear guidance to residents, developers and community leaders

The updated plan will recommend land-use designations for 10 geographic areas within the city's planning boundaries. The plan also will provide goals and recommendations that will apply citywide for topics such as gaps in the housing market, aging commercial areas, environmental sustainability and changing technology.

Houseal Lavigne Associates LLC, a consulting firm specializing in community planning, has been contracted to update the plan.

Once the planning process is underway, do-it-yourself workshop kits will be available at the municipal center. These kits will offer residents the ability to host their own workshops, posing similar questions to those asked at the community workshops.

The kits will be key in gathering input from specific segments of the city's population, while helping to bolster interest in the planning process through citizen-led outreach.