Kane County focuses on possible development problems

There are at least two large problems involved with the future of development in Kane County: obese residents and the economy. Both issues will fuel parts of the core philosophy the county considers for adopting into its long-range plans for population growth and reconfiguration of existing communities.

The first issue involves the sedentary lifestyles of many suburban residents. Some studies show areas with homes situated far from any other main destination and joined mainly by busy streets have more residents who suffer from obesity and hypertension. Part of what's behind that is the relatively difficult time residents may have getting from one place to another by walking or riding a bike compared to people who live in urban areas with more sidewalks and side streets with less traffic. Indeed, current estimates show about 18 of 100 residents in Kane County are likely to be obese, while nearly 24 out of 100 residents in Kane County are likely to have hypertension because of the design of their surroundings.

Kane County Executive Director of Development Phil Bus pointed to the fact that most local school districts use buses to transport 80 to 90 percent of their school population rather than have them walk as an example of how communities have been configured wrong.

"We need to seriously question are we doing things the right way," Bus said.

Kane County planning and development officials are teaming up with health department officials to consider ways of planning future developments and communities that are more walkable than they currently are.

Members of the county's regional planning commission may also tackle what the repercussions are if large commercial developments like shopping malls and downtown retail centers begin to fail as the economy sinks into a depression. Bus pointed out that many communities live and die by the amount of sales tax revenue they can generate to pay for city services. Too many municipalities have ushered in large residential developments with the idea of luring big box retailers through the appeal of a large potential customer base. Now, with the economy on the ropes, that life's blood for communities may turn anemic. As a result, the open-door policies of residential development may create a backfire, Bus and the commission said.

"It's unfortunate, but it's what we have to face," Bus said. "I don't think it's ever going to go back to what it was."