Buffalo Grove goes familiar route on new comprehensive plan
Buffalo Grove trustees voted Monday to hire RATIO Architects Inc. at a cost of $223,656 to help create the village's new comprehensive plan.
The work during the 19-month project will include creating a more detailed analysis and plan for the Dundee Road and Milwaukee Avenue corridors, and leading community outreach efforts.
The comprehensive plan will outline the long-term vision for the village, including future land use, transportation, housing and economic development. The village's current plan is 10 years old.
The Chicago-based firm also will create design guidelines for the Lake-Cook Road Corridor to supplement an existing plan for the area defined as the 472 acres between Arlington Heights Road to just west of Weiland Road, and from Old Checker Road to just south of Lake-Cook Road.
RATIO has a history in Buffalo Grove, having worked with the village on its plans for redeveloping the area surrounding the Prairie View Metra Station.
"Ratio is accustomed to working with the village and understands the high expectations and general management style," a memo from Nicole Woods, the village's deputy director of community development, states. "Finally, Ratio already is knowledgeable about Buffalo Grove's demographics, markets, and physical features, which allows for greater (and perhaps more creative) focus on future visioning."
Lesley Roth, an associate principal and director of urban planning for RATIO, will lead the project.
"We really focus on creating community value. We think this is especially important today with Buffalo Grove being a built-out, mature community and facing the challenges of a changing economy as well as a changing demographic," she said.
Some of the village's challenges she noted include aging structures and underutilized land.
"The public engagement process is really what this plan is about," Roth added, saying the firm would seek community input in-person and online.
Trustee David Weidenfeld quizzed the group about the fate of the data its collects online after the project's conclusion.
"Throughout this process, you will have access to all the data that is collected. So at the end of the process, you will have access to all of that. That will be yours," Roth responded.