O-64-02 10/21/02VILLAGE OF LEMONT
5493/0117 33 001 Paos: of 56
2003 -02 -27 1 1 : 21 32
Cook County Rem-der 262-50
ORDINANCE NO.
OCTOBER 21, 2002
AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING AN OFFICIAL
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE VILLAGE OF LEMONT
ADOPTED BY THE
PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OF THE VILLAGE OF LEMONT
THIS 21ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2002
PUBLISHED IN PAMPHLET FORM BY
AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT AND
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF
LEMONT, COUNTIES OF COOK, WILL, AND
DUPAGE, ILLINOIS THIS 21ST DAY OF
OCTOBER, 2002.
VILLAGE OF LEMONT
ORDINANCE No. - '02--
OCTOBER 21, 2002
0020282605
AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING AN OFFICIAL
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE VILLAGE OF LEMONT
WHEREAS, the Village of Lemont is authorized by the Illinois Municipal Code to
adopt an official comprehensive plan for the present and future development and
redevelopment of the municipality; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Lemont Board of Trustees directed the Lemont Plan
Commission to prepare a new comprehensive plan and recommend the same to the
Board of Trustees for adoption; and
WHEREAS, the Lemont Plan Commission subsequently prepared the
comprehensive plan, incorporated herein and attached as Exhibit A, to the Village
Board of Trustees; and
WHEREAS, Public Hearings on the proposed plan were conducted by the
Lemont Plan Commission on June 29, 2002 and July 9, 2002; and
WHEREAS, the comprehensive plan as prepared by the Plan Commission
contains recommendations on Issues and Opportunities, Public Participation, Land
Use, Transportation, Community Facilities, Housing, Economic Development, Natural
Resources, Telecommunications and Energy, Plan Implementation, and includes a
Future Land Use Map and other exhibits; and
WHEREAS, said plan is an advisory document applicable to the Village of
Lemont and contiguous territory within one and a half miles of the corporate limits; and
WHEREAS, said comprehensive plan is intended to replace the existing Village
of Lemont Comprehensive Plan, ( "1993 Comprehensive Plan "), adopted October 25,
1993 by Ordinance No. 804; and
WHEREAS, the Village Board may amend the Comprehensive Plan as a whole
or in part, from time to time; and THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
THE VILLAGE OF LEMONT, COUNTIES OF COOK, DUPAGE, AND WILL, ILLINOIS:
0030282605
Section 1: Official Comprehensive Plan. That the attached Exhibit A, entitled
the Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan, dated October 21, 2002, including maps
and exhibits, is hereby adopted as the official comprehensive plan of the Village of
Lemont.
Section 2: Replacement of the 1993 Comprehensive Plan. That the Village of
Lemont Comprehensive Plan adopted herein shall replace the 1993 Comprehensive
Plan.
THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT TEN (10) DAYS
FROM AND AFTER ITS PASSAGE, APPROVAL AND PUBLICATION, WHICH SHALL
BE IN PAMPHLET FORM.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OF THE VILLAGE OF LEMONT, COUNTIES OF COOK, DuPAGE AND WILL,
ILLINOIS, on this 21St day of October, 2002.
John Benik
Debbie Blatzer
Peter Coules
Connie Markiewicz
Steve Rosendahl
Jeanette Virgilio
Attest:
/&;�,.�,. /� %1/,_
•
Ayes Nays Abstain Absent
</
v
v
Approved by me this 21St day of October, 2002.
CHARLENE SM
LLEN, Village Clerk
-2-
Z:\ ORDINMICLLYNMS \Comprehensive.Plan.wpd
003028,2605
Village of Lemont
Comprehensive Plan
2002
LEMONT 2002 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Table of Contents
0030282 05
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
I. Introduction 1
Purpose
Organization of the Plan
II. Background 4
Historical Sketch
Previous Plans
Population Trends and Patterns
III. Issues and Opportunities 6
Growth Management
Open Space Preservation
Redevelopment
Industrial Land Use
Transportation Management
Economic Development
Community Appearance
Inter- governmental Coordination
IV. Public Participation 18
The Planning Process
Strategies for Involvement of the Public
V. Land Use 20
Downtown
Traditional Lemont Neighborhoods
Corridor Land Use
Waterways
State Street
127th Street
Interchange Area
Southeast of Archer Area
VI. Transportation 32
Arterial Road System
Local Streets
Metra
Pace
Bicycle and Pedestrian Routes
Freight Routes
Air Transportation
-i-
003028260 5
VII. Community Facilities '37
Schools
Parks
Water Systems
Wastewater Collection and Treatment
Storm Water Management System
Village Buildings and Grounds
Fire Protection District
Library
VIII. Housing 40
Structural Types
Housing Needs
IX. Economic Development 41
Labor Force
Local Employers
Marketing and Tourism Development
Business Retention and Outreach
X. Natural Resources 43
Bluffs and Valleys
Woods
Wetlands and Surface Water
Drainage Ways and Streams
XI. Telecommunications and Energy 45
Electricity
Natural Gas
Telephone
Cable
Wireless
Emergency Communications
Fuel Pipelines
XII. Plan Implementation 46
Zoning Text
Zoning Map
Cook County Zoning Map
Subdivision Regulations
Attachments
003028`2G0:�
THE VILLAGE OF LEMONT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2002
OCTOBER 21, 2002
I. INTRODUCTION
The Lemont 2002 Comprehensive Plan is the master plan for the future growth and development
of the Village of Lemont. As such, it is a guide to decision - making in matters that affect the
quality of life in the community.
This Plan has been prepared pursuant to the Illinois Municipal Code, which grants municipal
Plan Commissions the authority "to prepare and recommend to the corporate authorities a
comprehensive plan for the present and future development or redevelopment of the
municipality" (65 ILCS 5/11- 12 -5). The document follows the format for municipal
comprehensive plans specified in recent legislation, the Local Planning Technical Assistance Act
(Public Act 92- 0768).
The Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002 is adopted by ordinance with the following purposes:
1. To plan the orderly growth and development of the Village and contiguous
unincorporated territory within one and one -half miles of the Village ( "the planning
area ");
2. To establish standards of design for subdivisions and resubdivision of land;
3. To establish reasonable requirements for the planning, design, and use of streets, alleys,
public service facilities, public grounds, sidewalks, parks, schools, residential lots, storm
water drainage, water supply and distribution, sanitary sewers, sewage collection and
treatment;
4. To designate land suitable for annexation to the municipality and the recommended
zoning classification for such land upon annexation and ultimate development; and
5. To adopt an official map of the Village of Lemont planning area; and
6. To serve other purposes as authorized by Illinois planning enabling legislation.
This plan is adopted as a whole upon the passage of ordinances by the corporate authorities of
the Village of Lemont. It may be amended in whole or in part from time to time by ordinance.
Organization of the Plan.
This Plan consists of twelve chapters, including this introduction.
Chapter II, "Background," will describe Lemont as it existed prior to and during the preparation
of the plan. The location of the municipality, its history, physical setting, population
The Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section I. Introduction
003028 605
characteristics, transportation systems, and relationship to the northeastern Illinois economy are
summarized.
Chapter III, "Issues and Opportunities," is an overview of the major findings of the plan - the
important issues and how the plan responds to them.
The "Public Participation" chapter (IV) explains who participated in the making of the plan to
date, and how citizens may participate in the continuing process of planning the community.
The remaining Chapters are functional categories: V, Land Use; VI, Transportation; VII,
Community Facilities; VIII, Housing; IX, Economic Development; X, Natural Resources; XI,
Telecommunications and Energy; and XII, Plan Implementation.
The Future Land Use Map and the Transportation System Map together constitute the "Official
Map" of the Village. According to the Illinois Municipal Code, the
... corporate authorities may designate by ordinance an official map, which map may
consist of the whole area included within the official comprehensive plan or one or more
separate geographical or functional parts, and may include all or any part of the
contiguous unincorporated area within one and one -half miles from the corporate limits
of the municipality. Such map or maps shall be made a part of the ordinance, which
ordinance shall specifically state standard requirements of the municipality relating to
the size of streets, alleys, public ways for public service facilities; the kind and quantity
of materials which shall be used in the construction of streets, and alleys; and the kind
and quality of materials for public service facilities as may be consistent with Illinois
Commerce Commission or industry standards, and shall contain the standards required
for drainage and sanitary sewers and collection and treatment of sewage. The map shall
be drawn to scale, shall be reasonably accurate, and shall show north point, section lines
and numbers and streams."
Uses of the Official Map include the following:
1. To determine consistency of subdivision proposals with the map, and accept or reject
them on that basis. The law provides that the corporate authorities of the Village "shall
determine whether a proposed plat of subdivision or resubdivision complies with the
official map (65 ILCS 5/11-12-8)."
2. To enforce reservations of public land as a condition of subdivision plat approval
"Whenever the reasonable requirements provided by the ordinance including the official
map shall indicate the necessity for providing for a school site, park site, or other public
lands within any subdivision for which approval has been requested... " The corporate
authorities having jurisdiction over such use have one year from the date of plat approval
to acquire such land or commence condemnation proceedings to acquire the land (65
ILCS 5/11- 12 -6). In addition to school and park sites, "public lands" includes public
road, street and utility rights -of -way, pedestrian ways, open space, fire stations, public
libraries, drainage ways and storm water detention or retention basins, sewage treatment.
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The Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section I. Introduction
0030282m 05
3. (water reclamation) works, well and pump station sites, Village building sites, and other
customary uses of public land.
Throughout the document, there are lists of "goals, objectives, and policies" that denote specific
recommendations of this plan:
• Goals are the long -term vision statements indicating the ultimate aims, directions and
desired outcomes of the plan. The goal statements are typically general in nature.
o Objectives are recommended tasks or other achievements that make up steps in the
attainment of short or long range goals. They are more specific and often more tangible
than goals.
➢ Policies are the strategies, commitments, and practices that the Village employs to
implement the plan.
Readers interested in specific geographic areas of the Village should consult the Land Use
chapter and map to understand the plan's recommendations for their area of interest. For others
seeking information on special topics, such as transportation or public utilities, the chapters
relating to those topics are appropriate.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section II. Background
II. BACKGROUND
3 f#0 tU5
Historical Sketch
Lemont, Illinois has been an incorporated Village since 1873. Migrants to the Illinois frontier
settled it in the 1830s as the Town of Athens (platted in 1839), located near the portage between
the Chicago and Des Plaines Rivers explored by French explorers Father Jacques Marquette and
Louis Joliet in 1673. The portage, foreseen by Marquette as a likely route for a canal, became
175 years later the right -of -way of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Originally inhabited by
Native Americans, the area that became Lemont was cleared for European settlement by an 1833
treaty. The Native American legacy survives in features such as roadways (Archer Avenue, for
example, follows a Native American trail in part) and place names (for example, Keepataw
Forest Preserve). Heavy European - American settlement followed the initial federal land grant
for the Illinois and Michigan Canal, which began construction in 1836 but, owing to a national
depression in 1837 and other difficulties, it was not completed until 1848.
The Illinois and Michigan Canal was part of a brief but significant trend in the building of the
nation's transportation system. Until railroads established themselves as the most efficient way
to ship most commodities, canals were the preferred mode. Consequently, the opening of the
Illinois and Michigan linked Chicago to national markets and played an important role in the
early, rapid growth of the city. Lemont became a small industrial center on the canal,
specializing in the quarrying of limestone (nicknamed "Athens Marble ") for building material, as
well a service center for local farmers.
The Village experienced growth in response to the construction of the Main Channel of the
Chicago Sanitary District, which was constructed between 1892 and 1900. The influx of
construction workers was reflected in the development of "Smokey Row," a business district
crowded with saloons. The saloons and squatter housing are now a thing of the past, but Lemont
has remained a community tied to its industrial past. Many residents worked in Lemont
industries or nearby industrial districts.
For much of the 20th century, Lemont remained relatively isolated from the rest of the Chicago
area. The construction of the Stevenson Expressway (I -55), development of Argonne National
Laboratory, and establishment of Metra Service on the Heritage Corridor, as well as the general
trend of suburbanization, contributed to a new era of subdivision and growth of Lemont from the
1970s to the present time.
Planning in Lemont
Though the State of Illinois passed zoning and planning enabling legislation as early as the
1920s, the Village of Lemont did not pass its first Zoning Ordinance until 1959 and did not
create its first Plan Commission until 1964. Consequently, a large area of Lemont is "pre -
ordinance," - developed without aid of zoning and subdivision laws. This circumstance is by no
means unusual; small towns generally have tended to adopt zoning and planning methods later
than large cities. It has resulted, however, in a contrast between the dense, sometimes irregular
style of development in the downtown and the older neighborhoods and the more extensive,
standardized appearance of more recent subdivisions and districts.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section II. Background
00 0 2 2 G 0 5
The Village created a professional planning department in 1990. In 1994, the Village
consolidated the Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals in a Planning & Zoning
Commission. The "P and Z" handled both long range planning and the review of all manner of
zoning petitions until 2001, when the Village again established a separate Plan Commission and
Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The former is charged with the preparation of long -range plans
and review of subdivisions, while the latter reviews petitions for zoning approvals of all types
(zoning map amendments, special uses, variations, and appeals).
Planning has also been accomplished through the years by the elected officials, various standing
and ad hoc committees, appointed commissions, non - profit organizations and the local business
community. Among the planning documents that have been produced are the following:
Lemont Comprehensive Plans: 1969, 1977, 1993
Illinois and Michigan Canal Acquisition Report 1969
Neighborhood Preservation and Residential Revitalization Program 1981
Downtown Lemont Plan 1994
Urban Forestry Management Plan 1995
Economic Development Commission Report 1996
Population Trends and Patterns
The Village of Lemont in 2000 numbered 13,089 persons out of a total Township population of
18,002. As seen in the table below, Lemont's population has been growing steadily for decades.
Table 1 Village of Lemont Population (incorporated Village only)
Census Year Population Change from Previous Census
1920 2,322
1930 2,582 11%
1940 2,557 (1 %)
1950 2,751 8%
1960 3,397 23
1970 5,080 50%
1980 5,640 11%
1990 7,348 30%
2000 13,089 78%
Forecasting population growth is difficult, but for planning purposes a future population of
approximately 25,000 is projected in the Township, based on the quantity of undeveloped,
privately -owned land in areas zoned and planned for residential use. A year 2010 population of
15,600 is projected, based on approved but not yet built dwelling units in the Village and
Township. The recent rate of growth is expected to slow as the supply of available parcels
diminishes. Projected Village population as a subtotal of the Township population will depend
on the rate of annexation of residential areas. Presently, approximately one -third of the
Township land area and 72 percent of the Township population is within incorporated Lemont.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
III. ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Growth Management.
Lemont is a growing community. The sources of the growth are many: Lemont's location in the
middle of a growing region, the quality of life, availability of land, and the expectation of a
tollway extension to the municipality. Whatever the causes, this plan assumes that growth is
likely to continue as long as Lemont and general economic conditions have the capacity to
accommodate it. The plan is neither a concession to development pressure nor is it a "no- growth
plan." The goals, objectives, and policies of the plan have been formulated to manage growth in
a manner that is beneficial to the long -term interests of the community.
Though all of the topics in this chapter can be related to growth, there are several issues that may
be classified as outcomes of growth in general:
Land Consumption. Continued development "consumes" land by replacing rural landscapes with
a landscape of a more suburban character. Many residents are attracted to Lemont as a place to
live because there are large tracts of undeveloped land. Development raises concerns about the
corresponding decline in open space and the loss of opportunity for alternative land uses that
might be in the long -term best interest of the municipality.
Plan recommendations pertinent to the land consumption issue:
• Increase open space resources in direct proportion to the increase in development in the
community.
• Balance the demands for new housing with the long -range needs for commercial centers,
light industrial land use, roadway right -of -way, and public facilities.
o Obtain and maintain a minimum ratio of 10 acres of parkland to every 1,000 residents in
the Village and its planning area.
> All but the smallest developments are required to set -aside permanent, community open
space in their plans. The open space may be undisturbed area for resource conservation
purposes (e.g., a wetland or flood plain area), a park donation (if off -site, a commitment
to the location should be established prior to plan approval), or combination.
> Consistency with the land use element of this plan is required. Where projects deviate
from the land use recommendations, require the petitioner to present studies and analysis
that justify the change.
> Cluster or conservation design may be recommended in those areas where conventional
development will have an adverse impact on wetlands, flood plain, mature trees and
vegetation, and moderate to steep slopes. The Land Use Plan identifies parcels that are
especially recommended for either cluster or conservation design.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
03028. 605
Timing and Rate of Growth. In Lemont, as in most suburban communities that are growing, the
rate of growth is a concern. Public and private schools have to budget for capital facilities to
keep pace with the growth enrollment. The municipality has to be concerned about water system
capacity, the 'cost of services, etc.; the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has to monitor
waste water treatment plant capacity, and environmental organizations monitor air, water, and
soil quality.
• Make growth in the form of new land developments pay for the costs that it generates.
• Keep the rate of growth moderate enough to allow schools to provide "bricks and mortar"
classrooms and normal classroom sizes for 100 percent of the student population.
➢ Residential developments are required to pay impact fees for school, park and (where
applicable) library purposes and all land development projects shall provide for public
improvements that approximate the costs that they generate.
➢ The Village Land -Cash Donation Ordinance, which collects donations to offset the costs
of development to school and park districts, shall be reviewed annually to keep its
donation rates competitive and its requirements legally consistent.
Residential Density. The number of dwelling units allowed per unit of land, or "density" of
residential development, is raised as a public concern time and time again. While higher
densities can be a more efficient use of land, they can also strain the capacity of local
infrastructure and change the aesthetic character of the community. Minimum lot area, however,
should be used primarily as a standard to insure that individual building sites are large enough to
provide adequate air, light and positive drainage around structures, and not as a tool to
manipulate gross development density. As stated by the Village's planning consultant,
"One of the most commonly held misconceptions regarding residential density is that
density is solely a function of lot size. It is recommended that density be regulated as the
maximum number of dwellings permitted for the buildable acreage involved. The
rationale for this recommendation is that where minimum lot size is the controlling
variable, the ability to conserve usable open space is minimized. In this scenario, it is
very important to make adjustments for lands that are inherently unbuildable. Such lands
would include wetlands, floodplain, and areas with preservable hard wood vegetation
and areas with very poor soils.
"The key to this process is to assign a reasonable and rational density to the remaining
developable tracts within Lemont's planning jurisdiction. This step should be
accompanied by an environmental constraints inventory. Much of this inventory data is
available from various sources, including the Cook County Comprehensive Plan, the
National Wetlands, Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood maps and aerial
photographs." (Linden Lenet Land Design 2000, Draft Master Plan)
Accordingly, the plan specifies a range of densities ranging from very low (0 -1.5 dwelling
units /acre) to high (6 du /ac to 12 du /ac) and establishes criteria for each.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
030282605
• Maintain the character, identity, and scale of Lemont as a small town encircled by rural
and semi -rural areas.
o In general, maintain a decrease in residential density as distance from the traditional
community center, located at Stephen and Main Streets, increases. The "low- density
residential" area makes a transition to "very low density ".
➢ Evaluate project density on the basis of gross density for the entire site (including areas
to remain open space) as specified in the Future Land Use Plan.
Scattered development pattern. For a variety of reasons — small size of available parcels, the
extensive rural perimeter around Lemont, and infrastructure limitations - growth in Lemont tends
to be geographically scattered rather than focused in one or two sectors. This plan recommends
south of 127`" Street (where contiguous to the Village) and downtown as highest priority areas
for new development, redevelopment, and infill construction. In the downtown, infill
development and some redevelopment of selected obsolete properties is recommended. Stated
another way, the Village should focus on closing the gaps in its existing boundaries to the extent
possible before pushing its boundaries farther. Annexation of the outlying areas is desirable, but
development of the outlying areas in the near term is not. The I -355 interchange area will
increase in priority as the toliway extension becomes closer to reality.
• Establish priority areas for development and redevelopment. The highest priority areas in
2002 are the downtown and the parcels south of 127th Street to Archer Avenue.
o Improve the infrastructure linkages to outlying developed areas from the core of the
Village.
o Delineate areas of high, moderate, and low priority for development as an amendment of
this agreement.
➢ Consistency with the land use plan, including density recommendations, is required even
when off -site improvement costs are relatively high. The practice of trading a higher
density for off -site capital improvements is discouraged.
Open Space Preservation.
Lemont, like many communities experiencing growth, is responding to land development by
developing strategies of open space acquisition and preservation.
The Township Open Space Referendum that passed in 2001 is evidence that Lemont taxpayers
want land retired from development. The Lemont Comprehensive Plan recommends acquisition
of open space to preserve woodlands, flood plains and drainage ways, prairie, bluffs, water
bodies, wetlands and "green ways" that enhance community appearance, buffer neighborhoods
from intensive land use, and allow space for future public facilities including recreational trails
and parks.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
Community Open Space
During preparation of this Comprehensive Plan, the term "open space" has been difficult to
define. A suggested definition for "community open space" is "That part of the countryside
which has not been developed and which is desirable for preservation in its natural state for
ecological, historical, or recreational purposes, or in its cultivated state to preserve
agricultural, forest, or urban greenbelt areas."'
• Create a comprehensive greenway system through the planning area.
o Investigate all possible means to acquire or otherwise preserve open space in the canal
corridor lands that are adjacent to the Illinois & Michigan Canal.
> Support Township efforts to acquire community open space and pursue other methods of
open space acquisition to further the goals and objectives of the Township Open Space
Plan, adopted by reference in this plan.
Planned Unit Development Open Space
There are two other concepts related to the notion of community open space in this plan. The
first is Planned Unit Development (PUD) Open Space. This term denotes the green areas within
the PUD site plan. It will be recommended that all PUDs include a significant percentage of the
site area as permanently landscaped or vegetated open area. The open space may include
"undisturbed" areas of vegetation, parks, rear yards, landscaped islands, and other spaces of
planted vegetation, but it does not include the "buildable" area of lots, streets (including
parkways and sidewalks), parking lots, or the area required for storm detention. The fifty percent
open space is by no means the only PUD requirement.
o Amend the Planned Unit Development (PUD) regulations to include a standard for
minimum open space.
> Require new developments, other than singular buildings and small infill sites, to be
developed as PUDs.
Open Space Ratio
Open space for purposes of computing open space ratio is the sum of landscaped area on a
development site. This is termed "pervious surface" or "pervious area."
o All zoning districts should be amended to include a minimum percentage of "green" area
on a lot, expressed as a minimum open space ratio (OSR).
Redevelopment and Historic Preservation
Lemont is a very old municipality. In addition to new development at the fringe of the built -up
area, there is interest in redevelopment within older, established districts and neighborhoods.
' Solnit, Albert. The Job of the Planning Commissioner. 3' ed. Washington, DC: American Planning Association,
1987: p. 26.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
0020 28 2 5
There is a need to revitalize some areas that are obsolete in one or more respects: land use
pattern, infrastructure, or building quality.
Lemont established a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District in the downtown area in 1990. The
TIF Project and Plan is a redevelopment program that authorizes the use of incremental future
property tax revenues within the TIF boundary to pay for public and private improvements in the
District. TIF is a common redevelopment technique.
This plan recommends the continued use of TIF District No. 1 to improve the downtown. TIF
expenditures may include public infrastructure, including but not limited to streets, sidewalks,
streetscape, lighting, water, sewer, drainage, and public parking lots, and grants for building
revitalization and signs. A modest increase in the structural density (more buildings and total
floor space; perhaps structured parking) of the downtown TIF is advised, to increase the assessed
valuation and to abide by the principles of Transit - Oriented Development (TOD).
Historic District
The redevelopment activities must be balanced with the Historic Preservation District. Buildings
that are "non- contributing" structures in historic district should be considered for removal, and if
the buildings are incompatible with their surroundings. A "non- contributing" structure is one,
which, although located within a historic district, has no real historic significance in the
judgment of the Historic Preservation Commission and /or the Village Board.
Downtown Redevelopment Recommendations
• Make capital improvements in and around the downtown to improve access, expand
parking supply, and strengthen the connections between downtown and the quarry
recreation area to the east and the brownfield redevelopment parcels to the north (Tri-
Central Terminal; MWRDGC owned parcels on the Sanitary & Ship Canal).
• Through landscaping, street furniture, and pedestrian path improvements, highlight the
segment of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in the downtown.
• Increase the number of housing units in the downtown by planning sites suitable for new
mixed use (street -level commercial; apartments above) and residential buildings.
o Reconstruct the old Stephen Street bridge over the Sanitary and Ship Canal to create a
direct route to and from downtown and the MWRDGC property east and west of the
State Street bridge.
o Construct a public plaza at the end of Stephen Street to create a public view on the
Sanitary and Ship Canal. Improve the viaduct at the BNSF RR crossing to create a more
appealing entry to this area.
o Pursue a second grade- separated access, at minimum for pedestrians, across the BNSF
RR between the downtown and the former Tri- Central parcel.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
003028, 605
o Plan and build a Village -owned structured parking facility in the downtown.
➢ Support redevelopment initiatives that conform to the goals and objectives of a unified
downtown plan.
➢ Favor the assemblage of parcels and coordinated redevelopment over the piecemeal,
uncoordinated development of individual parcels.
Industrial Drive Area
Because of its location within one -half mile of the Metra station, the commercial - industrial
buildings grouped around Industrial Drive have been tentatively identified for redevelopment as
multi- family housing on the Future Land Use Plan. This should be understood as a very long-
term redevelopment goal, because the businesses there are viable. A path connection to the
downtown using the Illinois & Michigan Canal also would be a prerequisite to residential
development (see note on Future Land Use Plan).
Industrial Water Way Corridor
Other areas have been identified for redevelopment. The industrial water way corridor is an
example of an area where many of the factors that qualify an area for a TIF redevelopment area
are present (dilapidation, obsolescence, structures below minimum code, deleterious land use or
layout, depreciation of physical maintenance, etc.), though TIF need not be the specific
redevelopment tool used.
• Redevelop the S.R. 83 area, including the industrial district north of Main Street, west of
S.R. 83 and the junkyards in the vicinity of S.R. 83, Archer Avenue, and Grant Road, as
improved light industrial or office- research - industry sites, with some commercial
development.
• Plan and work with Metra to establish a second commuter train station in the vicinity of
SR 83.
o Develop plans to extend water and sewer service to the Main - Grant -Old Archer -SR 83
area, investigate sources of brownfield redevelopment funding, and prepare conceptual
land use plans for redevelopment of the area.
➢ Object to zoning petitions within the 1.5 -mile planning jurisdiction that do not conform
to the above goals.
Residential Redevelopment
In the residential neighborhoods, redevelopment on a large scale is not desired. Some
"redevelopment" will result from the expansion of institutions, such as the several religious
institutions and schools that are located in older neighborhoods (there are five churches in the
Traditional Lemont Neighborhood). There is housing along New Avenue that is exposed to truck
routes and adjacent industrial land use. As opportunities arise, these housing units should be
replaced by a pattern of land use that is more compatible with its surroundings. Similarly, there
are single rows of older, single - family housing along Main Street east of the downtown.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
003 28` J J
The Village expects a number of teardown replacement dwellings and construction of new
dwellings on "infill" lots (vacant lots in developed neighborhoods) to occur in the years to come.
Typically, this activity is dispersed throughout the older neighborhoods of a municipality and
does not follow an organized pattern. Goals and objectives for replacement housing are
elsewhere in the plan.
Industrial Land Use.
Lemont is characterized by a large acreage of industrial land use, particularly along the
waterways and along Main Street, east and west of the downtown. Though there are heavy
industries such as petroleum refining and distribution, chemical processing and distribution,
cement and asphalt processing, and until recently steel making, the majority of the industry in
the community is not manufacturing of goods and products. Approximately 30 businesses
require Illinois EPA air emissions permits. Warehousing, distribution, repair, and storage
functions constitute most of the industry in the area. Marine - oriented industries are also a strong
presence on the sanitary and ship canal. There are 20 documented barge- mooring sites along the
canal.
Though the industrial water way has been a familiar feature of the landscape for generations, the
community is no longer tolerant of its effects on the environment. This plan, therefore, seeks to
reduce the intensity and quantity of industrial land use in the municipality and its planning area.
Intensity, meaning effects such as truck traffic generation, air and water emissions, noise,
building and floor area coverage etc., is to be addressed by amendments to the performance
standards and development regulations in the zoning ordinance. The quantity of industrial
operations will be addressed by amendments to the land use map and amendments to the zoning
map, to reduce the acreage of land zoned for industry. Because there are extensive acreages of
industrial zoning in Cook County and Will County (and a very modest amount in DuPage
county), a great deal of inter - governmental coordination will be required.
Truck Traffic
There are several recommendations in the plan intended to reduce the impacts of heavy truck
traffic on Village streets.
• Reduce the impact of heavy trucks on Village roadways.
o Collect data annually on the number of truck movements on Village streets in order to
measure the change in frequencies and to document the extent of truck traffic.
o Amend the Zoning Ordinance to place limits on the number of trucks that may be parked
or stored on an area of land in the Manufacturing districts.
> Suspend further zoning approvals for manufacturing/heavy industrial uses within a two
mile radius of downtown. "Downzone" property to more restrictive zoning classifications
as opportunities arise.
> Plan truck routes that avoid the downtown and residential streets when alternate and
viable routes can be maintained.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
> Place weight limits on streets and bridges adversely affected by trucks.
Pollution & Hazards
It is the goal of this comprehensive plan to reduce the aggregate sources of air, water and land
pollution in the community, and reduce the risk to public health of hazards such as chemical
storage, processing, and transportation; air emissions; outdoor storage; and hazardous
manufacturing processes.
Several of the same recommendations to reduce truck traffic impacts will reduce cumulative
pollution levels as well, and the degree of risk to the environment.
o Adopt an "environmental checklist" as a required submittal item for projects having
environmental impacts. This will allow the Village to track required outside agency
approvals and hold property owners accountable for environmental hazards or pollution
sources on the property (joint project of the Lemont Environmental Advisory Commission
and Plan Commission).
Outdoor Storage
The waterway corridor in particular is the focus of activities that store commodities in bulk
outdoors. In the past, the Village has approved regulation of material stockpiles to prevent
spontaneous combustion. The plan also recommends storage standards that require improved
management and control of the stockpiles.
> Outdoor storage in general is not permitted without a special use permit, and special use
permits should not be granted without a finding that the user is able to meet location,
height, volume, screening, and containment standards.
Transportation Management.
As described more fully in the Transportation chapter, Lemont has a transportation system that
developed in response to Lemont's early orientation to the canals. That is, roadways tend to
follow patterns that served local needs more than regional needs. Yet Lemont has grown and
become a part of a regional transportation system that daily carries tens of thousands of people
and tons of goods through the area. Consequently, relatively high regional vehicular traffic
volumes must negotiate a system of often winding roads and geographic barriers.
Transportation problems are usually tackled through a combination of supply- management and
demand management approaches. Supply management refers to increases in roadway capacity
through the addition of lane -miles of roadway (or railroad track, or bus routes), turn lanes,
signalization, etc. Demand management attempts to make the most of existing facilities through
measures such as car pools, tolls, ticket pricing, high occupancy vehicle lanes /reversible lanes
and associated incentives, as well as "smart growth" land use planning that seeks to reduce
traffic levels by reducing aggregate distances between residents and their destinations. This plan
responds to traffic congestion by advocating a balance of supply and demand side solutions.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
0030282605
All too often pedestrian circulation is a neglected part of the transportation system. The plan
seeks to redress the imbalance between planning for speed and efficiency of the road system on
the one hand, and the need for safe, convenient, and accessible pedestrian routes on the other.
Economic Development.
Lemont is predominantly a residential community but it is far from a "bedroom" community.
There is a central business district with a mix of locally oriented services and tourist - oriented
businesses; three shopping centers, several smaller commercial nodes, and hundreds of acres
used or available for industrial functions. The community has long been interested in expanding
its non - residential tax base. The plan proposes a full- fledged economic development program,
with a focus on 1) marketing of the community to selected, needed types of business 2) retention
of existing businesses and other forms of outreach, 3) expansion of tourism to increase sources
of revenue, 4) the development of creative financing of needed infrastructure and redevelopment
in the business districts.
Community Appearance.
Growth of a small town, unless managed, can overwhelm the aesthetic identity of the place.
Because Lemont is such an old place, there are many historic building types not found in other
suburban communities. Its topography and arrangement of buildings are also very distinctive; a
skyline of church steeples and school bell tower forms a striking vista from Lemont's north
gateway. Therefore, preservation of the community's architectural heritage is one of its most
important appearance issues.
• Maintain an unobstructed view of the historic churches (St. Patrick's, St. Alphonsus, Old
Methodist Church [Lemont Area Historical Society], SS. Cyril & Methodius, Bethany
Lutheran, St. Matthews), and old central school from the north gateway to the
community.
> Require the use of limestone in landscape plans, sign monuments, building facades (at
minimum, as a minor embellishment) to expand the quarry heritage theme throughout the
community.
> Identify properties that are in violation of outdoor storage regulations or other property
maintenance codes on a regular basis, and cite violators for non - compliance.
Management of signs and other outdoor advertising is another common public concern. Though
signs are a cost - effective means of advertising, the proliferation of signs along thoroughfares, if
not regulated, clutters the landscape.
• Eliminate signs that are larger than necessary to communicate their message to the
public.
• Prepare a sign inventory for use as documentary evidence of the qualities of signs in the
Village.
• Amend the Sign ordinance (see plan implementation).
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
0030282605
➢ Require all temporary signs to be registered and removed within a reasonable period.
➢ Review the sign ordinance periodically for effectiveness.
➢ Use the sign grant program as an incentive to businesses to erect signs that are
constructed of high - quality materials and make a positive contribution to the streetscape.
There is demand in the community for improvement in the appearance of buildings, including
their parking lots and grounds.
• Create standards of commercial building design such that commercial building facades
have the same richness of detail and quality of materials as single - family dwellings in
Lemont.
o Create a timely site plan and architectural elevation review procedure that requires
approval of building site plans, architectural elevations, and landscape plans of all
buildings prior to issuance of a building permit.
➢ Require design review of the appearance of all new and reconstructed commercial,
industrial, and multi - family residential buildings.
Inter - governmental Coordination.
There are over 1,000 local governmental units in the six - county area of northeastern Illinois. For
better -or- worse, the village of Lemont has to contend with its share of local governments: three
counties (including separate forest preserve districts), three school districts, two fire protection
districts, six townships (plus separate township highway departments), a water reclamation
district, a park district and even a mosquito abatement district are located within Lemont's
planning jurisdiction, and seven municipalities are contiguous to or within one and one -half
miles of Lemont. Though the multitude of governmental organizations affords opportunities for
specialization and focus, it also challenges the municipality to coordinate its projects and plans
with them.
This plan attempts to improve coordination by providing goals, objectives, and policies specific
to each unit of government.
County Government
Territorially, Lemont is a three - county Village, but the great majority of its acreage and
population is located in Cook County. County government has oversight of several public roads
in the planning area; it administers zoning ordinance and building code regulations in
unincorporated Lemont Township; and it has its own comprehensive plan for all of Cook
County, including Lemont Township.
There are two areas where Cook County's 1999 Comprehensive Plan should be reconciled with
this plan. The land use recommendations in the County plan for the I -355 interchange area
indicate "ORI" land use over the entire area between Timberline Subdivision and Smith Road
(the county line). The Canal corridor use is nearly all industrial.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
There have been periodic land use controversies in unincorporated townships, an area under the 5
zoning administration of counties but under the planning jurisdiction of the Village of Lemont.
When such controversies have emerged in the past, the Village has typically filed a resolution of
legal protest with the County Zoning Board of Appeals, citing inconsistencies with Village plans
and development standards. Since the potential exists for developers to play one unit of
government against the other, this plan recommends a unified approach to County and Village of
Lemont planning and zoning.
• Build a consensus vision of future public improvements, land use, and development in
Lemont Township between Cook County, and Village and Township governments.
o Obtain official recognition of the Lemont Comprehensive Plan by County government in
the form of a resolution or memorandum of agreement, or other mechanism, which
effectively amends the Cook County Comprehensive Plan for Lemont Township.
> File written protests to any Cook County subdivisions, planned unit developments, and
proposed zoning amendments found to be inconsistent with the recommendations of this
plan.
School, Park, Library, Township, Fire Protection District Recommendations
• Identify and create common goals, objectives and policies for the Village and other
taxing districts on all issues of mutual concern, including but not limited to residential
growth, transportation planning, open space preservation, and public buildings and
grounds planning.
o Amend the Land and Cash Donation Ordinance to satisfy legal requirements and to
comply with the recommendations of this plan.
> Solicit inter - governmental endorsement of the comprehensive plan and its future
amendments.
> Encourage all taxing districts to participate in the review of new development. Solicit
taxing districts' comments and recommendations on all land development proposals,
including written or oral testimony taken at public hearings.
> Use annexation agreements to obtain negotiated fees from developers to pay for needed
capital improvements in the community, including but not limited to the school, park,
and library districts. Fees should also be sought to benefit the Village, the Fire Protection
District, and Township as well when the project will have an impact on the capacity of
specified facilities and services (see annexation recommendations, below).
Annexation Recommendations
Annexation, which is the process of adding territory to the municipality, is included in the
intergovernmental coordination section because annexation decisions affect other local
governments. Indeed, annexations in Illinois are all -too frequently contested by municipalities
interested in the same territory.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section III. Issues and Opportunities
00;0
The Village of Lemont occupies only about one -third of the land area in Lemont Township and
no other municipalities have territory in Lemont Township. No other Cook County townships
have a comparable proportion of unincorporated area. This creates an opportunity for territorial
expansion of the Village. But such expansion should not be done for its own sake. The Village
should weigh the benefits against the costs of annexation, especially where the annexed parcels
are developed areas. In general terms, annexation improves the Village capacity to manage
growth by placing more territory under the control of Village ordinances. The prospect of
developers seeking favorable zoning approvals from Cook County adds urgency to the
annexation question.
Annexation recommendations:
• Annex, to the extent that is practical, legally defensible, and cost - effective, the remainder
of the territory in Lemont Township. This is a long -range goal.
o Annex territory in Will and DuPage Counties in accordance with boundary agreements to
be made with the Village of Woodridge, Romeoville, Lockport, and Homer Glen.
o Tentative future boundary recommendations are: East: Lemont Township boundary
(Will -Cook Road), excepting that portion of Lemont Township already occupied by
Willow Springs; South: 135t Street/Lemont Township boundary, except where Bell Road
(to 143' Street) remains unoccupied by Homer Glen; territory is to be subject to a
boundary agreement with Homer Glen; North: A line approximately equal to the north
boundary of the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, between Hillcrest Lane and 109th
Street; West: an irregular boundary within Will County, incorporating parcels on both
sides of Smith Road, south of the valley, and including existing annexed parcels north of
the Valley.
➢ Voluntary annexation is preferred to involuntary annexation methods, but involuntary
annexation may be undertaken when the Village needs to achieve a strategic goal, and the
public benefits gained outweigh the hardship to the property owners.
➢ Require annexation as a condition of connection to Village water and sewer systems.
➢ Require annexation agreements of developers seeking annexation to the Village. The
annexation agreement should specify the type of development approved, the schedule of
fees to be paid, and clearly state the responsibilities of the developer regarding any off -
site improvements or other negotiated agreements.
➢ Do not annex existing improved areas unless the public improvements in those areas are
in a good state of repair and consistent with Village standards, or the property owners
agree to upgrade improvements to Village standards, or the waiver of Village standards is
justified by other recommendations of this plan.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IV. Public Participation
IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
03028 605
The Planning Process
To construct the new Comprehensive Plan, the Village Board on February 22, 1999 approved
Linden Lenet Land Design Ltd. as planning consultant. The firm's first task was data gathering
and existing land use mapping. On August 16, 1999, Mayor Richard A. Kwasneski appointed a
fifteen member Comprehensive Plan Committee (CPC) to serve as a kind of focus group and
identify issues to be addressed in the Plan. The Committee met five times from September 16,
1999 through April 27, 2000. The CPC's work included a "Visual Preference Survey" and
"Nominal Group Exercise" led by Mr. Lenet. The CPC also became involved in a joint project of
the Village of Lemont and Environmental Law and Policy Center featuring New Urbanist
architect planner Douglas Farr and four ad hoc committee members from the Lemont
community. These exercises helped identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in
the Lemont planning area.
Upon completion of this work, the Lemont Planning & Zoning Commission began a series of
public hearings. The P & Z Commission conducted hearings between June 27, 2000 and January
30, 2001. The document produced reviewed informally by newly elected Mayor John F. Piazza
and the Village Board, including several newly elected trustees.
Upon completion of this review, the Board directed the Community Development staff and a
new Plan Commission to make extensive revisions, including the addition of new material. The
Plan Commission under chairman Craig Matthews began a series of workshops to formulate a
new draft. Commissioners reviewed minutes of the P & Z Commission workshops and public
hearings. Each workshop focused on different topics and geographical areas of the Village. The
Commission reviewed a 2001 aerial photo- mosaic of the Village, existing land use and
environmental mapping, population and housing data, and other sources in building the plan.
Prior to the public hearing on this plan, the Village engaged a second consultant, Hitchcock
Design Group, to run a planning charrette on the canal corridor, as an area that the Plan
Commission found to be particularly challenging. The recommendations based on the charrette
are included in the land use chapter.
This public hearing draft may be amended in response to public comments received before close
of the public hearing.
The finished product will be a collaboration of the Plan Commission, CPC, the P & Z
Commission, Linden Lenet Land Design Ltd., Village staff, and both the current and former
Mayors and Board of Trustees of the Village of Lemont, as well as many citizens who
contributed ideas.
Public Involvement
Planning is and always should be participatory, that is, it should always solicit public opinion on
plans before they are adopted. Any recommendations in this plan that involve physical changes
to the Village should include involvement of the persons most affected. Several
recommendations to improve and maintain public involvement:
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IV. Public Participation
> When zoning public hearings are required, make public notice statements that are written
in everyday language, not zoning jargon, explaining the actions requested and the reason
public testimony is invited.
> Before plan approval of major public works projects, hold public information meetings
for residents, property owners and business owners in the geographic areas affected.
> Refer major project proposals to the appropriate Village commission whenever a project
is within that commission's area of interest.
> Seek public input in the form of surveys, public information meetings, focus group
meetings, and comment cards whenever specialized plans are proposed.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
0 3 0 2 8 2 6 05
V. LAND USE
This section summarizes the future land use recommendations by geographic area of the Village
and its planning jurisdiction. The Land Use Map is part of the "official map" of the Village,
which is interpreted as a guide to the appropriate zoning of the affected parcels of land. Future
land use categories are defined as follows:
VERY LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (Yellow.) Residential land use at densities less than 1.0
dwelling units per gross acre. This designation is appropriate for areas that are remote from
public water and sewer systems, areas that have restricted access, and areas that have significant
environmental constraints.
LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (Yellow.) Residential land use at densities between zero and
2.0 dwelling units per gross acre. This designation is appropriate for areas that are capable of
being served by public or common utility systems and that have reasonable access to the public
road system, and are otherwise designated "low density" on the Land Use Plan.
MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (Orange.) Residential land use at densities of 2.0 to 6.0
dwelling units per gross acre. Appropriate for existing areas of the Village of Lemont developed
prior to 1966 and for selected locations with ready access to public utilities, arterial road
systems, and business districts. Housing choices include townhouse, rowhouse, duplex, and
similar "attached" single - family dwellings, as well as single- family detached dwellings on
narrower lots. New development in these areas should be approved using the Planned Unit
Development technique, to insure that developments are creatively executed.
HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (Gold.) Residential land use at densities exceeding 6.0
dwelling units per acre. Appropriate for locations within the Downtown and the fringe of the
downtown on infill and redevelopment sites, ideally within one -half mile of a train station but to
be considered farther away if connected directly to the downtown. Architectural types include
garden apartments, mixed -use commercial /apartment buildings, multi -level condominiums, lofts,
and converted historic structures. Generally, not appropriate outside the downtown and
downtown fringe. High density may only be considered in projects that have exceptional
amenities and public benefits.
RESIDENTIAL CONSERVATION /CLUSTER DESIGN OVERLAY (Deep Orange.) This
designation indicates a strong recommendation that land planning conserve the natural resources
of the site if the property is developed. This is best achieved by the practice of conservation
design or cluster design. Conservation design sets aside undisturbed areas in the site plan to
remain in their pre- development state, in order to preserve wetlands, natural drainage ways,
mature vegetation, rock outcrops, historic structures, or moderate to steep slopes. Cluster design
does the same thing and reduces lot areas in the areas where construction is permitted in order to
produce a similar "yield" or gross density of lots per acre.
TRANSITIONAL BUSINESS (Red.) Areas of existing or planned commercial development,
restricted to activities that are compatible with adjacent residential areas, including small -scale
professional office buildings, boutiques, financial institutions, and full service restaurants. Lots
typically have a higher percentage of landscaped area and buildings are only incrementally larger
in height and area than single- family dwellings.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
0030 82X05
ARTERIAL BUSINESS (Magenta.) Areas of existing or planned commercial development of an
intensity typical of arterial highways and their intersections, including shopping centers,
restaurants (including quick - service), automotive service, large specialty stores, commercial
entertainment establishments and office buildings.
DOWNTOWN (Salmon.) The historic central business district of Lemont and parcels
immediately adjacent, characterized by two -story, mixed use buildings (commercial below;
residential above) situated close to the street, with parking at the rear or on street and in selected
public parking lots.
OFFICE RESEARCH INDUSTRY (Pink.) Land use characterized by professional office and
high technology industry, which typically generates minimal emissions into air, water, and land
and is compatible with hotels, day care centers, restaurants, and banks.
INDUSTRY (Light Purple.) Land use characterized by activities involving the extraction,
processing, distribution, shipping, storage, and repair of commodities, products, or capital goods.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OPEN SPACE (Green). That part of the countryside which is not
developed and is desirable for preservation in its natural state for ecological, historical, or
recreational purposes, or in its cultivated state to preserve agricultural, forest, or urban greenbelt
areas. As a general land use category, may also include golf course greens, utility rights of way,
the reserve of the I & M Canal, equestrian facilities, and other areas that are not developed with
habitable buildings.
RESIDENTIAL PRESERVATION & ENHANCEMENT OVERLAY (Purple.) "Tear downs"
are a nickname for new dwellings built on the sites of old ones, often much larger than the
buildings they replace. Areas within this overlay district are susceptible to removal of old, small
houses and replacement by newer structures. Special rules are recommended for the overlay area
so new construction is compatible in style or scale with the neighborhood.
HISTORIC DISTRICT OVERLAY (Light Blue.) This overlay indicates areas that are included
in a historic district. Lemont's historic district includes most of the downtown and four blocks of
Singer Avenue. Special identification signs are recommended for the area as well as continuing
survey of the structures within the district.
HOME OCCUPATION OVERLAY (Brown.) A home occupation is a business conducted in the
home. This area is considered appropriate for home occupations that slightly exceed the usual
standards, because the traffic volumes on the adjacent roadway are so intense.
Downtown
The downtown is a historic central business district built on the 19th century model of the
"walkable city ". Buildings are close together, connected by wide public sidewalks, parking is on-
street, behind buildings, and in public lots; there is a mixing of residential, commercial, and
quasi- industrial uses, and there is access to transit and access to waterfront. This plan
recommends that the growth of the downtown preserve these important relationships.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
• Maintain and strengthen the identity of Lemont as a historic district.
• Improve the accessibility of downtown to the public, including vehicular, pedestrian,
bicycle and transit modes.
• Enhance the downtown as a town center with a balance of retail, entertainment, office,
civic and housing space. Emphasize especially ground -level retail use on Main Street
(State Street to Fremont), Stephen Street north of Main, and Canal Street, with the
remaining blocks a diversity of ground -level office- service and residential buildings.
o Complete the Illinois and Michigan Canal as a public open space in downtown and as a
bicycle path route to the Heritage Quarries recreation area and other bicycle paths (see
also "Transportation ")
o Increase the number of housing units within walking one -half mile of the Metra station,
and in areas within approximately one mile of the Metra Station that have capacity for
additional dwelling units.
o Increase the number of public parking spaces in central locations downtown to achieve a
higher ratio of public parking to building floor area. Public parking spaces (on- street and
in public lots) should make up the majority share of parking availability.
o Amend the zoning ordinance to recognize existing single- family dwelling structures on
particular blocks (north Stephen Street, east side; east Talcott Street, south side) as a
permitted use. Allow adaptive re -use or redevelopment of these structures when
compatible with the downtown environment.
o Amend the zoning ordinance and other relevant planning tools to require an off-site or
within - building parking contribution from new construction in the B -2 District.
o Improve Stephen Street to the Sanitary & Ship canal and prepare plans and designs for a
public plaza at the end of the street, as recommended by the 1994 Downtown Plan.
o Amend the zoning of Tri- Central Terminal site to a land use category compatible with
the downtown. Consider Industrial Drive for the type of quasi - industrial businesses
currently operating along River Road. Consider River Road, in the long term, as a
potential redevelopment area to extend the land use pattern on Main, Stephen, and Canal
Streets. Reserve a public canal frontage across the Tri- Central parcel.
> If available, continue to use the TIF revenues to make capital improvements and provide
grants for building revitalization projects that further the goals of the downtown plan
> Continue opposition to use of the Illinois Central /Canadian National Railroad line as a
high -speed rail route unless it can be shown that it will have no adverse impacts on
accessibility, public safety, the historic landscape, and capacity for additional Metra
service.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
MU 82G05
➢ To keep a lively streetscape, encourage use of the public sidewalks by local businesses,
while ensuring pedestrian accessibility and community aesthetics are not compromised.
Sidewalk cafe seating, sidewalk sales, restrained merchandise displays, and sandwich
board signs are some examples. Allow use of sidewalks by civic organizations in
connection with special events.
Traditional Lemont Neighborhoods
"Traditional Lemont Neighborhoods" are areas where lots are typically more than twice their
width in depth, houses have a strong orientation to the street, garages are recessed, detached, or
alley - loaded, front porches, porticoes and stoops are common and often connect directly to the
sidewalk, and house styles are characteristic of pre -1930s architecture. This plan recommends
preservation of that type of housing stock where and when possible, and compatible house types
on infill construction. In "greenfield" areas, the Village should be open to the possibility of a
planned unit development that uses traditional design principles. In such cases, the developer
should be required to set aside open space, in the form of either usable, formal open spaces such
as public squares, plazas, or neighborhood parks, or as undisturbed natural features, such as
wetlands, woodlots, or stream corridors, to justify the reduced individual lot sizes.
Most of these recommendations relate to the already -built up neighborhoods east and west of
State Street between Illinois Street and Freehauf Street.
• Take steps to prevent the introduction of houses that are out of character in both scale
and style with existing neighborhoods.
• Bring the neighborhood up -to -date in the condition of its infrastructure, including streets
and alleys, sidewalks, storm and sanitary sewers, storm water management, water supply
and street lights, and amenities such as parks.
• Develop an improvement schedule for the remaining public alleys in Lemont that are still
functional.
o "Downzone" existing R -6 multi - family districts to R -4 single- family residential where
such districts actually contain single - family dwellings.
o Draft new standards for non - residential uses (schools, religious institutions) in older
neighborhoods to allow some flexibility from the typical regulations while protecting the
neighborhood from the adverse impacts of institutional expansion.
o Reduce the maximum height of dwellings to avoid construction of houses that are out of
proportion to existing dwellings in the neighborhood.
o Reduce the number of non - conforming structures and uses in the Village. There were at
least 68 non - conforming structures in 1999, and possibly many more that have not been
documented.
➢ Require a public utility easement to be retained in areas where alleys are vacated.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
➢ Support efforts to create additional parks within the Traditional Lemont Neighborhood
similar to the Virginia Reed Park on Custer Street.
➢ Where alleys are mapped but unimproved or only partially improved but not used by
owners of adjacent property, allow property owners to acquire the alley through a
vacation procedure.
Corridor Land Use
Though the land use map contains recommendations for the entire Village of Lemont and its
planning area, the most dynamic areas are "corridors" — major roads and waterways. The plan
organizes land use along corridors, both major roads and waterways, each with its own
distinctive character and set of issues.
Waterway Corridor (I & M Canal, S & S Canal, Cal -Sag, Des Plaines)
Two of the waterways are predominantly recreational in focus: the historic Illinois & Michigan
Canal (a national heritage corridor) and the Des Plaines River. The recreation presently occurs
along the landside of those waterways for the most part. The Village of Lemont has developed
six miles of trails along the I & M Canal and the forest preserve districts of Cook, Will and
DuPage have extensive holdings of forest preserve adjacent to the Des Plaines River. Canoeists
and fishermen enjoy the use of the water from time to time as well, and there is potential for
further recreational development.
The Sanitary and Ship Canal (also called the "Main Channel ") lies between the two recreational
waterways. The canal serves multiple functions. Completed in 1900, it was designed to reverse
the course of the Chicago River from Lake Michigan to the Illinois River/Mississippi River
basin as a conduit for sewage disposal. This engineered waterway enabled the Chicago Sanitary
District, as the MWRD was then known, to divert and dilute sewage flows that were then a
major threat to Chicago's source of drinking water, Lake Michigan. The canal also became a
connecting link in the Illinois Waterway, a system of navigable waterways that enables shipping
to proceed uninterrupted (except by ice in the northern climates) from the Great Lakes to the
Gulf of Mexico and vice versa.
Land along its sides is owned by the MWRD and the majority of it is used for industrial
purposes. The canal itself carries heavy freight -laden barge traffic to and from the markets of
Chicago. Lemont is a particular focus for "off- loading" of bulk commodities for transshipment
elsewhere. In addition to the industrial uses, there is a substantial acreage that MWRD has set
aside for open space use, by leasing long -term to forest preserve districts and municipalities.
• Shift the emphasis in land use along the sanitary and ship canal from industry to
recreation, hospitality, public, and institutional uses.
o Secure additional open space leases for MWRD -owned parcels near the downtown.
o Complete a new access system for both the downtown and the Sanitary and Ship Canal
that links the two areas.
o Develop an implementation plan to follow up the recommendations of "Opportunities on
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
Z 8
the Lemont Waterfront ", a preliminary study of the Sanitary and Ship Canal and
downtown land use.2
05
State Street
State Street is a regional arterial road that joins Lemont Road (and ultimately Main
Street/Highland Avenue in Downers Grove) to the north and curves to join Gougar Road (which
runs through Homer Township to 159t Street). As such, it carries a large traffic count (greater
than 33,000 average daily trips north of Illinois Street in 1998) and many origins and
destinations beyond Lemont. The Environmental Impact Study for FAP 340 (the I -355
extension) forecasts that the traffic pattern on State Street will change as a result of the increased
movements to the planned interchanges at I -55, 127th Street and Archer Avenue /143rd Street.
That is, the traffic counts will fall below year 2000 levels (for a time, at least) as some traffic is
redistributed to I -355 as a limited access north -south highway.
Regarding land use, the State Street corridor breaks down into distinct sections. From I -55 south
to Bluff Road, there is a combination of residential subdivisions, older houses directly oriented
to the highway, and business -park uses (International Centre, Maple Point). The roadway is
predominantly a four -lane roadway with high speed limits. The trend of development is toward
higher density and intensity of land use.
State Street recommendations:
North section, 109th Street to Illinois Street
Future land use is predominantly residential /institutional north of Bluff Road.
• Industrial property south of Bluff should be "downzoned" such that uses with low peak -
hour traffic, and minimal truck traffic, are encouraged and beautification of sites, in
keeping with the vista from the north, is required as development occurs.
• Maintain the "green" character of the Riverview subdivision area (opposite Hindu
Temple). Commercial land use at the vacant NW corner should be considered only if it is
compatible with this goal.
o Access management is needed at intersection of old Lemont Road /new Lemont Road.
The Village should work with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the MWRD
to create a safer and more efficient access to the waterway corridor.
o A traffic signal study (intersection design study) should be performed at Bluff & Lemont
Roads before additional development occurs. The study should address industrial traffic
at the Old Lemont/Lemont Road intersection.
• The former Tri- Central Terminal, located below the State Street Bridge, may be good fit
for public assembly /events programming and public gathering place at end of Stephen
Street. Something that draws steady foot traffic through downtown is especially desired.
➢ Pedestrian crossings at the Illinois /State intersection should be evaluated for their safety
2 Hitchcock Design Group in association with Chesney and Associates, July 2002.
25
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
(ASO ;8` 6Q5
and efficiency (examine crosswalk locations, markings, pedestrian signal equipment,
sidewalk grades).
> Future capital improvements budgets should include landscaping and other beautification
on the excess land beside the State Street Bridge.
• A special land use study should be performed in this "gateway" area.
Mid - section, Illinois Street to State Street Center (near Peiffer)
• Maintain residential land use to minimize interruptions to traffic flow and to preserve the
traditional -style residential construction (front porches, decorative trim, pre -1930s house
styles) that characterizes the street.
• Encourage preservation of traditional -style homes on busy arterial road environment —
consider "Level II" home occupations, or adding an adaptive reuse category when a
business renovates a home but the owner does not necessarily live in the home.
• Invest in streetscape improvements (parkway trees, decorative banners, etc.) to enhance
property values.
o Downzone existing single - family homes /lots from R -6 Multi - family to R -4 Single - family
on west side of State Street (also on Logan Street).
o Study traffic signal/safe pedestrian crossing options at Logan and State.
o Investigate improvements to provide safe pedestrian crossings /routes to school, Metra
station, etc.
> Discourage /prohibit home occupations that make demands on parking.
> Require site improvements before rezoning legal non - conforming uses (medical and
dental buildings in 800 block).
Freehauf to 1291h Street
• Designate frontage as existing and future commercial (neighborhood /community
shopping, professional services and offices).
o Introduce new development design guidelines to require reduced front yard parking
fields.
> Require brick/stone exteriors including limestone as the Lemont "signature ".
• Avoid narrow -lot "strip" development.
> Require sidewalks/bikeways both sides of roadway.
➢ Require bike racks — add to parking standards (general commercial requirement).
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
0030282605
o Signs — reduce the percentage of face that may be illuminated. (For examples, encourage
the use of signs with routered copy instead of fully illuminated plastic faces).
> Preserve tree stands, especially east side of State.
> Work with Lemont Plaza Shopping Center ownership to reconfigure the parking lot.
Require more aggressive property maintenance.
> Improve screening and buffering of Lemont Plaza from the adjacent neighborhood.
o Increase roadway capacity south of 127th Street, perhaps adding a center turn lane.
> Require roadway right of way dedications in keeping with roadway classification
( "arterial" roads must have 100' ROW).
> Add street trees where parkways offer adequate planting spaces.
129th Street to 132 "d Street
• Designate as residential /institutional land use, including medium density, with a
transitional commercial overlay. Commercial land use should only be considered as part
of a larger plan to achieve consistently attractive appearance, limitations on access, and
minimal impacts on surrounding properties.
> Require improvements to road capacity as condition of "upzoning ". Improved circulation
is needed. Connections to 129th Street and Walnut Street should be considered.
> Require sidewalks/bikeways both sides of roadway.
> Protect the natural drainage way on the east side of State.
> Require distinctive appearance in multi - family developments — use of high - quality
exterior finishes, creative site planning.
132 "d Street to Archer Avenue
> Protect flood plain and wetlands. Low - density, low- impact residential or business use is
recommended.
> Require a site analysis to be prepared by a qualified professional on any parcel that has a
significant percentage of wooded cover, wetlands, flood plain, steep slopes, organic soils,
or any combination (general requirement).
127th Street
In Lemont, 127th Street is a minor arterial that runs from New Avenue on the west to Archer
Avenue on the east, a distance of 3.8 miles. It is a two -lane roadway under the jurisdiction of the
Cook County Department of Highways (except that portion west of Smith Road, which is a Du
Page Township roadway). Cook County and the Village plan to make it a three -lane cross
27
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
00r 2 8 2 ( Q5
section (one through lane in each direction and a continuous left turn lane in the middle). Village
subdivision regulations require a minimum 100 -foot right of way for arterials. This plan,
envisions sidewalks or bike paths on both sides of the roadway.
Land use patterns along the corridor are well established on some stretches of roadway and in
transition on others. All four corners of the intersection at State have been developed as
commercial land use. East of State Street, north of the roadway, there is a row of professional
office buildings, zoned B -1 Neighborhood Office District. A few office buildings are located
elsewhere along the corridor. The north side of 127th within the Village consists almost entirely
of Village subdivisions, some of which include commercial parcels. Also striking is the
comparison of 127"' Street parcels incorporated in the Village, which are zoned for both
commercial and residential purposes, and the acreage on 127th that remains unincorporated,
which invariably is zoned low- density residential.
This plan assumes that the tollway /expressway extension will be built, dramatically changing the
traffic pattern on 127"` Street, west of State. There will be an increased demand for highway -
oriented businesses on this segment. The plan seeks a balance between the economic benefits of
new business, the need for buffering of the adjacent neighborhoods, and concern for the aesthetic
quality of the corridor.
• 127th Street near State is and should be a retail district. Land use should decrease in
intensity with increasing distance from State Street so "transitional commercial" uses are
developed east of the intersection.
• A harmonious streetscape design should be promoted on 127th Street, in anticipation of
its creation as a new community gateway when the tollway is constructed.
• Consider especially restaurants, food stores, professional office buildings, and
convenience shopping along the west segment.
• Make a transition from commercial use to "medium- density" residential land use along
the east segment at approximately Hillview Drive.
I -355 extension /interchange
This area consists of parcels north and south of 127th Street, west of Timberline Drive to the
limits of the planning area. Traditionally, the I -355 southern extension alignment has formed the
westward limit of residential expansion. Industrial and other non - residential uses would occupy
the lands west of the planned alignment.
Several factors have made changes in the traditional land use plan necessary. In particular, the
delay of the tollway extension, continued residential zoning by Cook County, approval of two
residential projects by the Village, and a lack of interest in the area for commercial or industrial
purposes have increased the pressures to accommodate more residential development in this
area.
The area around the planned interchange of the I -355 southern extension at 127th Street is
complex. Since the early 1960s, the Transportation Improvement Plan for northeastern Illinois
28
0030`'82605
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
has proposed a limited access, circumferential highway that would connect the interstate
highways extending from Chicago (I -90, I -290, I -55, I -80). A centerline was recorded in 1968,
including a segment of what was then known as "FAP 431" through Lemont Township. In 1989,
the first leg of the North -South Tollway, I -355, opened to traffic. The "southern extension ", the
planned 12.5 -mile segment from I -55 in Bolingbrook to I -80 in New Lenox, received approval
from the Federal Highway Administration in 1995, but construction of the toll highway was
blocked by a legal challenge to the Environmental Impact Statement. As this is written in 2002,
the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) has received federal regulatory approval of
the extension but there is neither a specific timeline nor a financial plan for construction.
Lemont's original vision of the tollway interchange area was to reserve the west side of the
tollway for Light industrial use, and have predominantly residential and open space uses on the
east side, allowing for commercial development directly on 127"' Street (1977 Comprehensive
Plan; modified in part by the 1993 Comprehensive Plan). Light industrial on the west side was
viewed as a transition or buffer from the refinery district (originally Globe Oil, later Pure Oil,
Unocal/Unoven, and now Citgo is the major producer). The Cook County Zoning Map, however,
recognized the area, for the most part, as low - density residential (excepting the air strip property
and the adjacent parcel, both north of 127th Street, which were zoned Restricted Industrial). A
result of county zoning, a single - family subdivision named Big Run Acres in the southwest part
of the planning area was approved in 1979. The Village of Lemont rezoned the majority of two
additional parcels, one to the north and one south of 127th Street, to residential in 1996. Though
the rezoning reduced the supply of land that would be available for commercial interchange
development, it provided a means to extend municipal water and sewer systems to the west side
of the tollway. Reservations of commercial zoning have been provided on all 127th Street
frontage annexed to the Village.
The presence of the residential subdivisions Rolling Meadows and Big Run Acres, the recent
addition of Bambrick Park on Smith Road, and a planned residential airpark, all located west of
the tollway has changed the rules of the game in the interchange area. No longer can the area be
envisioned as a strictly non - residential, business park or industrial park. Complicating land use
decision - making is the uncertain time line for the toll highway extension. The area without the
highway improvement is very nearly a commercial backwater because it is adjacent to two -lane
roads with limited continuity, the refinery district is nearby to the west, and there are
geographical barriers to movement to and from the north and west. There is also a property tax
differential between Cook County and territory in nearby Will and DuPage counties which
works to the disadvantage of Cook County development.
Recommendations West of the interchange:
• Retain an area of land along 127"' Street (both sides) of sufficient depth and area to
support future commercial development near the interchange. At minimum, this means
enough land to support the expected need in the community for retail and office space, or
the combination; it may also mean enough land to sustain "destination" retail,
commercial recreation, entertainment, restaurant, lodging, or other service use that
contributes to the economic development of the I -355 corridor and provides services to
travelers through the region.
29
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
.33 .o 2 C0
• Reserve the frontage on Smith Road, opposite refinery and heavy industrial property, for
commercial use but consider residential subdivision of the rear acreage of those parcels.
The orientation of the subdivisions should be to the east, with physical roadway and
utility connections to Rolling Meadows Subdivision.
Note: This plan does not anticipate the abandonment of the tollway extension project. In the
event plans for the tollway extension are officially terminated, the Village will need to amend its
plan and especially this section.
Southeast of Archer Area
This area is relatively low - density, dominated by single- family residential subdivisions, scattered
rural estate lots (typically done by assessment plats), golf courses and cemetery, and forest
preserve use. It appears to have the greatest potential for development. This plan recommends
that a distinction be made between "town" and "country", with Archer Avenue in general as the
break between the two. Southeast of Archer, the ratio of green space to rooftop and pavement
should be higher, roadways should depart from angular or grid layouts, and there should be
relatively little to no intrusion of parking lots in the streetscape. There will be some small
commercial nodes at State & Archer, 127th & Archer, McCarthy & Archer, and 1315` & Bell, but
the great majority of public highway will have a parkway character.
The appearance of Illinois American, (formerly Citizens Utilities), a private utility company, has
created the potential for higher- density development in this area. In the transportation sector,
however, the road system is fragmented to such a degree that medium density and high- density
land use patterns may exceed the carrying capacity of the roads.
Recommendations for Southeast Archer:
• Land use is to be predominantly "low- density" and "very low density" residential.
Projects that are accessible to public utilities and are relatively unaffected by sensitive
environmental features qualify for low density. Very low density should be observed
when projects have on -site sewage disposal and water supply, or the acreage under
development has natural features that are protected.
• Where indicated by the use of overlays on the land use map, "conservation design"
should be practiced. This technique of land planning incorporates natural features into the
subdivision design and uses only the most suitable soils and topography for construction
purposes. Conservation design may be combined with cluster development, a related
concept in which lot areas and setbacks are reduced within the "buildable" acreage to
provide the developer an incentive to set aside the natural features.
• Save all open water wetlands and use them as amenities in developments. Evaluate other
wetlands for their quality and include all high - quality wetlands in a zoning overlay
district that prohibits discharge of fill materials.
o Investigate the practicality of private water and sewer utilities within Village right -of-
ways in those areas where Citizen's Utilities (Illinois American) is best situated to
provider the service.
30
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section V. Land Use
0403028 005
> Extend streets of existing subdivisions when parcels adjacent to dead ends are
developed.
31
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VI. Transportation
VI. TRANSPORTATION
,4 v3 6 S s� £
00 0 2 u
Safe and efficient movement of people and goods should be a goal of any plan. This plan makes
recommendations for all parts of the transportation system: vehicular, pedestrian, rail, waterway,
and air.
Arterial Roads are public roadways that typically carry large traffic volumes and are intended to
connect places and regions to one another. The arterial routes through Lemont are State
Street/Lemont Road, Archer Avenue (Illinois 171) /Illinois 83, McCarthy Road, Bell Road and
135th Street. Lemont is not planned around a grid system (that is a system of generally straight,
north- south, east -west streets), unlike Chicago and many of its suburbs; Lemont's is an irregular
road system, similar to many old New England towns, that requires several turns for most routes
through town.
• State Street (Lemont Road north, connects to Gougar Road south), is a four -lane route
north of Lemont that becomes a three -lane and two -lane road as it passes through town. It
connects Lemont to central DuPage County and, via I -55 (Stevenson Expressway), the
City of Chicago. To the south, it curves to meet Gougar Road, which runs to 159th Street
in Lockport. Lemont has taken maintenance responsibility of the midsection of State
Street (127th Street to Illinois Street); elsewhere it is IDOT jurisdiction. In 1998, average
daily traffic on State Street ranged from 19,700 trips south of 127th Street to 33,100 trips
north of Illinois Street
• Archer Avenue (Illinois 171), a gently winding two lane road, connects Willow Springs
and, ultimately, southwest Chicago to Lemont to the northeast and Lockport (via Homer
Glen and Homer Township) to the southwest. Archer Avenue is IDOT jurisdiction. In
1998, average daily traffic ranged from 11,200 trips at Bell Road to 12,000 trips south of
131' Street.
• McCarthy Road (123`d Street) is a two -lane east -west road that bends north as it passes
through Lemont, connecting Lemont to the Palos Township area (Palos Park, Palos Hills,
Palos Heights). Average daily traffic counts ranged from 7,200 trips at Bell Road to
9,000 trips west of Archer Avenue.
• Bell Road is a two -lane road that joins Archer Avenue to the east portion of Lemont
Township and connects Lemont to Homer Township. Bell Road, in combination with
Route 83, is also a Strategic Regional Arterial (SRA). "SRAs" are roadways planned to
supplement the regional system of limited access highways. Bell Road is county
jurisdiction (Cook County in Lemont Township; Will County in Homer Township). The
1998 traffic counts ranged from 13,500 average daily trips north of 1315` to 13,900 trips
south of 131St
• The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) owns right -of -way for the planned I-
355 south extension (known as FAP 340) at the west side of Lemont Township. The
12.5 -mile route will connect I -55 in Bolingbrook to I -80 in New Lenox, with a full
32
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VI. Transportation
:)28 0
interchange at 127th Street. This plan supports construction of the roadway for several
reasons: 1) The route has been part of the regional transportation plan for Chicago since
1963; 2) The predominant flow of traffic crosses the Valley, yet Lemont only has three
routes that cross the Des Plaines Valley within a nine -mile arc; 3) The interchange at
127th Street will be Lemont's first direct link to the Chicago expressway system; 4) The
additional lane capacity will redistribute traffic away from State Street/Lemont Road,
which has no excess capacity for expansion; and 5) Transit alternatives that would
otherwise carry regional traffic north and south are lacking.
One of Lemont's concerns is that heavy rush hour commuter traffic to and from Will County
passes through Lemont. Arterial roads do not experience significant off -peak hour traffic.
• Improve and maintain the Lemont arterial roadway system to handle existing and
projected traffic volumes without delay nor compromise of public safety.
• Protect right -of -way for existing arterial roads and for planned arterial road
improvements from encroachments.
• Separate industrial truck traffic from passenger vehicle traffic to the greatest extent
possible.
• Facilitate the implementation of Bell Road and Route 83 as a Strategic Regional Arterial
(SRA).
o Upgrade all intersections in the Lemont planning jurisdiction to at least Level of Service
((B7)
o Install safe pedestrian crossings at all intersections.
➢ Require submittal of traffic studies for all proposed developments that have an impact of
the arterial road system. Procure the services of a qualified traffic analyst to review the
findings and recommendations of such reports, and require developers to pay a
proportionate share of the recommended improvements.
➢ Require a dedication of right -of -way as a condition of plan approval wherever a
development site adjoins an arterial roadway and the existing right -of -way is
substandard.
Local Street System. Lemont maintains approximately 40 miles of local streets and five miles of
public alleys. Private streets are few; the noteworthy residential exception is Ruffled Feathers. In
unincorporated areas, the township maintains local streets and some collector roads (e.g., Walker
Road, Main to McCarthy); Covington Drive; Timberline Drive; Fourth Street). Several local
streets have no documented right of way (e.g., 129th Street; 132 Street; River Road). These
function as shared private roads or public roads by prescription. Roadways on the canal corridor
industrial districts are most commonly private roadways or easements over MWRD land.
33
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VI. Transportation
003028 60
• Establish a street system that connects different neighborhoods such that there is more
than one means of approach to all neighborhoods.
• Introduce "traffic calming" measures in all planned streets and existing streets where
speeding occurs.
o Pave all public alleys that are still in use for access to properties.
o Connect all local streets that are aligned but not joined yet, except where safety concerns
advise against the connection. Where streets are found to be substandard for their
classification, access should remain emergency -only for vehicles.
o Extend existing dead -end streets into adjacent parcels upon development except where
safety is at risk.
➢ All streets shall be constructed in compliance with the Standard Specifications.
➢ All streets shall be dedicated public streets, except streets that serve restricted areas such
as small industrial developments where no connectivity with public streets is practical, or
residential developments that are designed as "gated" communities.
➢ Special service areas or special assessment districts should be considered to improve
existing public streets in subdivisions that are annexed to the Village.
Metra Service. Lemont leases a Metra Station in the downtown. Metra provides three trains daily
on the six -stop Heritage Corridor District, which uses the Canadian National /Illinois Central
track in Lemont. Typical daily boarding in Lemont numbers 341 out of 1,848 from all stations
along the line (1999 data). The Lemont boarding figures are an increase of 39 percent since
1991. Expansion of service is constrained somewhat by freight usage along the route into
Chicago. As of 2001, Lemont provided 197 permit parking spaces in the downtown. The
Heritage Corridor is one of two routes that are identified for study as a Chicago to St. Louis High
Speed Rail Corridor. This plan identifies increased Metra service, study of a second Metra
Station, and promotion of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) among its goals.
• Expand Metra service on the Heritage Corridor line.
• Increase the opportunities for interaction between Metra riders and downtown businesses.
o Add a Metra station at the east side of Lemont to serve the east Lemont Township,
Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, and Homer Glen areas.
o Complete a "Transit- Oriented Development" study (TOD) of the downtown and consider
recommendations.
o Objective: Increase the percentage of the work force commuting by train.
➢ Policy: Support programs and plans that increase the convenience of access to transit.
34
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VI. Transportation
Pace Service. Lemont has just one Pace route; the number 834 bus travels once a day between
Joliet and Lombard. The route proceeds along State Street through town. Ridership is low. Pace
in fact discontinued the service in 2000 only to reinstate it at the request of local officials.
• Continue to work with Pace to increase the level of service of transit in the community.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Routes. Lemont has more than six miles of bicycle /pedestrian paths
established along the reserve strip of the I & M canal. In addition, the Lemont Park District and
Elementary School District 113A have a pedestrian/bikeway that winds through the grounds of
Community Park and Old Quarry School and links to a path on 127th Street (currently built as a
temporary path north of 127`h to Walter Street). This plan considers additional bikeways, on and
off - street, as essential in the development of Lemont.
In Lemont, sidewalks are found in most of the oldest neighborhoods and recent subdivisions.
Sidewalks are rare in the unincorporated township subdivisions. In some neighborhoods, gaps in
the sidewalk system exist as a by- product of inconsistent application of rules and regulations.
• Complete the existing sidewalk/bikeway and crosswalk system of the Village such that
all streets have uninterrupted sidewalks and accessible crosswalks.
• Connect the Village I & M Canal path system to regional trails: the Will- Cook - DuPage
County Centennial Trail, the Village of Willow Springs I & M Canal trail, and the
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve trail system.
o Extend pedestrian paths to The Bowl recreation area.
o Perform a comprehensive sidewalk inventory to identify locations of sidewalk gaps,
inadequate sidewalks and crosswalks, and other needed improvements in the system.
o Include a bike and pedestrian facilities plan as part of the Official Map.
> Dedications are required as a condition of subdivision or development plan when
bikeway right -of -way and construction of bikeway facilities' improvements are
recommended by official map.
Freight Routes: Barge, Rail, Road. The Illinois Waterway, including the Sanitary & Ship canal,
carries approximately than 40 million tons of freight annually by barge3. Much of the freight is
transferred to or from barge to or from overland carrier in Lemont. This is done in part because
of the low bridge clearance available to marine craft (towboats) in Lemont. There is also access
to the interstate system nearby.
Rail traffic consists of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), a freight line that runs on
grade- separated track through the valley and the Canadian National/Illinois Central, a freight line
that is also used by Metra (three trains daily) and Amtrak (two trains daily).
3 Tonnage figures provided by Mr. Darren Melvin, Illinois River Carriers' Association for year 1999.
35
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VI. Transportation
0030282605
• Improve the safety and efficiency of freight handling and transportation in the planning
area.
o Create an orderly system of planned and platted roadways, constructed according to
Lemont Standard Specifications, from existing public roads to the freight- handling
facilities along the Sanitary and Ship Canal.
> Require all property along the Sanitary and Ship Canal to comply with the Lemont
Subdivision Regulations. This will create clearer identities for parcels, delineate
boundaries between users, and require investment in land improvements as a condition of
subdivision approval.
Air Transportation. Lemont is roughly equidistant from O'Hare International Airport, Midway
airport, and the planned "Third Airport" in Peotone, Illinois. All are more than 45 minutes from
Lemont. The I -355 extension ultimately may extend to the Third Airport, decreasing travel times
to that facility.
A public general aviation airport exists at Lewis University in Romeoville. Lemont has a
privately -owned airstrip on 127' Street & Smith Road that is classified as a restricted landing
area (owner use only; no based aircraft) and may be planned to become a fly -in residential air
park.
• Maintain convenient access to airports.
o Review reports and studies on the Third Airport as they become available.
> In general, support regional airport plans that reduce overall travel times and relative
travel costs for Lemont residents.
36
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VII. Community Facilities
VII. COMMUNITY FACILITIES
030 2 8`3605
Schools. Lemont is served by Lemont - Bromberek Elementary School District 113A and Lemont
High School District 99. There are also a number of parochial schools: SS. Cyril & Methodius
and St. Patrick's /St. Alphonsus parishes provide elementary school education. According to
census data, in 2000 there were 2,818 Lemont Township children enrolled in elementary schools
(grades K -8) in 2000 and 1,099 high school students.
Parks. Lemont has a separate Park District, which maintains a system of 18 park sites and owns
a total of 100 acres of parkland throughout the District area, which is mostly coterminous with
the township but includes selected areas beyond the township where the Village has annexed
territory. The Park District shares facilities with the Township and has an intergovernmental
agreement with School District 113A for joint use of outdoor recreation areas at Community
Park.
Water System(s). The Village of Lemont is the primary water utility in the planning area. The
Village provides a public water supply from three deep wells (two in service and a third in
reserve). The water supply in 2002 was distributed to over 4,000 customers. In addition to the
Village, another source of water supply is Citizen's Water Resources, a private utility company
authorized to sell Lake Michigan Water to Homer Township and selected subdivisions in
Lemont Township.
Many residents of the township and some residents of the Village rely upon individual water
supply wells.
According to the Report on Water Utility prepared in 1994, several distribution system
improvements are recommended. 1) Extension of a water main east on Main Street to IL 83;
2) Creation of a triangular water main extension along Bell- Archer- McCarthy; 3) Completion of
a "loop" between Main and McCarthy on Walker Road; 4) Extension of a main on Archer
Avenue from McCarthy to 135th Street; 5) Completion of a loop from Archer Avenue to Derby
Road on 131st Street; 6) Extension of a main along 135th Street west of Archer Avenue; 7)
Extension of a main parallel to 1 -355 between 127th and 135th; and 8) Extension of a main along
Smith Road between 13 Sth and New Avenue, and looping the system to Timberline Drive at
New Avenue. This is the outline of a huge program of capital improvements. Parts of the
distribution system improvements have been constructed piecemeal as outlying subdivisions
have been developed.
• Goal: Expand the Village water supply service area to include all of Lemont Township
except areas already served by Illinois - American.
o Objective: Revise the 1994 Report on Water Utility to make an up -to -date plan for future
water supply system improvements.
➢ Policy: Require public water supply to all new developments.
37
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VII. Community Facilities
30 8'„),605
➢ Policy: Require disconnection of individual wells when a connection to public water
supply is made.
Sanitary Sewer and Sewage Treatment Systems. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago (MWRD) is the public agency responsible for wastewater collection and
treatment (water reclamation) in Cook County, including Lemont Township. The Village of
Lemont provides waste water collection in the form of ownership and maintenance of public
sewer lines to the MWRD system of intercepting sewers and the Lemont Treatment Plant located
on Stephen Street in downtown Lemont. The Lemont plant has a capacity of more than 20
million gallons per day (MGD).
• Bring all of Lemont Township within the sanitary sewer service area.
o Revise the 1995 Sanitary Sewer Study to produce an up -to -date plan for future sanitary
sewer system improvements. Coordinate it with the priority annexation areas.
➢ Require developers to install improvements recommended by the Sanitary Sewer Plan for
the geographic area of their projects.
➢ Avoid granting "recapture" ordinances that reimburse subdividers and developers for
their excess costs unless the recapture can be related to an economic development goal or
objective of this plan, or to an environmental goal or objective.
➢ Avoid lift stations, except in those areas where a comprehensive sanitary sewer report
recommends their installation.
Storm water Management System. The storm water management system is a combination of
waterways, underground storm sewers, overland flow routes, and detention basins. The Village
of Lemont owns and maintains 30 detention basins on an aggregate area of more than 42 acres.
By comparison, less than 10 acres of detention basins are owned and maintained by others.
• Eliminate all significant risk of property damage and personal injury due to flooding.
• Detain storm water in a manner consistent with best management practices such that
pollutants are effectively removed from storm runoff and flooding is averted.
o Provide effective detention of all rainfall events up to and including the 100 -year rainfall.
o Separate the remaining combined storm/sanitary sewers in the Village of Lemont.
➢ The Village shall accept ownership and maintenance of detention basins in single - family
residential subdivisions, subject to compliance with the Standard Specifications.
➢ Where detention basins are planned in commercial, industrial, multiple - family residential
or institutional developments, the basins shall be owned and maintained by the property
owners, subject to compliance with the Standard Specifications.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VII. Community Facilities
0030 '4,8 G05
> Require upstream and downstream drainage studies for developments proposed,on areas
smaller than the watershed sub -basin of which they are a part.
Village Buildings and Grounds. Besides the previously mentioned well sites and detention
basins, the Village of Lemont owns and maintains the Village Hall and Police Station at 418
Main Street, the Public Works building on 127th Street, the Illinois & Michigan Canal and
Reserve Strip in Lemont Township, a Police Department shooting range on Bluff Road, several
parking lots downtown, and miscellaneous "outlots" used as open space and storm water
conveyance. Additionally, the Village leases land for parking, for the Safety Village, and for
open space and recreational purposes. The Village will need to expand its facilities as growth
continues. Police and Public Works Departments have the most acute needs for space.
• Expand the Village buildings and grounds to keep pace with growth of the community
and growth in service demands.
o Relocate the Police Department and Public Works Departments from their present
facilities to expanded buildings.
o Acquire or lease additional land for public parking in the downtown.
Fire Protection District. The Lemont Fire Protection District provides fire protection. The
District maintains three fire stations (two in Lemont): Fire station number one is located at
15900 Main Street and fire station number two is located at 12940 Bell Road. In addition to its
emergency services, the District reviews construction plans for compliance with fire protection
codes and standards by arrangement with the Building Department.
• Help maintain a uniformly high level of fire protection service for residents and property
owners in the planning area.
o Help to expand fire protection district facilities, equipment, and personnel as needed to
meet the demands of growth.
> Assist the fire protection district to respond to both long -term needs for fire prevention
and protection capacity, and short -term emergencies through mutual aid
intergovernmental agreements.
Library. The Lemont Public Library District maintains a 17,000 square foot public library,
housing more than 10,000 volumes, on a 2.7- acre parcel at 50 Wend Street. The Village 1993
Comprehensive Plan urged location of the library downtown to contribute to the ongoing
revitalization of the downtown, but acceptable sites were not available. The library, like other
taxing districts, is reviewing its options for expansion.
• Assist the library in expansion to meet the needs of a growing population.
> Work with the library to collect impact fees from new residential development to assist
the acquisition of land needed for facility expansion.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section VIII. Housing
c
VIII. HOUSING
0 8 4
Lemont in 2000 reported 4,553 housing units. Of these, the majority (more than 72 percent) are
single- family detached units. Approximately 10 percent of all units are "single- family attached ",
that is, housing units that are rowhouse or townhouse architecture. Another 11 percent are
apartments and institutional housing units (including assisted living). More than 82 percent of all
housing units are owner - occupied.
Lemont should perform an analysis of housing needs in the community and the surrounding area
to determine what housing types ought to be built. Citizen surveys, housing market data,
population data, and housing construction trends in the region can be examined to determine
needs for alternatives.
40
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IX. Economic Development
IX. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Municipalities have two major reasons to carry out an economic development plan. The first
reason has to do with the quality of life desired for residents. Places to work, shop, and enjoy
entertainment, as well as professional service providers should be located nearby as a matter of
public convenience. The second reason is fiscal - municipalities rely on a diversified revenue
base to fund public services. Attraction of business and industry augments revenues derived
from residents and their property and, it is hoped, eases the tax burden on the residents of the
community.
This plan recommends measures to improve community quality of life by making a well -
rounded local economy and supplement residential property taxes, utility taxes, and user fees
with taxes and fees from commerce and industry.
Labor Force
In statistical terms, Lemont has a relatively affluent, well- educated adult population. Median
household income was $70,563 in 2000. Over the years, Lemont has evolved from a working -
class or "blue collar" town to a place where residents predominantly work in the professions or
other "white collar" occupations. The 2000 Census reports that 44 percent of Lemont's labor
force of 6,025 was employed in "Management, professional, and related occupations ", and 26
percent in "sales and office" occupations, making approximately 70 percent of the labor force
"white collar." The "production, transportation, and material moving occupations" and
"construction, extraction, and maintenance occupations ", the traditional "blue collar"
occupations, numbered 11 and 9 percent, respectively. The remaining 10 percent of the labor
force is classified in "service occupations ", a transitional category.
The leading occupational sector for the Lemont labor force is "educational, health and social
services," making up 19.5 percent of the labor force, followed by 15.6 percent in manufacturing,
13.2 percent in retail trade, and 11.5 percent in "professional, scientific, management,
administrative and waste management services ".
The commuting data from the 2000 census indicate that a majority of Lemont's employed labor
force drives a considerable distance to work. Eighty -one percent of workers drive alone to work.
By all modes, mean travel time for workers is 33.1 minutes. Though this is close to the Chicago -
area median travel time, the hours of productivity and leisure time lost to commuting are
sobering. These data suggest that Lemont makes adding employment within the Village a
priority in its planning activities.
Local Employer Information
Ten establishments within Lemont and its planning area employ 100 or more persons. By far the
largest of these is Argonne National Laboratory, a federal research laboratory run by the
University of Chicago, which employs an estimated 4,500 persons. Citgo Refinery is next
largest, with 536.
Lemont has an active Chamber of Commerce that promotes the growth and development of the
local business community. The Village itself has formed a number of committees dedicated to
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IX. Economic Development
003028 105
business concerns over the years, and the village's professional administration promotes the
Village economy as a whole and offers technical and some financial assistance to,the business
community.
Marketing and Tourism Development
Lemont has great potential for tourism, ranging from day trips to the historic downtown from
points within the metropolitan area to inter - regional travel focused on the unique cultural and
recreational assets of the "heritage corridor ".
• Make Lemont a destination for tourists interested in the historic downtown and canal,
recreational areas, golf and other attractions.
• Make Lemont self - sufficient in the goods and services that local residents demand on a
regular basis.
• Strengthen the local tax base by increasing and diversifying revenue sources.
Business Retention and Outreach
Retention is the practice of assisting businesses with the objective of keeping them in the
Village.
• Reduce sales leakage by maintaining and attracting goods and services that local
residents demand on a regular basis.
• Develop marketing campaigns to attract new businesses and customers.
• Target employers of skilled and educated workers to match the local work force.
> Review infrastructure projects for their economic impact on the community.
> Continue a competitive grant program to defray building rehabilitation expenses.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section X. Natural Resources
X. NATURAL RESOURCES.
003028` 'i0
Lemont is distinctive in the Chicago region for its topography. In a region that is generally
known for its flatness, the municipality sits on the crest of a hill - the bluffs of the Des Plaines
River Valley. Lemont has several geographic barriers that divide it from its neighbors — the river
and canal system to the north and west, forest preserves to the east, and to a lesser extent, Long
Run Creek (a tributary of the Des Plaines) to the south. Though these barriers at times vex
planners and developers trying to plan additions to the Village, for Lemont residents they are
part of the unique charm of the Village.
Bluffs and Valleys. A distinct bluff line exists that runs south of New Avenue and Main Streets
and separates the activities of the downtown and canal corridor from the neighborhoods and
districts above it (more so the canal - oriented activities and the land uses east and west of
downtown - the downtown itself is connected to the neighborhoods above it by a network of
streets). The bluff, or upland areas are dissected by stream courses that form ravines and gullies
on a generally north -south axis. Some of the ravines have been preserved and function as open
space and amenities for the abutting neighborhoods. In one outstanding instance, the limestone
outcroppings, drainage ways, and woods have been incorporated in a development site plan
(Rock Creek Center Planned Unit Development). This plan recommends that developments take
into account views from the heights above the valley as well as protect the steep slopes below
from degradation.
Woods, Wetlands, Drainage Ways & Streams. The original US survey (1822) of Lemont
Township illustrates extensive timber areas north and south of the Des Plaines River.
Approximately four square miles in the southeast corner of the township and the bottomland
along the river were classified as prairie. Today, the majority of the timber has been cleared but
there are significant stands of trees in places. The land adjacent to the Township's southern
boundary is heavily wooded. There are also stands of mature trees within other stream courses,
such as the tributaries of the I & M Canal that flow through Timberline Subdivision and along
Walker Road. Institutions like Franciscan Village, Mount Assisi, and Cog Hill Golf course have
excellent stands of trees within their boundaries. Interesting remnants are common, such as the
oak stand in Eagle Crest subdivision and the mixed hardwoods and evergreens west of the
Lemont Nursing Center.
Wetlands are a familiar part of the landscape in Lemont. As expected, many of the wetlands are
clustered around the waterways. There is also a complex of higher quality wetlands within and
east of the cemetery known as Mt. Vernon (SCI corporation cemetery).
A 2000 US Supreme Court decision (SWANCC V. US Army Corps of Engineers) apparently
invalidated the use of the commerce clause as a justification for federal regulation of isolated
wetlands, that is, wetlands that are not adjacent to "waters of the United States." It behooves the
Village to adopt local wetland regulations to prevent the dredging and filling of high quality
isolated wetlands. The plan recommends that as an implementation step.
Drainage ways and streams are another important landscape feature. Especially noteworthy are
the tributaries of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, denoted "A," (rises in Timberline Subdivision)
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section X. Natural Resources
and `B" (rises in Covington Knolls Subdivision) on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).
Tributaries `BA" (rises between 1315` & Archer Avenue) and "C" (rises near Chestnut Crossing)
of Long Run Creek, and Long Run Creek itself also have mapped flood plain area at the southern
part of the planning area. Besides these named tributaries, there are innumerable intermittent
streams that drain the higher ground in Lemont. It is imperative that these natural drainage ways
retain their character as natural features. That means they must be buffered from the effects of
land development, their courses should not be straightened, filled, or stripped of appropriate
vegetation.
• Maintain the unique physical landscape of Lemont as much as possible, with its
opportunities for interesting vistas, and plant and wildlife communities. Avoid mass
grading that eliminates or compromises the natural beauty and interest of bluffs and
ravines.
• Avoid loss or degradation of forest, wetlands, and stream courses.
• Use an overlay map of known wetlands in conjunction with new local regulations to
preserve wetlands. Adopt the American Planning Association policy as a guideline to
determine where wetlands are saved.
o Adopt setbacks from stream courses to protect both the stream course and the property
owner from flooding and erosion.
o Obtain Tree City USA status for the Village.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section XI. Telecommunications and Energy
XI. TELECOMMUNICATIONS and ENERGY
03028 G0
This chapter is dedicated to the planning of systems for communications and the delivery of
energy resources.
Lemont is served by several private utilities: Commonwealth Edison provides electricity, NiCor
provides natural gas, Ameritech provides telephone service, A T & T Broadband (Comcast)
provides cable television and high -speed internet service. In addition, several "wireless"
technologies operate equipment in Lemont: PrimeCo PCS, Nextel, Voicestream, have
established antenna installations on Village water towers.
• Do all things possible to facilitate efficient, cost effective and timely service delivery to
residents.
o Create and maintain franchise agreements favorable to the Village.
D Require utility companies to follow aesthetic standards for design above ground
structures, no less stringent than standards for non - utility structures.
D Encourage co- location of communications antennas to centralize their locations and to
avoid multiplying the number of towers located in the Village.
The Township maintains an emergency communications network consisting of tornado warning
sirens that broadcast a signal in the event of a tornado or other emergency.
The Fire Protection District and Village Police Department are on a 911 emergency dispatch
system.
Several fuel pipelines traverse the planning area. Citgo Pipeline Company (acquired the merged
West Shore and Badger Pipelines) and Amoco Pipeline.
• Insure that pipelines are compatible with the community.
o Create and maintain up -to -date records of pipelines, pipeline easements, pipeline
company contacts, locations of warning markers and casing vents, and emergency
procedures for all hazardous material pipelines in the planning area.
D Require written comments from the applicable pipeline company for any construction
project proposed over or adjacent to a pipeline easement.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IX. Economic Development
XII. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
Plans become effective when they are implemented by ordinances, including especially the
zoning ordinance and the subdivisions regulations. Theses ordinances have real "teeth" to
require compliance with the recommendations of the plan regarding the use of land and the
quality of land improvements.
Capital improvement plans, area plans, capital improvement projects, grant applications and
special studies are other ways to implement the Comprehensive Plan.
Recommended Zoning Ordinance Amendments
Text
The Village adopted a new Zoning Ordinance in March 1999. Much of its content appears in
earlier editions of the ordinance. The ordinance divides the municipality in three basic land use
categories: residential, commercial (business) and industrial (manufacturing). There are levels of
intensity specified within each category, for example, "Residence" districts are labeled R -1, R -2
... R -6, with R -1 being the least intensive and R -6 the most intensive. It is possible to have a
"planned unit development" overlay on one or more of any of these districts. A planned unit
development is a land development that does not follow the letter of the zoning regulations for a
particular district but it is a more compatible design for the particular site.
6
The last comprehensive amendment of the zoning ordinance was completed in 2000. That
amendment corrected or otherwise amended a lot of details but did not fundamentally change the
ordinance. This plan recommends some fundamental changes in districts, procedures,
definitions, and development regulations. Specific objectives of the zoning ordinance
amendment are listed below.
o Amend the Planned Unit Development provisions to be clearer, more concise, and more
effective. A significant percentage of open space shall be required. PUD "variations"
should be distinguished from typical zoning variations to avoid the negative connotation
of the term. "Yield plans" using the "straight zoning" option for development parcels
should be required to negotiate density. Illustrations should be provided as examples of
desired PUD site plans.
o Reduce the number of "manufacturing" districts from four to two. One should be light
industrial, including functions customarily identified as Office Research Industrial, and
the other a heavy industrial district. For those properties situated on a commercial
waterway, there should be a marine use overlay.
o In conjunction with a development plan for the downtown, amend the B -2 District to
address new construction within the B -2. Off - street parking is not required but new
construction generates a need for parking. A contribution in lieu of parking could be
considered, for use in funding public lots. Special provisions are needed for Talcott
Street, north Stephen Street, and other areas where mixed use (ground floor retail;
apartments above) may not always be possible.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IX. Economic Development
003028
605
o Adopt standards for specific special uses, for example, gas stations, outdoor storage lots,
or auto repair businesses.
o Denote existing R -4 subdivisions as R -4, R -4a, R -4b etc., according to their age. The R -4
District as written allows special exceptions for side yard, front yard, lot area, and lot
width in older subdivision that vary according to the year platted.
o Address infill construction in the Zoning Ordinance:
1. Height, land coverage, and setback regulations must be made compatible
with the existing character of neighborhoods or districts. "Compatible"
does not necessarily mean the same size as older, existing houses.
2. Strict hours of construction, erosion control, clean -up, and courtesy
notification regulations must be followed when construction occurs in a
developed neighborhood or district.
3. Institutions, multi- family and commercial land uses in neighborhoods
must be required to follow standards for building additions and parking
additions that take into account the age of the subdivision in a manner
similar to the differential standards in single - family residence districts.
4. Staggered facades may be required to avoid excessive monotony along the
street.
5. An orientation of the building to the street may be required, including
features such as separate service walks, front porches and stoops, narrow
driveway and garage widths.
6. A lower maximum dwelling height and a maximum building coverage
may be required to prevent overbuilding in older neighborhoods.
o Add uses to the table of required parking.
o Amend building setbacks in the commercial districts to encourage more "building
forward" design (for example, the 80 foot setback in B -1 discourages parking beside or
behind buildings).
o Reduce the maximum floor area ratio in the B -3 District (1.0 is allowed; 0.25 to 0.4 is
typical of suburban commercial development).
o Add minimum lot areas and widths, and maximum building heights, to the industrial
districts.
o Take all heavy industrial processes out of the permitted use column and classify as
special or prohibited use.
o Amend the Landscape and Tree Preservation chapter to place more emphasis on native
species, simplify the language of the landscape provisions, and strengthen tree
preservation requirements.
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Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IX. Economic Development
o Amend the Administration and Enforcement provisions to require consistency with the
LaSalle Bank v. County of Cook factors when zoning map amendments are evaluated.
Zoning Map
The zoning map is the official map of zoning district classifications. The entire Village is
divided into use districts. Each district has a distinct set of rules regarding the permitted, special
and prohibited uses in that district, and a set of development regulations that govern the size,
placement, and, in some cases, design of buildings and structures. All districts are subject to the
general chapters of the zoning ordinance, which include rules regarding temporary and accessory
uses, parking requirements, environmental performance standards, landscaping and tree
preservation.
o Several changes to the Lemont Zoning Map are recommended:
o Unless otherwise changed, the M -1, M -2 and ORI Districts will be included in a new,
single "Light Industrial ", "Transitional Industrial" or "Office Research Industrial"
classification (to be determined).
o The Illinois & Michigan Canal should be zoned "Public Land ", a new classification that
prohibits commercial, industrial and residential use.
o East Talcott Street should be rezoned from M -1 to B -2.
o Rezone the remaining M -1 parcels in the downtown (including west Canal Street, River
Road, Bossert Drive, Metra Station and Post Office) to B -2 District.
o Downzone the Tri- Central Terminal (brownfield parcel) and Burlington Northern/Santa
Fe property from M -3 to a less intensive district consistent with downtown. Marine use
overlay is in order for the Tri - Central. The rezoning should be conducted in coordination
with a site remediation plan.
o Rezone any property zoned R -6 Multiple- family Residence District but used for single -
family residential purposes to R -4 Single- family Residence District, for example on State
Street, Logan Street, Porter Street and New Avenue. Requests for multiple- family zoning
thereafter within such areas, if designated "Medium- density residential" on the plan, may
be considered on a case -by -case basis. The applicant will be expected to demonstrate
compliance with zoning regulations.
o Rezone the B -3 parcels north of Eagle Crest Subdivision (one vacant, one improved with
a 40,000 square foot office building) to the B -1 District.
o Rezone that part of expanded Oakwood School on State Street actually used for school
purposes from B -3 to R -4.
o Rezone any R -1 parcels that are less then 3 acres in size and used for single - family
residence district purposes to the most restrictive "R" district in which the lot area and
width are legally conforming.
48
Village of Lemont Comprehensive Plan 2002
Section IX. Economic Development
Lemont Subdivision Regulations and Standard Specifications
u
184!
F
o Edit and publish the Subdivision Regulations and Standard Specifications for Public and
Private Improvements as a single ordinance and publication, for ease and consistency of
use.
o Introduce standard specifications for traffic calming (traffic circles, neck - downs,
chicanes, speed humps, etc.) into local street design standards.
o Review the Subdivision Regulations and Standard Specifications for consistency with the
Zoning Ordinance and other ordinances and eliminate conflicts.
Cook County Zoning Map
> Land designated Cook County R -3 or R -4 District (in 2002 the two most extensive Cook
County zoning classifications) should develop according to their existing zoning
classification if not annexed to Lemont.
EXHIBITS
A. Official Map, part I: General Future Land Use Plan.
B. Official Map, part II [reserved]: Transportation Plan, including Bicycle and
Pedestrian Facilities.
EXHIBIT MThCHED
49
'r •A.
Atit