An update of Tinley Park’s comprehensive plan calls for a lake, bike paths, a park, a riverwalk and a recreation center, projects that officials say will make the village more attractive for residents and business.
With completion of the plan, which has won preliminary approval from the Village Board, staff members and elected officials show how they hope Tinley Park’s design will unfold.
Significant components of the plan include a lake at 183rd Street and Ridgeland Avenue, bike paths, a major park, a riverwalk along Midlothian Creek and a recreation center.
The need to find new uses for the large parcel of land occupied by the Tinley Park Mental Health Center at 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue, should that facility vacate the property, also is mentioned in the plan, as are potential sites for more senior housing.
Assistant Village Manager Craig Hullinger said not everything in the plan, which he called “a guide for future development,” might materialize.
“It’s a lot easier to paint it on a map than to actually do it,” he said.
Despite the Plan Commission’s recommendation that proposals for the commuter train station area on Oak Park Avenue be included in the revision, trustees opted to wait until those ideas are more concrete. They also chose not to include potential zoning changes for the historic downtown because they are under study.
A special Village Board meeting to discuss the plan will take place June 30 so the public can examine maps included in the update before officials vote on the plan. The maps will be on display at the Village Hall, 16250 S. Oak Park Ave.
Trustee Dave Seaman said the new plan addresses uses for sizable properties such as a parcel at 179th Street and Sayre Avenue, some of which is being considered for flood relief.
The construction of Lake Tinley Park, under study by the Army Corps of Engineers, would meet the need for flood control and provide a visually pleasing recreational feature, Hullinger said.
The proposed lake, which would encompass several hundred acres, would be 10 feet deep in some spots so fish could live there throughout the year. Federal funds could pay for 65 percent of the cost, up to $5 million, Hullinger noted.
“Aesthetic appearance is a big function,” he said, adding “aggressive” bikeway proposals are intended to make Tinley Park “a more attractive community.” Guidelines also would ensure that new businesses make landscaping a priority and encourage existing businesses to follow suit.
“The plan emphasizes the forest preserve,” Hullinger noted. “This is a `green belt’ town.”
That emphasis on the appearance of commercial areas is a major difference between the old and new plans, said Hullinger, as are the bike paths.
