Maps illustrating how development in Lake County may play out in the next century are being unveiled as proposed under the Lake County Unified Development Ordinance.
The maps have been eagerly awaited by Lake County residents and developers to see where their property lies in new zoning schemes under the ordinance that will govern future building and zoning in unincorporated Lake County.
Current county ordinances allow 27 types of zoning, including residential, commercial and industrial. The development ordinance proposes 17 categories, including mixed developments.
At the same time, the county board’s Planning, Building and Zoning Committee said it was nearing completion of its review of the proposed development ordinance before it goes to the Zoning Board of Appeals for public hearings this fall and final adoption by the Lake County Board, possibly in December or January.
“We’re on track to have this done by the end of the year,” said Larry Leafblad (R-Grayslake), chairman of the planning committee.
“We’re on track to have public meetings this fall before the Zoning Board of Appeals,” Leafblad said. “This fall, the public gets a look at what we’ve been doing.”
There’s plenty of time for public hearings in September, October, November and December before the revised ordinance is sent to the Lake County Board for adoption, Leafblad said.
Informal meetings were held early last year to outline the goals of the new ordinance. Even then, residents were complaining that the changes were difficult to understand without maps showing where the new zoning classifications existed.
The draft document applies only to development in unincorporated Lake County, although 90 percent of all construction takes place in 52 incorporated areas where county officials have no authority. About half the county is incorporated.
Leafblad pointed out that county officials started 4 1/2 years ago to revamp its building and zoning ordinance.
“It has come full circle,” Leafblad said. “The reason it has moved so fast in my administration is we’ve removed formality and turned it into an open forum.”
The planning committee met jointly with members of the Regional Planning Commission to save time.
Copies of the maps will be posted on the walls of the 10th-floor meeting room of the county building in Waukegan to give all interested parties a look, Leafblad said.
Committee members continued to haggle over final details of an article on natural resource protection, especially provisions for clustering development by mixing types of housing.
“That’s not good,” said Bonnie Thomson Carter (R-Ingleside), who has opposed placing apartments near single-family homes.
“That’s where we’re going,” Leafblad said.
“Look at the land we have left (in western Lake County); why are we urging smaller lots?” countered Carter. “People in the western part want open space, yards and larger lots. There’s a place for that in Lake County. Clustering (of housing on smaller lots) should not be encouraged on every single site.”
Martha Marks (R-Riverwoods) pointed to a trend toward developing a small-town community atmosphere.
“I literally have communities trying to build a downtown where there was open space,” she said. “We should encourage a sense of community.”
“I’m saying every site doesn’t need that,” countered Carter.
Robert Buhai (D-Highland Park) said, “What we have done here is a departure from what we had. We are discouraging convention. But if we make it too restrictive, we’ll discourage affordable housing.”
