Elgin Historic District Neighborhood Plan

Elgin Historic District 2007 NEIGHBORHOOD MASTER PLAN PREPARED BY THE GIFFORD PARK ASSOCIATION Elgin Historic District charact er Giff ord Park schoo ls diversity traffi c circulation on & off street parking pr ope rty maintenance beautifi cation Acknowledgements Neighborhood Planning Committee Members: Fran Cella, Chairperson Dave Mendiola Deborah Allan Pat Miller Bill Briska Mark Preradovic Darren Daniels Diane Rieken Kate Darling Betty Sanders-Webber Paul Durrenberger Dave Segel Greg Guerrero Pat Segel David Jurina Kevin Sosnowski Hans Klemmer Bill Witte Gifford Park Association Elected Board Members 2006 Dan Miller, President Deborah Allan, Vice President Karen Bach, Secretary Glenna Preradovic, Treasurer Chris Bach, At Large Joe Kjellander, At Large Mayor & City Council Members: Edward Schock, Mayor Robert Gilliam, Councilmember F. John Steffen, Councilmember John Walters, Councilmember Juan Figueroa, Councilmember David Kaptain, Councilmember Michael Powers, Councilmember Planning Consultant Paul Bednar, Paul Bednar Planning & Design, Ltd. With assistance from the following City of Elgin Employees RuthAnne Hall, Management Analyst Tom Armstrong, Principal Planner, Community Development Department Steve Damolaris, GIS Planner, Community Development Department Cherie Murphy, Marketing Coordinator Sarosh Saher, Urban Design & Preservation Specialist John Loete, Public Works Director Jim Bell, Parks Superintendent Gil Feliciano, Community Relations/Outreach Coordinator Elgin Historic District 2007 Neighborhood Master Plan 2 Paul Bednar Planning & Design, Ltd. Contents 2 Acknowledgements 55 Summary of Potential Funding Sources 3 Contents 57 Implementation Schedule 4 Overview of the Planning Process 57 Land Use & Zoning 6 Executive Summary 57 Housing & Property Maintenance 58 Parking & Traffic Circulation 7 Neighborhood Introduction 60 Parks & Open Space 7 History 61 Communications 10 Gifford Park Association: Neighborhood Role 62 Youth 12 Neighborhood Demographics 63 Historic Preservation & Aesthetics 12 2000 Census Data 64 Community Building & Events 13 What does this mean for the neighborhood? 65 Appendix I - Summary, Graphs & Charts 14 Police Statistics For 2004 - 2005 68 Appendix II - Survey 16 2000 Census Tract and Block Group Map 70 Appendix III - Young Adult Focus Group 17 Neighborhood Input 72 Appendix IV - Teen Focus Groups 17 Summary of Survey Process 17 Summary of Survey Findings 75 Appendix V - Leadership Interviews 19 Focus Groups 80 Appendix VI - Zoning 20 Interviews with Neighborhood Leaders 81 Appendix VII - Parking Survey Form 21 Community Listening Session 22 Neighborhood Assets & Strengths 23 Major Issues For The Neighborhood 23 Land Use & Zoning 25 Existing Land Use Map 26 Zoning Map 27 Neighborhood Plan - TIF District/Enterprise Zone 28 Housing & Property Maintenance 31 Neighborhood Plan - Rental Property Map 32 Parking And Traffic Circulation 38 Neighborhood Plan - Bus Route Map 39 Neighborhood Plan - Bicycle System Map 40 Open Space & Parks 43 Park & Open Space Map 44 Neighborhood Communications 46 Youth 48 Historic Preservation & Aesthetics 53 Community-Building & Events Elgin Historic District 2007 Neighborhood Master Plan 3 Paul Bednar Planning & Design, Ltd. Overview of the Planning Process In November of 2003, the City of Elgin provided Gifford Park Association (GPA) with a grant to develop this neighborhood plan for the Elgin Historic District. uality communi- This neighborhood plan will be incorporated into the Elgin Comprehensive Qties start with great Plan. neighborhoods. The Gifford Park Association began the planning process with the assumption that a meaningful neighborhood plan would: Great neighborhoods are built • Identify assets and challenges with a mixture of involved • Build on neighborhood strengths • Assess housing stock condition and diversity residents, desirable and • Strategically target opportunities for improvement & investment varied housing, and public • Prioritize actions & allocation of resources amenities. • Foster a sense of community • Address safety issues • Promote better aesthetics • Balance quality of life issues with historic preservation Great neighborhoods provide residents with a sense of iden- The neighborhood plan is intended to serve as a catalyst for change by: tity and connection, which • Incorporating the differing perspectives of the broader community. encourages renewal and • Crafting a Vision for what the neighborhood wants to be reinvestment. • Building consensus; having been created by the whole neighborhood A neighborhood planning committee (NPC) was assembled and carried out the following activities: • Brainstorming sessions to assess assets and challenges. Great neighborhoods offer a • Creating and disseminating a neighborhood opinion survey to every house- diversity of housing types hold in the neighborhood. and sizes to meet the needs of • Conducting focus groups for three target populations; youth, Hispanic resi- various social and economic dents and young adults groups. • Conducting interviews with business and agency leaders located within the neighborhood. • Reviewing and critiquing other neighborhood plans • Gathering and analyzing a variety of neighborhood specific data, including: Great neighborhoods often have residents who live and work in the neighborhood in businesses that fit the scale and character of the area. Elgin Historic District 2007 Neighborhood Master Plan 4 Paul Bednar Planning & Design, Ltd. • police crime statistics, • on- street parking counts, Great neighborhoods have an • existing open space and parkland, identity that helps to posi- • existing land uses tively define their boundar- • pedestrian connections ies. When residents show • agency plans for future improvements/developments. pride in their neighborhood • Gathering and analyzing the U.S. Census Data for the neighborhood and have a sense of belong- • Presenting information and soliciting public input at two neighborhood-wide ing, this fosters reinvestment. “Listening Sessions” • Developing a Plan that incorporates recommendations, priority projects and strategies for implementation. • Recognizes neighborhood businesses • Emphasizes events and socializing Great neighborhoods are • Provides for differing perspectives of the broader community pedestrian friendly. This • Reviews traffic circulation and on-street parking adds to the idea that your neighborhood is linked to surrounding areas, such as commercial spaces, schools, and parks. Neighborhood Planning Committee meeting. Great neighborhoods enjoy access to a variety of open spaces, such as nearby nature areas, city parks, or public squares. Elgin Historic District 2007 Neighborhood Master Plan 5 Paul Bednar Planning & Design, Ltd. Executive Summary Information for use in the planning process was gathered through four (4) mecha- nisms: a) written surveys; b) focus groups; c) individual leadership interviews; and d) community listening sessions. The information from these sources enabled the Neighborhood Planning Committee to identify the perceived neighborhood strengths and opportunities for improvement. These became the priorities to be addressed in the Neighborhood Plan. Strengths & Assets Great Historic Architecture Diversity of People Mature Trees Sense of Community Walkability Historic Streetlights Elgin Area Historical Museum City Grant Programs Public and Private Schools Gifford Park Channing School Dual Language Program Beautiful, Established Churches National Register District Designation Variety of Housing Types Affordable Housing Problems & Opportunities for Improvement Many of the primary problems and opportunities for improvement in the neighborhood are interrelated and can be attributed to the large percentage of rental properties in the Elgin Historic District. Approximately two-thirds of the dwelling units in the neighborhood are occupied by temporary residents. A large number of these are owned by individuals who neither live nor are invested in the neighborhood. The following concerns need to be addressed: Overcrowding Lack of Property Maintenance Noise Litter On-Street Parking Perception of Local Schools Unresponsive Landlords Gangs & Crime Code Violations Achieving a better balance between the percentage of rental and owner-occupied units in the neighborhood will have the most significant impact on its future sta- bility. Elgin Historic District 2007 Neighborhood Master Plan 6 Paul Bednar Planning & Design, Ltd. Neighborhood Introduction History The Elgin Historic District contains part of the original plat of Elgin which was laid out in 1842 by James Gifford. Land within the district was completely platted by 1859 with streets laid out in a modified grid pattern. The Elgin Historic District contains an excellent collection of late 19th and early 20th century resi- dential architecture. Located to the east of the downtown area, lots were platted as early as the 1840s. Construction within this area was limited until after the Civil War. Many of the dwellings were erected during the boom years of the 1880s and 1890s when Elgin prospered as a result of the growth of the Elgin National Watch Company. Between 1879 and 1891, this company grew from 840 to more than 3,000 employees. Many of the company’s foremen and managers built large two-story frame dwellings along the streets in the neighborhood. By 1892, more than 400 build- ings had been constructed within the present boundaries of the historic district. In addition to the homes for the city’s middle and upper class residents,

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