Park Forest Metra Electric District 211Th Street Station Area Plan
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211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields October 2007 Regional Transportation Authority TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1-1 II. PROJECT BACKGROUND 2-1 III. EXISTING CONDITIONS 3-1 IV. KEY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 4-1 V. VISION AND PLANNING PRINCIPLES 5-1 VI. PREFERRED CONCEPT PLAN AND 6-1 CIRCULATION PLAN VII. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES 7-1 APPENDICES: COMMUNITY PREFERENCES APPENDIX A - STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS A-1 APPENDIX B - JANUARY 2007 PUBLIC B-1 WORKSHOP COMMENTS APPENDIX C - PRELIMINARY CONCEPT PLANS C-1 APPENDIX D - MARCH 2007 PUBLIC D-1 WORKSHOP COMMENTS This document summarizes the work conducted for the 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study. The document was prepared under contract with the Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois. Preparation of the document was financed in part through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, and the Regional Transportation Authority. The contents of the document do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, or the Illinois Department of Transportation. 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields Regional Transportation Authority INTRODUCTION I. INTRODUCTION Many communities in the Chicago region have capitalized on their commuter rail station as a catalyst for transit-oriented development (TOD). The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) has worked with over 50 communities to formalize TOD and station area plans through its Regional Technical Assistance Program (RTAP). The RTAP program is used to improve tran- sit and pedestrian access near transit stations, and facilitate local community and economic development. Using the RTAP program, the Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields partnered together on this 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study to establish a welcoming gateway for their communities, create better neighborhood connections to the station, and encourage new mixed-use development within the 211th Street station area. PLANNING PROCESS 211th Street Metra Station Community participation in the planning process is essential for creating an improvement program that meets local expectations. As part of this study, a Steering Committee of elected officials, municipal staff, and transportation agency representatives provided guidance and feedback during each planning phase. Additionally, key person interviews provided in-depth local knowledge through informal conversations with community leaders. Throughout the process, general public meetings were held to gauge public opinion and solicit input, including a visioning workshop, a design workshop, and an open house meeting in each Village. Each Village is then responsible for plan adoption and collaborative implementation. During the study’s initial phase of work, an Inventory and Existing Conditions Report and a Market Assessment Report documented planning issues and opportunities and local market demand. In the second phase, a Preliminary Concept Plans Report described two illustrative concept plans that were used as the basis for a preferred concept plan. Lastly, this overall re- port was produced to summarize the project’s existing conditions, conceptual plans, and most importantly, implementation strategies. 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Page 1-1 Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields Regional Transportation Authority PROJECT BACKGROUND 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields Regional Transportation Authority PROJECT BACKGROUND II. PROJECT BACKGROUND The 211th Street Metra Station is located at Lincoln Highway/US Highway 30 and Olympian Way, along the village boundaries of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields. Transit-ori- ented development (TOD) is typically focused within one-half mile of a transit facility. Figure 1 highlights the one-half mile study area for the 211th Street Metra Station. Matteson was originally platted in the 1850s as a small farming village near the intersection of two railroads, the Illinois Central and Michigan Central Railroads. The Village of Matteson was Chicago formally incorporated in 1889. Matteson remained a rural village until new suburban growth fueled annexation following the Second World War. The Olympia Fields Country Club opened in 1915 east of the Illinois Central Railroad within unincorporated Cook County. The Village of Olympia Fields was formally incorporated near 211th Street Metra Station the country club in 1927, and grew further during the 1940s and 1950s as an elite residential community. Similar to other master planned communities such as Riverside, Illinois and Radburn, New Jersey, Park Forest was developed in the late 1940s as an independent fully-planned suburban community for returning GIs and their families. Park Forest also contained one of Chicago’s Regional perspective first suburban shopping malls. Interstate 57 (I-57) was built through the area in the late 1960s. All three municipalities wit- nessed additional growth when I-57 was built. Lincoln Mall, one of the largest shopping cen- ters in the southland, was built in Matteson in 1973 on Lincoln Highway/US Highway 30 less than one-half mile from I-57. Lincoln Mall caused additional commercial development nearby, and contributed to the eventual decline of Park Forest’s original shopping mall. Suburban development throughout Chicagoland has caused a very competitive suburban de- velopment market. As a result of newer and competing retail locations, Lincoln Mall witnessed a decline over the last ten years and is now the subject of a redevelopment process. Similarly, Park Forest’s shopping mall has been redeveloped as Downtown Park Forest over the last 10 years. The three municipalities contain stable residential neighborhoods with middle- and upper- income residents. Consequently, the housing market has remained relatively strong and new home construction is adding more residents to the area, particularly within Matteson. All three municipalities are working to improve housing choices, stabilize their commercial tax base, and improve local schools through local planning efforts and development programs. 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Page 2-1 Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields Regional Transportation Authority PROJECT BACKGROUND INSERT FIGURE 1: STUDY AREA 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Page 2-2 Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields Regional Transportation Authority PROJECT BACKGROUND TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES Transit-oriented development (TOD) may be defined as a moderate to high density mix of uses — such as homes, retail shops, offices, civic uses, or entertainment — located within one-half mile of a transit station and in a configuration that supports transit use. The one-half mile dis- tance is considered the typical “station area,” or an acceptable 10-minute walking distance for most transit users if the area contains a destination, provides dedicated walking routes, and appears safe and visually interesting. The general principles of TOD may be described within three broad categories —design, di- versity, and density — or the “Three Ds” of transit-oriented development. The “Three Ds” are characterized as follows: New Village Center, Willow Springs Metra Station Area 1. Design • Multiple transportation connections and amenities • Preference for pedestrians and bicyclists • Shared commuter parking and reduced off-street parking 2. Diversity • Mixed uses and varied housing types • Public spaces integrated into the station area • Market-driven development that serves commuters and the local area 3. Density • Higher density uses closest to the train station • Balance higher densities with public parks and plazas • Station area residents provide additional support to local businesses When all of these characteristics are present within a station area, there tends to be a great- er level of development, pedestrian activity, and transit use. Although every station area is unique, the TOD principles of design, diversity, and density were used to provide a general focus and direction for recommendations within the 211th Street Metra Station area. 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Page 2-3 Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields Regional Transportation Authority EXISTING CONDITIONS 211th Street Metra Station Transit-Oriented Development Study Villages of Park Forest, Matteson, and Olympia Fields Regional Transportation Authority EXISTING CONDITIONS III. EXISTING CONDITIONS The 211th Street Metra Station is a resource that primarily serves park-n-ride commuters, but is not currently utilized for the local communities' economic development purposes. The overall planning context within a station area is important for understanding the future potential and capacity for new improvements and economic development. This section of the report ad- dresses the following existing conditions: • Existing Land Use • Circulation, Access, and Transit • Demographics Trends and Market Assessment The existing conditions analysis was used to assess the physical planning opportunities and 211th Street Metra Station platform