Orchard Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan March 10, 2005 Village of Montgomery 1300 S. Broadway Montgomery, IL 60538 Job# 25364722 Prepared By: URS•TPAP 122 S. Michigan Avenue Suite 1920 Chicago, IL 60603 Tel. 312.939.1000 Fax. 312.939.4198 Acknowledgements Village Board Members of the Planning Advisory Thank you to Village President and the Board of Committee (PAC) A special thanks goes to everyone who partici- Trustees: Thank you to the members of the ad hoc commit- pated in the planning process for the Orchard tee created for this planning process and to the Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan. This Plan • President Marilyn Michelini agencies and districts who participated: was made possible by the contribution of resi- • Roger Burrell dents, business persons, property owners, and • Amy Furfori, Director of Community Develop- representation from various groups and organi- • Peter Heinz ment zations. • Jeanne Felten • Anne Marie Gaura, Village Manager • William Keck • Kane County Division of Transportation • Denny Lee • Tom Hammond, West Aurora School District • Robert Watermann #129 • Paul Holcomb, Kane County Department of Transportation Plan Commission • Janice Hill, Kane County Department of Plan- Thank you to the members of the Plan Commis- ning sion • Ken Jernburg, Inland Real Estate & Develop- • Jesse Vasquez ment • Clarence Bark • Fran Klaas, Kendall County Highway De- Table of Contents partment • Jason Bragg Page • Jeff Palmquist, Fox Valley Park District • Robert Glenn Introduction 1 • Ksenia Rudensiuk, The Conservation Founda- • Lloyd Mattingly Corridor Vision 3 tion • Mildred McNeal- James Goals and Objectives 6 • Tom Runty, Kaneland School District #302 • Kathleen Papke Physical Plans 15 • Pete Wallers, Engineering Enterprises, Inc. Design and Development Guidelines 20 Consultant Implementation 33 John Houseal, AICP, URS•TPAP Devin Lavigne, AICP, URS•TPAP Introduction Overview of the Project The Planning Process This report builds upon the preliminary findings of The Orchard Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor The Orchard Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor the previous submittal and presents Steps 4, 5, (the Corridor) encompasses an area approxi- Plan (the Plan) will entail a seven-step planning and 6 of the Planning Process for the Orchard mately 4 square miles. Although much of the process designed to assist the Village of Mont- Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan. The area is within incorporated Village of Montgom- gomery in formulating long-range improvement document has been prepared by URS•TPAP (the ery, some areas are unincorporated Kane and redevelopment recommendations for the Consultant), with significant advice, support and County and unincorporated Kendall County. The Corridor. The steps of the planning process are assistance from the Planning Advisory Committee, Corridor can generally be defined as a ½ mile highlighted below. area on the east and west sides of Orchard Road property and business owners, and others famil- Step 1: Project Initiation included a project from Jericho Road on the north to the Village iar and concerned with growth and development initiation meeting to set the foundation for the limits on the south. within the Corridor. planning process. The meeting included a pro- The Corridor occupies a strategic location within ject initiation workshop, designed to solicit the the quickly growing western suburbs of Chicago. Planning Advisory Committee’s (PAC) concerns Situated on the boundary of two of the fastest and aspirations for the Corridor. growing counties in the region, the Corridor will Step 2: Community Outreach included a work- likely experience significant pressure for growth shop that was held to solicit general public input. and development. The 2002 Comprehensive Key person interviews were also conducted to Plan of the Village of Montgomery identifies sev- obtain additional information from key stake- eral land uses for the Corridor, including residen- holders within the corridor. tial, manufacturing/production, warehouse/ dis- tribution, retail, and retail/residential mixed use. Step 3: Data Collection and Analysis included a collection, review and analysis of all existing This area is recognized as a unique opportunity conditions, including past plans and studies, re- along the rapidly developing western suburbs gional strengths and weaknesses, demographics, and Orchard Road Corridor. Tremendous market and development potentials, existing growth is being experienced throughout Kane lands use, current zoning, transportation and and Kendall County, and recent growth has oc- circulation, environmental conditions. Findings curred along Orchard Road to the north and were presented in the Phase I Synthesis Report. south of the Village of Montgomery. Step 4: Establishing a Vision utilized visioning The uniqueness of the Corridor with Blackberry workshops and allowed residents, business per- Creek offers an opportunity for creative planning sons, and stakeholders to help shape a vision for concepts and techniques. Such an opportunity is the Corridor. The vision was also based on find- unique in the history and future of the Village and ings and feedback from earlier phases of the requires extraordinary efforts to guarantee a high assignment. quality development in harmony with its surround- ing area. Village of Montgomery: Orchard Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan 1 Step 5: Goals and Objectives were established for the different land uses and areas of concern. In addition, this section included the creation of draft plans for land uses, conservation, transpor- tation and community facilities. Step 6: Design and Development included preliminary design and development guidelines, a marketing strategy, and a preliminary imple- mentation plan. Step 7: Corridor Plan was the preparation and review of the draft and final versions of the Or- chard Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan. The planning process that was used throughout the development of the Orchard Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan entailed significant public and private cooperation and participation. A number of opportunities existed throughout the entire planning process for prop- erty owners; merchants and business owners; property managers; community leaders; builders and developers; and Village staff and public officials to provide input and voice their opinions and concerns. In addition, a Planning Advisory Committee comprised of public organizations and private property owners, has been created to work with the Consultant on a regular basis throughout the course of the study. The planning process was structured to establish trust and cooperation among the various parties, and build support and consensus for the Plan one-step-at-a-time. Village of Montgomery: Orchard Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan 2 Corridor Vision Since Montgomery’s Orchard Road and erized traffic signals manage the efficient flow of Blackberry Creek Corridor Plan was com- traffic while at the same time provide for safe A Vision for the Orchard Road/Blackberry Creek pleted 10 years ago, the corridor has experi- Corridor has been established based on commu- enced significant economic and environmental access to major roads and entrances within the nity input received throughout the planning proc- investment. The Village’s tax base has been corridor. The improvement in traffic manage- ess. Supported by a detailed conditions analysis strengthened and diversified using the environ- ment, the proximity of major transportation arter- and guided by the Planning Advisory Committee, mental setting and public improvements as a ies such as Route 30, I-88, and the new Prairie the Vision provides the foundation for future catalyst for economic growth and development planning and improvement efforts. within the corridor. Parkway, and the presence of major industrial companies such as Dial, Caterpillar and United The Vision Statement is intended to be a retro- In the year 2014 . spective that chronicles the accomplishments and Facilities have attracted additional businesses to achievements that have been undertaken in the The improvements of Orchard Road, including the area. As a result, once undeveloped industrial Corridor since the Orchard Road/Blackberry widening, streetscape improvements, sidewalks, sites along Cornell Avenue and Rochester Drive Creek Corridor Plan was completed in 2004. turn lanes and signalizations were successful, are now fully developed and contributing posi- The Vision Statement provides important focus largely due to the cooperative partnerships be- tively to the activity and sustainability of the corri- and direction for the preparation of goals, objec- tween the Village of Montgomery, Kane County dor. tives, policies, and recommendations of this Plan. and Kendall County. Financed through the road A wide range of retail opportunities have been The Vision Statement is intended to provide a improvement impact fees of both Counties, the brief, overall “snapshot” of the Orchard developed within the corridor to serve the flour- Orchard Road improvements have addressed Road/Blackberry Creek Corridor in the Year ishing residential markets and the increasing vehicular and pedestrian traffic, safety and access 2014. While it incorporates the main ideas and number of people that call Montgomery “home.” recurring themes expressed by residents and concerns. The intersection of U.S. Route 30 and Several restaurants and convenience retail cen- Village staff, it does not include all of the specific Orchard Road, which is now safer and more effi-