October 10, 2022
Dear editor;
Looking into our crystal ball: What is in the future for Kane County?
Whenever somebody asks me what I’ve been reading lately, I always have an easy answer: The Kane County 2040 Plan! The goals of the 2040 Plan are to identify our shared values and turn them into policies that will guide us as we move forward.
Some of our values include access to healthy, active, living, quality health care for all families, preservation of green space and our agricultural heritage, strong neighborhoods to raise families with quality jobs and schools, and preservation of our sense of history, in our historic downtowns and neighborhoods and rustic roads.
Our beautiful Kane County is unique and interesting because when we look at a map we see three distinct areas going from the north to the south. Along the eastern portion of the County we see our most notable natural feature, the Fox River.
Our biggest towns and cities grew up along the River, and created our sustainable urban corridor. Along the western side of the County we have our agricultural and small town corridor, and down the middle is the critical growth area, approximately from the Randall Road corridor to the Route 47 corridor. How many other counties in Illinois can boast three such distinct cultures? We have riches of diversity and possibility right here in our own backyards.
Each of these corridors has been given a theme: Renaissance for the urban corridor, refinement for the critical growth corridor, and recommitment for the agricultural and small town corridor.
Renaissance for the urban corridor means making use of downtown revitalization, neighborhood preservation, redevelopment and infill development, using our downtown areas for new growth to avoid urban sprawl.
Recommitment to our agricultural and small town corridor means continuing to preserve 50% of our total land area in farmland and open space, with projected population growth being concentrated in the urban and critical growth corridors.
Refinement for the critical growth corridor means using the 10 smart growth principles, such as creating walkable neighborhoods, preserving open space, farmland, and natural beauty, and providing various means of transportation. In other words, create thoughtful growth in designated areas and preserve our green and open space in other areas.
The 2040 Plan is a way to preserve our quality of life, bring good jobs for our families, and create a healthy and safe future for all of us in Kane County. The future is bright for Kane County!
Mavis Bates, Kane County Board Member, District 4, Aurora