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The major communities in Logan County -- Atlanta, Elkhart, Lincoln
and Mount Pulaski -- each have planning commissions and
comprehensive plans that steer growth. These commissions meet as
needed, most commonly to approve zoning change requests. The
county also has a commission, the Logan County Regional Planning
Commission, chaired by Bill Glaze, with representatives from
throughout the county.
The LCRPC has become more active in the last few years, with many
developments taking place. The members have approved new enterprise
zones; commercial, retail and residential subdivisions; looked at
water availability; and reviewed rezoning requests in unincorporated
areas. Their decisions are recommendations that go before the county
board for approval.
Their most recent contribution has been the redevelopment of the
Logan County Comprehensive Plan, titled "Acres of Opportunity." The
plan serves as a guide to county and community planning.
The publication not only took months of preparation, it also took
hours of concentrated effort by focus groups. The plan contains
vital community information in the form of statistics, demographics,
physical features, maps, present economy and outlook, services and
utilities, natural resources, transportation, and more. It is a tool
to use for marketing, land-use planning and will be useful in
securing funds in our future.
A month after the preliminary draft came out, plan co-chair Bill
Glaze said he was concerned about getting the participation that is
needed from communities at this time. "I haven't heard any
comments," he said.
It is now three months later and "Acres of Opportunity" is under
preview by communities this week.
Planning commission members all agree that the plan can only be
as good at providing the desired outcomes as the effort that is put
forth by the communities. It requires participation from community
leaders, as well as the public.
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 This is not the end result, co-chair Bill Martin keeps reminding
commission members. After communities have weighed in on the new
plan, the LCRPC will make suggested changes and recommend the draft
to the county board for acceptance, but even then it is far from
over and done with.
After that, "Acres of Opportunity" will remain a work in process.
It is a document that has many areas that still need updating and
changes.
The LCRPC is urging communities to update their community plans.
Then those changes can be integrated. Taking Lincoln for example,
Lincoln has nearly reached business and housing property growth
capacity within the city limits. This means analyzing land use and
making zoning changes for better use of properties within the
current boundaries.
Working with limited infrastructure dollars and creating
compatible neighbors are a couple of the major factors to be
considered in identifying the type of development wanted in outlying
areas.
Additionally, the commission is ready to take a closer look at
land use throughout the county and, working with communities, hopes
to implement a unified zoning code. This will assist in rezoning and
will be added to "Acres of Opportunity."
Members of the newly restructured LCRPC are committed to being
more active as a body and with the communities. One member said he
did not want to see the new comprehensive plan go to the shelves and
serve as dust-gatherers as the last plan did in most cases. Other
members wholeheartedly agreed.
Reviews of the preliminary draft are set for Elkhart tonight
(Wednesday) at 7 and Lincoln on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Atlanta and Mount Pulaski held their public hearings on Monday
and Tuesday this week.
Anyone missing their community hearing is welcome to attend any
other community hearing or the next LCRPC meeting, at the Logan
County Courthouse on Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
[Jan
Youngquist] |
