Corridor Preservation
Over three years ago, staff of the Kankakee County Planning Department was directed by County Administration to develop a method for the preservation of transportation corridors that were deemed important to the future transportation network of Kankakee County. The oversight committee for this task was assigned as the Transportation Subcommittee of the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission.
A number of methods were researched, with the resultant recommendation by staff and by the Transportation Subcommittee of a method which accomplished the goal without the expenditure of public funds, and seemed the best able to withstand any legal challenge.
The general concept of the method is a hierarchy of importance of roadways, both existing and contemplated in the future, based on the roadway’s relative importance to the transportation system, both now and in the future. The general implementing concept is through the use of the already existing legally tested power of setbacks.
The concept has been presented numerous times to the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission, the Planning, Zoning, and Agriculture Committee and the Bridge and Highway Committee of the Kankakee County Board, and to every Planning Commission in Kankakee County, both for municipalities and for townships. Township Commissioners have been invited to two separate presentations on the concept.
A Public Meeting was held on the Corridor Preservation concept on March 20, 2003, with no negative comments registered on the concept from any attendees. The results of that Public Meeting are being presented to the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission at their July 22, 2003 meeting, at which time adoption of the concept will be discussed.
After adoption by the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission, the concept will be presented again to each of the Planning Commissions in the County, with the request for a resolution of support for the concept. After these municipal and township Planning Commission presentations have been made, the concept will be presented to the Planning, Zoning, and Agriculture Committee for action, and to the Kankakee County Board for adoption.
