Several of MPC's sensible growth planning bills made progress this month in committees.
They haven't gotten much press, what with all the sexier issues being discussed, but several "sensible growth" bills backed by the Metropolitan Planning Council and its regional partners made progress this week in Springfield.
On Thursday, March 8, the House Conservation and Land Use Committee, chaired by Rep. Ricca Slone (D-Peoria Heights), passed three bills aimed at helping local governments plan better for new growth.
H.B. 505, sponsored by Rep. Douglas Scott (D-Rockford) would create a $6 million technical assistance grants program similar to a pilot program already being run by DCCA (a pilot that has recieved far more applications from Illinois counties and towns than there are funds available.) Last month, Gov. George Ryan included this planning program in his proposed budget, albeit at a level of $1 million.
H.B. 1790 (Scott) amends the state's Roaring 20s-era Planning Act so as to define what ought to be included in a town's comprehensive plan. It also provides incentives for voluntary preparation of municipal growth plans.
H.B. 1071, sponsored by Rep. Patricia Lindner (R-Aurora) improves the process by which the state designates future sewer drainage areas along the suburban fringe. The idea is to put these Facility Planning Areas in synch with county and municipal growth plans.
Earlier this session, two other sensible growth bills backed by MPC cleared their respective committees:
H.B. 942, sponsored by Rep. Andrea Moore (R-Libertyville), would let counties set up Intergovernmental Cooperation Councils to improve the process for coordinating development and resolving disputes among growing municipalities.
H.B. 504 (Scott) would establish a $3 million state Live-Near-Work fund that would match contributions companies make toward the purchase of housing by average-wage workers. Housing that is closer to work means shorter commutes, less traffic congestion and cleaner air. Gov. Ryan included $1 million in his budget for this program.
All of these bills were developed by working groups attached to the Illinois Growth Task Force, a blue-ribbon legislative commission established last year to come up with ways to strengthen older communities and cut down on wasteful, unplanned urban sprawl.
For more information, contact myself, or Scott Goldstein, MPC's vice president for planning at sgoldstein@metroplanning.org or 312/922-5616, ext. 140.