I-55
Corridor Transportation and Growth Management Plan
Click Map for pdf of I-55 Plan
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Frequently Asked
Questions regarding the I-55 Corridor Plan
What is the I-55
Corridor Transportation & Growth Management Plan?
The I-55 Corridor Transportation
& Growth Management Plan is an intergovernmental
plan between Madison County, the City of Edwardsville,
and the Village of Glen Carbon to plan for future
land use in the I-55 corridor area. A comprehensive,
coordinated strategy is necessary to ensure development
within the corridor area is in line with the plans
of the individual governmental entities. The projected
growth in this area calls for a plan of this caliber
to foster strategic, controlled growth within this
portion of Madison County.
The I-55 Corridor Plan is intended
to serve as a blueprint and guide for elected officials
in Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Madison County to
set policies and develop strategies to be prepared
for inevitable growth and development in the area
bordering Interstate 55 over the next 20-plus years.
The I-55 Corridor Plan is not
the county's zoning map. While this has been adopted
by the county, the village and the city as part of
their comprehensive plans, it does not designate affected
lands into zoning districts.
Why was the I-55
Corridor Plan initiated?
In the year 2000, Madison County
adopted a comprehensive zoning plan known as the 2020
Madison County Land Use and Resource Management Plan.
This plan designated the I-55 Corridor as a part of
the Bluffs Corridor. The 2020 Plan refers to the Bluffs
Corridor as rapidly changing, and as the area of the
county that had experienced the greatest population
increase over the past twenty years. The 2020 Plan
notes that a significant amount of land in the Bluffs
Corridor transitioned from agricultural to residential
use, and calls for the anticipation of aggressive
residential growth.
As a result of the 2020 Plan,
the county participated in the preparation of, and
adopted, Phase I of the I-55 Corridor Plan as an amendment
to its comprehensive zoning plan, the 2020 Plan.
Growth and development in the
communities of Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, and in
outlying Madison County, continues to be strong. A
substantial amount of this development is occurring
east of Route 159, toward Interstate 55. There is
concern among local government officials that their
current comprehensive plans do not address many of
the issues associated with growth and development.
These issues include how new roads will be planned
and interconnected, which areas are to be reserved
for parks and open space, what areas are best suited
for residential, commercial, and mixed uses, and how
the communities can work collectively to provide essential
public services.
Who are the key
players in the I-55 Plan Project?
Plan Management Team: The Plan
Management Team (PMT) consists of representatives
from the City of Edwardsville, Village of Glen Carbon,
and Madison County. These members include municipal
employees as well as business leaders in the community.
The PMT has worked together since the plan's conception,
obtaining public input, guiding the planning process,
creating goals and narrowing the focus of the plan.
Madison County, City of Edwardsville
and Village of Glen Carbon:
These three governmental entities
have the legal authority to enact land-use ordinances
in their respective territories of the I-55 Plan area.
Madison County has legal authority over all the unincorporated
areas within the County. However, as provided by state
statutes, Edwardsville and Glen Carbon also share
authority with the County over land subdivision within
1.5 miles of their respective corporate limits in
unincorporated areas.
The planning commissions of
the county, city and village have been assigned the
responsibility of working with the consultant team(s)
involved in the project, in order to review plans
and make recommendations to their respective governing
bodies for formal action.
The Alliance of Edwardsville
and Glen Carbon: The Alliance of Edwardsville and
Glen Carbon is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership
that serves as an economic development organization
for Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. The Alliance's role
is the facilitation and management of the I-55 Plan.
The Alliance does not have the authority to make decisions
regarding land use in the I-55 area.
Pin Oak Township: The majority
of the approximately 30 square miles encompassing
the I-55 Corridor Plan lies within the boundaries
of Pin Oak Township. As such, township officials have
been updated throughout the course of completing the
I-55 Corridor Plan. As noted above, townships do not
have legal authority to legislate land use regulations
and zoning. This authority is shared with Madison
County for territory located in unincorporated areas,
and with the City of Edwardsville and Village of Glen
Carbon for property located within their respective
municipal limits and 1.5 miles out of their respective
corporate limits. Pin Oak Township is represented
on the Madison County Board, which unanimously voted
to approve the adoption of the I-55 Corridor Plan
as a part of the comprehensive plan for this unincorporated
part of the county. We continue to work closely with
Pin Oak Township officials on the status of the plan
and are addressing concerns of their constituents.
I own property in
the I-55 Plan area. How will I be affected?
The plan is a long-range blueprint
that each governmental entity uses to guide future
development. The Plan will also be referenced when
the rezoning of property is proposed, either by the
current landowner or potential developer. Property
owners are required to be notified of any actions
that could change the zoning status of their property,
and will be given an opportunity to provide input
before action is taken.
Will I be forced
to sell my property?
Several questions were raised
at the informational meetings and regarding property
rights, particularly the use of eminent domain.
Land sales in the I-55 corridor
area are, and will continue to be, a private matter
between a willing property owner and a prospective
buyer. Eminent domain is only used as a last resort
by governmental entities that desire to acquire land
for public use, usually in the form of roadway and
infrastructure projects. Only certain governmental
entities have the authority to acquire property through
eminent domain for projects that meet the definition
of "public use." Historically, eminent domain
has been used primarily for acquisition of privately
held property needed for roadway and infrastructure-related
projects, as opposed to private developments. In such
instances, every effort is made to negotiate the market
purchase price (fair market value) with the affected
property owners. Eminent domain is normally used as
the last resort, and only when it absolutely necessary
to acquire land for public use. Developers looking
to assemble land for projects are not legally eligible
to use the powers of eminent domain.
What is annexation?
Annexation is the incorporation
of a piece of property into an existing incorporated
entity, such as a city. Property owners often petition
for annexation to gain municipal benefits. Additionally,
annexation is used by municipalities in order to manage
expansion in an orderly manner. When territories are
annexed by a municipality, they become a part of that
municipality's service area, providing for services
such as police protection, water and sewer, and street
maintenance.
What is the annexation
process?
The annexation process requires
that property owners file a petition for consideration
and approval with either the City Council or Village
Board. Annexation may only be forced if the area to
be annexed is smaller than 60 acres, and is surrounded
by one or more incorporated entities. However, just
because property is surrounded by one or more municipalities
does not necessarily mean that the property will be
involuntarily annexed. Any questions should be referred
to your personal attorney.
How were the new
roads and interchange locations chosen, and when will
they be completed?
A major component of Phase I
of the I-55 Corridor Plan involved creating a "concept
plan" for future roads and new interchanges to
I-55 and I-270. A critical element in accommodating
future growth and development is planning for a transportation
network to handle the expected traffic loads as the
area develops. Existing topography, connectivity to
existing roadways, current development, the configuration
of land ownership, and transportation standards were
considered in planning for future roadway corridors.
The areas designated for future
interstate interchanges were reviewed in relation
to current highway standards, and in consultation
with representatives of the Illinois Department of
Transportation (IDOT). There is not a firm timeframe
for completing new roads and interchanges. Timing
of the completion is largely linked to the occurrence
of new development. The I-55 Corridor Plan will enable
developers to determine how their projects will be
planned in relation to new roads and the right-of-way
(ROW) needed to complete the arterial and collector
roadways.
New interstate interchanges
are long-range construction projects that require
approval from the Federal Highway Administration and
completion of an extensive planning and approval process
involving environmental, socioeconomic, geometric,
access and traffic studies. Funding for interchanges
is very expensive and will require being included
on IDOT's long-range transportation improvements plan.
What is the timeframe
for completing the improvements?
The I-55 Corridor Plan is "market
driven." Development is largely dependent upon
economic conditions and other factors that impact
the continued viability of our area. It is difficult
to determine which areas will be developed first.
Funding and the timing of public infrastructure projects—such
as the completion of Governors' Parkway and the extension
of water and sewer—can influence the pace at
which private-sector development will occur.
Are there provisions
for modifying the I-55 Corridor Plan after it is adopted?
The I-55 Corridor Plan is a
long-range vision of how the area could evolve over
the next 20+ years. As such, it is extremely difficult
to project how growth will occur, and to predict economic
changes that could impact the overall development.
It should be emphasized that the I-55 Corridor Plan
is a "concept" plan that is subject to change
and modification.
The governmental entities have
the ultimate authority for making adjustments to the
plan as they see fit.
What is meant by
"Phase I" and "Phase II"?
Phase I:
The HOK Planning Group of St.
Louis was contracted as the principal consultant group
for Phase I of the I-55 Corridor Plan, and HOK worked
closely with local government officials, as well as
businesses and community leaders, throughout the course
of the project. A major component of the plan is a
market and economic analysis that was performed by
Development Strategies, Inc., which included an evaluation
of the present market, economic conditions, and strategies
to brand the corridor as a superior knowledge-based
employment center. The evaluation also recommended
actions to attract new commercial development to the
area.
The planning process was intentionally
designed to maximize public input and participation
at all levels, and throughout each stage of the project.
There were numerous public informational meetings
held to provide an opportunity for public input. The
meetings were held at Liberty Middle School in Edwardsville
on the following dates:
• November 24, 2003
• February 19, 2004
• April 15, 2004
• May 11, 2004
• July 8, 2004
Those attending the meetings
were asked to evaluate various planning concepts,
review the land-use/development scenarios presented
by the consultants, complete surveys to describe what
type of land-use pattern was appropriate for the corridor,
rate several land-use components, and indicate the
preferred development scenarios. The consultant and
Plan Management Team took the public comments into
consideration in preparing the final concept plan.
In addition to these meetings, meetings for public
officials were held at The Alliance's office in November
of 2003, and in February, April and June of 2004.
A public hearing was held by the Edwardsville, Glen
Carbon, and Madison County Plan Commissions in April
of 2005.
The I-55 Corridor Plan was adopted
in 2005 by the City of Edwardsville, Village of Glen
Carbon and Madison County and will be used by the
respective jurisdictions in considering requests for
new development, zoning changes, planning for infrastructure
projects, transportation networks and land use within
the 30 + square-mile area.
Phase II:
A $150,000 grant through the
Illinois Department of Transportation has been secured
and will be used, along with a local funding amount
of $15,000, to advance many of the recommendations
as outlined in the Phase I of the I-55 Corridor Plan.
Phase II of the I-55 Corridor project will build on
the coalition between Madison County, the City of
Edwardsville and the Village of Glen Carbon to address
growth-related issues that transect across the corporate
boundaries. Other critical local governmental partners
include Edwardsville Township, Pin Oak Township and
the Edwardsville and Triad School Districts, which
are impacted by the continued residential growth of
the planning area.
The scope of work for Phase
II includes the following components:
1. Transportation & Infrastructure
Planning
A principal work element of
the initial I-55 Corridor Plan included an analysis
of the
existing transportation network serving the study
area, and identified potential new roads that would
eventually need to be constructed to facilitate the
planned development. While the plan delineated a "general
location" for new roads, connections to existing
roads and proposed interchanges, a greater level of
planning is needed to proceed with formal legislative
measures to acquire and preserve the right-of-way
for planned roadway projects.
2. Land Use Regulation/Legislation
Phase I included recommended
actions at the local governmental level with regard
to legislative issues (i.e. zoning, design standards,
etc.) to help guide future land use to conform to
the concept plan.
The major task in this component
of Phase II will be to research land use development
codes and regulatory measures that promote the land-use
concepts that were recommended in Phase I. Development
and adoption of uniform code standards that would
complement the growth management plan will be a critical
element of the overall project.
3. Detailed Development Plans
Phase I recognized certain strategic
areas where unique mixed-use development, such as
town centers and walkable neighborhoods, should be
encouraged. Based on the conceptual land use plan,
the project will entail developing refined conceptual
plans.
4. Public Open Space
One of the principal project
goals as outlined in Phase I is "to encourage
orderly and sound development to preserve land for
open space." Throughout the course of developing
the I-55 Corridor Plan, the need to preserve open
space was brought up as a major concern by the public
at the informational meetings. The strategies defined
in the I-55 Plan include expanding the network of
open space through the use of existing roads, and
integrating open space and buffering along proposed
roadways and transportation corridors. This would
create a series of "greenways" and parks
connecting neighborhoods, as well as major employment
centers.
Phase II will look at specific
areas that should be considered for retention as open
spaces. Additionally, the project will advance the
planning of the Silver Creek area to identify specific
methods to protect the area from encroaching development.
5. Economic Development Strategy
A key component included in
Phase I was an overview of the economic analysis of
the area in context with the greater St. Louis region.
The consultant team noted the attractiveness of certain
nodes along the I-55 Corridor that may be suitable
for the location of regional professional offices.
The target for economic development efforts in this
area continues to be knowledge-intensive businesses.
This component will address specific strategies to
attract new economic investments to the developing
I-55 Corridor area.
Another important element of
this plan will include the effective presentation
of the identified capabilities of the I-55 Corridor
to businesses and governments, identifying investors
that will produce the desired knowledge-intensive
jobs.
6. Education
Critical to the success of advancing
the recommendations and moving the I-55 Plan toward
implementation is making public-sector officials aware
of the plan's key components. These officials will
be responsible for adopting the plan and initiating
policies to see that the plan is executed. Additionally,
we recognize the importance of strengthening alliances
with the development community (i.e. developers, builders,
realtors, landowners), which needs to have a better
understanding of the overall long-term vision for
the I-55 Corridor. Their understanding is paramount
in order to ensure success in sustainable development.
This educational component will be designed to link
the public sector with the private sector.
The Plan Management Team will
solicit proposals from professional consulting firms
that will be contracted to provide services to complete
the major components as highlighted above.
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