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Homer Glen Passes Breakthrough Ordinance
Sep 20, 2006
Debra Shore
Chicago Wilderness Magazine
Pertains to Homer Glen
The board of trustees in Homer Glen, a five-year-old community in rapidly developing Will County, have passed a new ordinance mandating "environmentally responsible development" using conservation design standards. The ordinance will guide residential development in a manner that protects environmentally sensitive areas, clustering housing to save more open space, supporting land use that assists groundwater recharge and retains stormwater runoff, and promoting plans that connect greenways and provide corridors.

Relying on a model ordinance developed by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission in concert with the Chicago Wilderness Sustainability Team, the Homer Glen Village Board sought to shape the future development of their community in a way that also protects and preserves natural communities. "We're going to be developing in a different way," said Trustee Marcia De Vivo. "We stand a better chance than most communities [of protecting open space]," she added, "because we have so much land yet to be developed."

The ordinance requires developers to dedicate 20 to 50 percent of the gross land area as open space and mandates that at least 80 percent of the open space area be a single whole lot. Village Manager Dwight Johnson noted that this requirement could protect as much as 1,000 acres of open space from being developed during the next 10 to 15 years.

A number of communities, such as Green Garden Township south of Frankfort, have recommended that development adhere to conservation design principles and standards, but Homer Glen may be the first village to stake its identity on such an ordinance. Indeed, this latest action stems directly from the village's core values, which include the following:

Preserving the rural atmosphere and protecting the environment are essential to safeguarding the appearance and character of Homer Glen.

Protecting the environment is important to the health and wellbeing of Homer Glen citizens.

Safeguarding areas of significant natural value, promoting the re-establishment of native vegetation, protecting and managing water resources, and providing wildlife corridors are fundamental environmental protections.

   
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