Saturday, December 1, 2018

Boone County seeks resident feedback as it plans for next decade's land usage

Boone County seeks resident feedback as it plans for next decade's land usage

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Posted: Nov 29, 2018 10:39 PM CST

Updated: Nov 29, 2018 10:39 PM CST

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BOONE COUNTY - Residents packed the Boone County Board room ready to listen and comment about the County's plans for its land for the next decade.

"This needs to be the community's plan," said Boone County Board member Sherry Branson. "[It needs to be] the community's development."

Thursday, Boone County leaders hosted a meeting to hear feedback on their proposed plan. Many residents had concerns or questions about the county flipping too much farmland into industrial or commercial.

"A plan is simply a vision of the future as to maybe what could happen," said Boone County Administrator KenTerrinoni. "This is and has been a very pro-agricultural community and this plan still says that."

Lifelong Boone County resident John Ratcliffe says farmland gives the county tax dollars and changing it would mean loss of revenue

"If they put industry in, lots of times they put that in a TIF area and they take it off tax roll," said Ratcliffe.

Others, like Toria Funderburg, welcomed changes as long as they are smart and beneficial for the county.

"We need to specify what we want our land use to be," said Funderburg. "Where we put our industrial and where we put our housing."

Funderburg believes the southern county land near I-90 shouldn't be industrialized and the areas near Route 173 should be used instead.

"Those are prime places where we could have industrial use at the edge of our county and not go into our farmland," said Funderburg.

Terrinoni says the proposal doesn't mean rural areas won't remain agricultural.

The County Administrator adds community input is important to make sure everyone's best interests are in mind.

"Boone is between Chicago and Madison," said Terrinoni. "It's a great place to live and work and we want to maintain that."

Thursdays's comments will now go back to the planning commission for consideration. A final plan will then again be presented at a public hearing before it goes to the Boone County Board for a vote.

Above is fromhttps://www.mystateline.com/news/boone-county-seeks-resident-feedback-as-it-plans-for-next-decade-s-land-usage/1628503046

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Boone County hosts forum on new infrastructure plan

By Ethan Rosuck |

Posted: Thu 10:08 PM, Nov 29, 2018  |

Updated: Thu 10:50 PM, Nov 29, 2018


BOONE COUNTY, Ill (WIFR) -- Boone County is looking to further develop its land across county lines and board members wanted to hear from business-owners and residents about its most recent plan.


The Boone County Regional Planning Commission and The Boone County Planning, Zoning, and Building Committee hosted a forum in Belvidere and presented a draft of their 2028 Comprehensive Plan. A plan like this has not been drafted by the county since 1999.

It comes with many potential opportunities like expanding industrial business parks just south of I-90 and building more commercial spaces and restaurants north and west of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway that runs through the county.

Boone County Administrator Kenneth A. Terrinoni says this is the perfect time to introduce a plan like this, as the population of the county has not had too big of growth in a few years. He says, "As Boone County is between Madison and Chicago, it's only a matter of time before the growth comes back like it did when we were the fourth fastest growing county in the state. So if you think about it a minute, the best time to talk about these issues is now when we aren't being barraged with all of the growth and trying to decide what our plan is and where to put things."

Boone County is not done drafting this plan yet. However, some residents are concerned that this county expansion will take up farm land and become more crowded overall. The county has heard about these concerns and more forums will be held in the near future as the draft is further clarified and drawn up.

Above is fromhttps://www.wifr.com/content/news/Boone-County-hosts-forum-on-new-infrastructure-plan-501602671.html

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