Forest Park’s village government is wisely planning to update its comprehensive plan in 2025. Last reviewed in 2014, this plan is the wide-angle lens that elected and appointed officials craft to set priorities and overarching goals for the village going forward.
Specifically, the plan should focus on economic development and land-use policies, the future of village facilities, transportation, and government-funding options. This is not about whether a three-story apartment building is better than a two-story structure. It’s about how Forest Park might take full advantage of transit-focused development near the Blue Line and Green Line. What should the future of the village-owned parking lot at the terminus of the Blue Line be? The plan also ought to set direction about the density of proposed development and gauge how residential neighbors are impacted.
Certainly, this would be the place to finally spell out the future use of the village-owned Altenheim property and set a goal of involving the Park District of Forest Park in that project and further collaborations. In fact, it was in the 2014 update of the plan that working with the park district to create more and better open spaces was spelled out. That partnership has been a clear success.
Village government has, in the past two years, finally assessed the subpar conditions of its current facilities — from village hall to the community center. This plan should lay out how to either replace or upgrade those critical buildings, as well as other vital infrastructure like the water reservoirs.
What is the ongoing vision for Roosevelt Road? How can the basically abandoned military property on the street be controlled and remade to benefit Forest Park? What are next steps in continuing to support the gem that is Madison Street?
The village says it will actively engage all aspects of village government in the planning and will invite residents and businesses to take part in the process. All good.
Updating a comprehensive plan is a rare and wonderful moment to think big and to innovate while also respecting and pushing boundaries. We look forward to covering this process.
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Again this week, you’ll find a small envelope tucked into the Review. It comes from Growing Community Media, the nonprofit entity that publishes the Review and three other local newspapers.
It is a donation envelope. And as we move toward our end-of-year fundraising season, we’re asking you to use the envelope to invest in our reader-supported newsroom.
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