Representatives with North Central College have unveiled their new decade-long master land use plan, which stretches into 2034 and sets forth guidelines as officials within the institution make determinations about future decisions.
The City Council will be taking action on the plan at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20, following a favorable recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission earlier this month.
While the plan does not include specific timelines or details, it does include a high-level overview of what might be ahead. Future plans include a new academic building, an additional health and science facility, an athletic facility, an athletic competition surface and venue and a student dining and activity center.
Master land use plan is a roadmap for the future
At the recent Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 7, Atty. Kathleen West with the Naperville-based law firm of Dommermuth Cobine West Gensler Philipchuck and Corrigan outlined the rationale behind the 64-page document. West was speaking to commissioners on the college’s behalf.
“The master land use plan is a guide,” West said. “It’s not regulatory; it doesn’t approve any specific college development. It sets forth guidelines for the college to consider as it makes land-use decisions over the next 10 years.”
While the document does outline future visioning for the North Central College campus, West emphasized none of the items are binding within the document.
“A master land use plan does not provide specific timelines for future projects, nor does it commit to specific locations for specific facilities,” she said.
Further emphasizing the point, West added, “The plan is intended to be flexible and adaptive. Student needs may dictate a redirection of facility priorities. The plan provides the guidelines for how the college may develop, according to the college and university district.”
North Central’s third update to the land use plan
North Central College first presented the city with a master land use plan in 1989, with the expectation periodic updates would be presented to city officials to provide a glimpse into what is being proposed on and near the campus grounds.
West in her presentation to commissioners provided some historical context into how and why the document was assembled in the first place.
“In the mid-1980s, the college acquired four single-family lots in the neighborhood and proposed to build parking on those lots,” she said. “The neighborhood became very concerned that the college would continue to purchase properties, which would really affect the character of the neighborhood.”
There have been technical mechanisms within the city to foster future development near the campus through a specific college/university zoning district designation.
As the plan was being assembled in the early months of this year, West said college representatives held a pair of neighborhood meetings — one in January, the other in April — to go over some of the high-level components outlined in the conceptual plan.
“This is a comprehensive and substantive document,” West said. “The college is very proud and excited to present this plan to the city.”
‘Appreciate the attention to detail’
Commissioners gave North Central College’s 2024-2034 master land use plan a unanimous recommendation at the recent meeting.
Oriana Van Someren, who chairs the Planning and Zoning Commission, said the time and effort put into assembling the document was clear.
“It’s very evident — the amount of time and energy that was put forth into this document,” Van Someren said.
Commissioner Whitney Robbins also extended her praise for the thoughtfulness put into the forward-looking plan.
“The college has always done a very good job,” Robbins said. “I live in that area, I grew up in that area. I just appreciate the attention to detail. I’m in there all the time; I think it’s a phenomenal place.”
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