Comprehensive Plan Amendments Since 2005
(2006) Various Amendments to the 2005 Urbana Comprehensive Plan
Approved by City Council on 11-27-2006 under Ordinance No. 2006-11-136
In 2006, not long after adoption of the current Comprehensive Plan, the City Council approved a package of minor amendments to the plan. Changes included an adjustment to the plan’s implementation program and changes to the Greenways and Trails Map and Future Land Use Map. The implementation program was changed to be more aligned with the City Council’s Common Goals Framework. The Greenways and Trails Map was updated to accommodate recent developments in pathways. The Future Land Use Map was slightly altered to redefine several areas as yet-to-be-determined by future study. The Comprehensive Plan adopted by Urbana won a Gold Award from the Illinois chapter of the American Planning Association.
(2008) Metheny Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment - 502, 504 and 508 East Elm Street
Approved by City Council on 09-17-2008 under Ordinance No. 2008-09-115
Rezoning Approved by City Council on 09-17-2008 under Ordinance No. 2008-09-116
A group of residents in the East Urbana neighborhood petitioned the City Council for a rezoning of their properties and an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. They requested that the parcels in which their homes reside be changed from “Central Business” to “Residential” in the plan’s Future Land Use Map. Some of the petitioners also requested that two of the properties be rezoned from R-5, Medium High Density Multiple Family Residential District to R-3, Single and Two-Family Residential District. The amendment and ordinances were both passed by the City Council in 2008.
(2008) Crystal Lake Neighborhood Plan
Approved by City Council on November 17, 2008 under Ordinance No. 2008-11-129
The City of Urbana adopted a neighborhood plan as an addition to the Comprehensive Plan for the Carle Foundation Hospital area and Crystal Lake neighborhood. The amendment made the Crystal Lake Neighborhood Plan the official determinant of future planning in that part of Urbana. The overall goal of the neighborhood plan was to allow the hospital to grow and expand without adversely affecting nearby residents and businesses. The plan directed actions towards preserving neighborhood safety and character. It also included future goals for Crystal Lake Park and the Champaign County Fairgrounds. Lastly, the plan also included goals for transportation-related improvements including vehicles, pedestrians, and transit in the area.
(2011) Complete Streets Policy
Approved by City Council on 11-07-2011 under Ordinance No. 2011-11-118
The 2011 policy amendment to the Comprehensive Plan was a commitment to the City’s complete streets principle. The term “complete streets” describes an integrated transportation network designed, constructed, and maintained to allow safe and convenient travel along and across streets for all users, whether traveling by foot, bicycle, motor vehicle, or transit, and regardless of age or physical abilities. While the City of Urbana’s facilities already incorporated complete streets concepts, the amendment to the Comprehensive Plan formalized its integration into City policy. The complete streets amendment enhanced some existing elements of the Comprehensive Plan relating to mobility and the 2008 Bicycle Plan amendment. The amendment was drafted with input from the Urbana Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.
(2012) 2012 Downtown Urbana Plan
Approved by City Council on April 16, 2012 under Ordinance No. 2012-04-041
The Downtown Urbana Plan is a neighborhood plan amendment to the Comprehensive Plan passed by the City Council in 2012. The amendment acted as an update and replacement for the previous Downtown Strategic Plan enacted in 2002. The downtown plan was a comprehensive effort of many parties and provided design concepts, redevelopment opportunities, and implementation strategies for continuing to establish downtown as Urbana’s center of city activity.
(2013) Alpha and Omega Church Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment - 1501 North Goodwin Avenue and 1205 West Bradley Avenue
Comprehensive Map Amendment Approved by City Council on January 7, 2013 under Ordinance No. 2013-01-001
Zoning Map Amendment Approved by City Council on January 7, 2013 under Ordinance No. 2013-01-002
Along with a rezoning request, representatives of a local church petitioned the City Council for a change in their Future Land Use Map designation. The petitioners were requesting that the city change two residential properties to commercial uses in both their current and future zoning designations. The petitioners argued that the properties could be best served by allowing a business use because of their proximity to high traffic, existing commercial areas, and lack of viability as residential lots. The amendment passed in 2012 and changed the two properties from “Residential (Urban Pattern)” to “Community Business” in their future land use categories.
(2014) Active Choices: Champaign County Greenways & Trails Plan 2014
Approved by City Council on 11-17-2014 under Ordinance No. 2014-08-075
The City Council passed an amendment that adopted the Active Choices: Champaign County Greenways & Trails Plan as part of the Comprehensive Plan. The Active Choices initiative was a county-wide effort to grow and enhance the greenways and trails system throughout Champaign County. The Active Choices plan harnessed existing plans in municipalities like Urbana and gave future direction for growth of the County’s greenways and trails, while also providing potential funding opportunities. The amendment passed by the City Council established the Active Choices Plan as the current plan for the Greenways and Trails portion of the Comprehensive Plan. Although the plan is county-wide, the city plans take precedence over any conflicting policy regarding the Greenways and Trails.
(2015) Champaign County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
Approved by City Council on 09-21-2015 under Ordinance No. 2015-09-100
The Champaign County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation (HMP) identifies and prioritizes community prolicies, actions and tools to implement in order to reduce potential risk and potential for future losses associated with the occurrence of selected natural and techinical hazards. The HMP is developed to be useful to each participating jurisdiction. The HMP can be used to increase awareness of potential natural hazards and technical hazards; and to understand potential losses from hazard events. The HMP meets the planning criteria of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 including specific planning objectives established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): coordination among agencies, integration with other planning efforts & existing programs, and state coordination of local mitigation planning.
(2016) Bicycle Master Plan Amendment
Approved by City Council on 12-19-2016 under Ordinance No. 2016-12-123
The City of Urbana partnered with the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission and Illinois League of Bicyclists to create a Bicycle Master Plan. The strategic plan set out to make Urbana a more friendly community for bicyclists who enjoy riding recreationally or for transportation. The plan took several important steps to make bicycling an important facet of city policy. The plan established new initiatives such as bicycle-only traffic lanes (“bikeways”) and bike parking stations throughout the city. It also made recommendations for improvements on existing trails, street designs, and public education on bicycle safety. Additionally, the plan also helped incorporate bicycle improvement opportunities into consideration for the City’s yearly Capital Improvement Plan. This plan was replaced and superceded by the Urbana Bicycle Master Plan 2016, which has six main themes, each with an associated goal. The themes are: Safety, Connectivity, Convenience, Education, Equity, and Implementation. For Safety, the goal is to provide a bicycle network that is safe and attractive for all users. For Connectivity, the goal is to create and maintain a bicycle network that is continuous, connected and easily accessible for all users. For Convenience, the goal is to provide supporting facilities to make bicycle transportation more convenient. For Education, the goal is to educate residents about active modes of transportation and bicycle facilities. For Equity, the goal is to provide equal access of bicycle facilities and information to all residents. And, for Implementation, the goal is to secure funding and implement bicycle improvements.
(2017) Washington School Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment - 1102 North Broadway Avenue
Comprehensive Map Amendment Approved by City Council on February 5, 2018 under Ordinance No. 2018-02-006
Zoning Map Amendment Approved by City Council on February 5, 2018 under Ordinance No. 2018-02-007
The Urbana School District 116 petitioned the City of Urbana to amend the future land use designation in the 2005 Comprehensive Plan from Institutional to Mixed Residential and to rezone five parcels totaling approximately 3.5 acres from CRE, Conservation-Recreation-Education, Zoning District to R-4, Medium Density Multiple-Family Residential, Zoning District. The Urbana School District believed that the two requests, if granted, would make the sitemore attractive to a potential buyer/developer. The existing CRE Zoning District and Institutional designation severely limit the options to redevelop the site. The amendment and rezoning requests were approved and changed the five parcels to Mixed Residential with R-4 zoning.
(2018) Retreat at Urbana Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment - 601, 701, 703, 705 & 707 North Lincoln Avenue; 906, 908 & 910 West Church Street AND 903, 905, 907 & 909 West Hill Street
Comprehensive Map Amendment Approved by City Council on March 5, 2018 under Ordinance No. 2018-03-017
Zoning Map Amendment Approved by City Council on March 5, 2018 under Ordinance No. 2018-03-018
Retreat at Urbana, LLC petitioned the City of Urbana to amend the future land use designation in the 2005 Comprehensive Plan for properties owned by Illinois-American Water Company and Tekton Group, LLC Series Churchill from Insititutional and Community Business to Mixed Residential (Urban Pattern) and to rezone the 12 parcels totaling approximately 9.89 acres from IN-1 (Light Industrial/Office), R-2 (Single Family Residential) and B-2 (Neighborhood Business-Arterial) Zoning Districts to R-5 (Medium High Density Multiple Family Residential Zoning District. The applicant intends to construct townhouse-style buildings on the subject properties. The approval of the two requests would allow the applicant to move forward with the development. The amendment and rezoning requests were approved and changed the 12 properties to Mixed REsidential (Urban Pattern) with R-5 zoning.