EDWARDSVILLE – The Madison County Board approved the I-55 Development Code at its meeting Wednesday, joining the City of Edwardsville and Village of Glen Carbon in adopting zoning and subdivision standards for the I-55 corridor, the area between I-70 and IL Rt. 143 which includes key growth areas for the two municipalities and unincorporated areas of the county.
The I-55 Corridor Plan was adopted in 2006. County, city and village officials have subsequently been working on the development of zoning and subdivision standards which will be applied to new commercial and residential development.
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Madison County Chairman Alan J. Dunstan said the adoption of the I-55 Development Code ensures future growth will not be done in a haphazard manner. “By working with Edwardsville and Glen Carbon leaders, we will have continuity in future developments along this key corridor.”
“Businesses and families are coming to Madison County because of our logistical capabilities, the quality of our schools, the character of our communities, and the availability of jobs,” stated the chairman following passage of the resolution. “We welcome growth, but we want the right type of growth and we want it to be carefully planned. The I-55 Corridor Development Codes effectively addresses those objectives.”
The plan features town centers, a mixed-use commercial area near the I-55 and Illinois Route 143 interchange, and residential neighborhoods. The planning process involved 15 public meetings where planners worked closely with residents, home builders, developers and realtors to guide the final version of the document.
As a result of the public planning process, the partner communities were honored by being presented the “Leadership in Planning” award from the East-West Gateway Council of Governments.
The I-55 Corridor area is comprised of approximately 7.5 square miles, east of Edwardsville and Glen Carbon city limits along I-55. This area is anticipated to capture a significant amount of new development in Madison County in the coming years and will serve as an employment hub for new jobs, a recreational destination for residents and visitors to the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon area, and “home” to many who will live in the area’s variety of housing options.
Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton said the development code creates opportunities. “The diversity of those opportunities will result in not just ‘growth,’ but the kind of high quality development that will attract and retain jobs, people and ideas that the I-55 Corridor will depend on for continued success of our communities well into the future.”
The I-55 Corridor area crosses the jurisdictional boundaries of three municipalities: Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Madison County. While there are a handful of examples in Illinois of two or more communities sharing a common development code, the I-55 Corridor Development Code is far more comprehensive:
“The result of the cooperation on the I-55 Development Code between these three governments means a level playing field in the type and quality of development that can be expected in the years to come,” said Edwardsville Mayor Patton. “A development environment where there is a predicable outcome is a ‘win-win’ for current taxpayers and future investors alike.”
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