Bensenville Comprehensive Plan 2015- Final

Village of Bensenville Comprehensive Plan January 2015

Acknowledgements Thank you to the following groups, entities, residents, business owners, and elected officials who participated in the creation of this plan.

Elected Officials Frank Soto, Village President Morris Bartlett, Village Trustee Susan Janowiak, Village Trustee Robert Jarecki, Village Trustee Martin O’Connell III, Village Trustee JoEllen Ridder, Village Trustee Isla Rivera-Trujillo, Village Clerk Henry Wesseler, Village Trustee

Bensenville Village Staff Michael Cassady, Village Manager Daniel Di Santo, Assistant Village Manager Scott R. Viger, Community and Economic Development Director Joseph Caracci, Public Works Director Mark Rysavy, Assistant Community and Economic Development Director Victoria Benham, Planner

Project Steering Committee Michael Moruzzi, Chair Community Development Commissioner Frank Caira, Community Development Commissioner Greg Janowiak, Community Development Commissioner Joseph Pisano, Community Development Commissioner Jesse Rodriguez, Community Development Commissioner Ronald Rowe, Community Development Commissioner Carl Weldon, Community Development Commissioner

Partner Organizations Metra Pace Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)

Funding Acknowledgement This project was supported through the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). CMAP would like to thank these funders for their support for this project.

Front and back cover photo credits: Bensenville Village Staff.

Unless otherwise specified, all photos and maps are by CMAP staff.

Photo credits: Bensenville Village Staff.

Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction

4

Chapter 7: Transportation Plan

70

Chapter 2: Plan Overview

10

Freight

71

Chapter 3: Future Land Use Plan

18

Roadways

73

Chapter 4: Residential Areas Plan

26

Transit

76

Chapter 5: Commercial Areas Plan

34

Bicycle-Pedestrian

79

Downtown District

38

Chapter 8: Natural Areas Plan

84

Mid-Town/Irving Park Corridor

42

Stormwater Management

86

York Road Corridor

48

Enhancing/Expanding Open Space

89

Grand Avenue Corridor

52

List of Acronyms

91

Chapter 6: Industrial Areas Plan

56

Northern Business District

63

Eastern Business District

67

3

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A comprehensive plan outlines a community’s vision of its future, as well as the process that will allow it to realize that vision. In addition to providing a well-defined framework for the community’s development and investment goals, the Village of Bensenville’s Comprehensive Plan seeks to explore and promote new opportunities in the face of changing community trends.

Typically a comprehensive plan is written to provide guidance for a community to work towards its vision over the next 10-20 years. Although the plan should be viewed as a long-term document, it should also be thought of as a plan to be used daily by the community to assist in land use and development decisions. The plan serves as a guide for elected officials, municipal staff, community residents, business owners, and potential investors, allowing them to make informed administrative and implementation choices in community development decisions affecting land use, transportation, infrastructure, and capital improvements throughout the Village.

A comprehensive plan should also be considered flexible and one that can adapt with change. At any time the municipality can update its comprehensive plan to match local needs, interests, or opportunities. It is typically recommended that a municipality update its comprehensive plan every five years to keep the plan as accurate as possible.

A comprehensive plan is composed of a series of distinct yet interrelated elements defined within the Illinois Local Planning Assistance Act (Public Act 92-0768). The key elements addressed in the Bensenville Comprehensive Plan are based upon those outlined in the state statute and include land use, economic development, housing, natural resources, transportation, community facilities, image and identity, and implementation strategies.

Under the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS) 5/11-12-5(1)), a municipal plan commission is responsible for preparing and recommending a “comprehensive plan for the present and future development or redevelopment of the municipality.”

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

Introduction

5

Bensenville Limits

A

EASTERN AVE

N HI LL DR I N D IA EDGEWOOD AVE

FRONTIER WAY

Unincorporated Airport Runways

e

N

LN

Airport

SUPREME DR SUPREME DR

83 U V

THOMAS DR

TOWER

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

Elk Grove Village

County Boundary

RND

BRYN MAWR AVE

ALE

AV E

LARSON LN

Freight Rail Lines

SIEVERT CT

0

Rail Spurs

I

0.5

Miles 1

0.25

Chicago

TH

FAIRWAY DR

O MAS RD

INDUSTR IAL DR

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

Metra Rail Lines

GASOLINE ALY

BIRGINAL DR

Metra Stations

Union Pacific Railroad

THO

2 I N YORK RD

AV E

IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

SH

CENTRAL AVE

Canadian Pacific Railroad

DEVON AVE EDGEWOOD AVE

Figure 1.1. Study area map

ARGYLE ST

STONEHAM ST GREENVALLEY ST

MEYER RD

MAPLE LN

BEELINE DR

LELAND CT

EAGLE DR

MARION CT

GR

MEMORIALRD 2ND AVE WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

EE

NS T

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

83 U V

FR

AN

KL IN

AV E

SESAME D R

Franklin Park

JOHN ST

REDMOND CT

CREST AVE

RED OAK ST

Chicago

West Line

EVERGREEN ST

ROSE ST

PINE AVE

PARK ST

ELLIS ST

S WALNUT ST

BRIAR LN

GRACE ST

MAY ST

S CENTER ST

S MASON ST

BARRON ST

MINER ST

S ADDISON ST

HR D RC HU

SC

e Dis trict

MCLEAN AVE

MEMORIAL RD

2ND CT

Milw auke

DOMENIC CT

Metr a

Cook County

Bensenville

GAYLIN CT

WOOD AVE

DuPage County

ST

COUNTY LINE RD

MA IN

CENTER ST

ADDISON ST

ROOSEVELT AVE EN ST

PODLIN DR

POPPY LN

PLEASANT ST

GROVE ST

WOOD ST

Addison

BROOKWOOD ST

PLENTYWOOD LN FOLEY ST

HENDERSON ST

AV E

DR

GATEWAY RD

IRVING PARK RD

GRE

GROVE AVE

WALNUT ST

K

JUDSON ST

19

EASTVIEW AVE

U V

MEDINAH ST

AW

SPRUC E AVE

GLENDALE ST BROOKWOOD ST

A

Wood Dale

WILSON CT

W HILLSIDE DR MO H

Wood Dale

TIOG

PINE LN

TWIN OAKS ST

YORK RD

ARGYLE ST

GOLF LN THOMAS DR

NORDIC ST ELMHURST ST

COUNTRY CLUB DR

MARSHALL RD

ITASCA ST

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2013.

FOSTER AVE

GRAND AVE

§ ¦ ¨ 290

Elmhurst

BERNICE DR

DAVID DR

W BELMONT AVE

DIANA CT

DOLORES DR

DANIEL DR

ST

YORK RD

BOBBY DR

FERRARI DR

JAMES ST

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

ARTHUR CT

RE

DR

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

FO

CH UR CH RD

MASSEL CT

N DENNIS DR LY UE CQ JA RD R W AD VIE PAMEL

S ADDISON RD

S CENTER ST

GEORGE ST

GRAND AVE

Elmhurst

Northlake Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2013.

Arlington Heights McHenry

Lake

Mount Prospect

Des Plaines

Pa c

90 § ¦ ¨ 83 U V

Des Plaines

!

290

Bensenville

entra

DuPage

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Chicago

Cook

ine ice L

Kendall

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C ort h

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Itasca

Wood Dale

Wood Dale

19 U V Bensenville

Bensenville

§ ¨ ¦ 290

Met ra

§ ¦ ¨ 190

Cook County

DuPage County

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

Milw

Rosemont Rosemont

Chicago Schiller Park

auk

ee D

Schiller Park istr

ict

83 U V

We st

Lin e

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Mannheim

Franklin Park

Addison

§ ¦ ¨

Belmont Ave.

Franklin Park

M

§ ¦ ¨

355

294

Northlake

Elmhurst

est Line Elmhurst Villa Pacif ic W Park Metra Union

Figure 1.2. Regional location map

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Villa Park

Lombard Lombard

Bensenville Limits County Boundary

0

Berkeley

Airport Runways

2 I

Metra Rail Lines

0.5

Miles 2

I

Bellwood

Melrose Park

Bellwood

Metra Stations

Unincorporated

1

Melrose Park

Berkeley

Hillside 88 § ¦ ¨ Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Why Does Bensenville Need a Comprehensive Plan?

In the past decade, Bensenville has experienced several unique challenges that have impacted its development character, economy, and social fabric.

While a majority of these challenges originate from implementation of the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP), the economic downturn has also affected various facets of the community. In response to these challenges, the Village has demonstrated extraordinary foresight in undertaking initiatives that look at short and long-term revitalization strategies for the industrial areas, commercial corridors, downtown, and aging infrastructure.

While these initiatives are in various stages of implementation, they address specific issues and are limited in their scope. The 2011 Transit Improvement Plan and Station Area/Corridor Study (henceforth referred to as TOD Study) and the 2013 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Study (henceforth referred to as CEDS Study) are two major initiatives recently completed by the Village. The TOD Study focuses primarily on land use and multi-modal transportation recommendations for the Village’s Downtown District, Irving Park Road Corridor, York Road Corridor, Eastern Business District, and County Line Road Corridor. The CEDS Study was undertaken to evaluate how the Village could capitalize on the OMP and the Elgin O’Hare Western Access (EOWA) initiative. The study provides transportation and land use recommendations for the Northern Business District, Eastern Business District, Downtown District, and Irving Park Corridor. The two studies overlap to a certain degree in terms of geography and address a comprehensive set of issues faced by the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors within the study areas.

The structure and contents of the Bensenville Comprehensive Plan have been shaped significantly by this past planning work. Given that such forwardthinking plans have already been prepared, the Comprehensive Plan does not identify entirely new directions for the Village; rather, it is meant to help strategically implement the recommendations of this past work.

8

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

The Comprehensive Plan is a consensus-based, community-wide vision for the future of Bensenville and addresses topics that have thus far not been covered by other studies. These include issues such as the lack of bicycle and pedestrian connections throughout the Village, the limited access to recreational amenities, and topics such as the housing needs of the community in terms of types, price points, and locations.

The existing Comprehensive Plan, created in 1980, is outdated and can no longer be expected to serve as a guiding document for the Village’s elected and appointed officials. While the 2004 Bensenville Corridor Plan: General Development Update provided updated redevelopment guidelines for Village corridors, the document did not address other areas or issues. The new Comprehensive Plan, implemented in conjunction with the Village’s Action Agenda, will enable the Village to take full advantage of upcoming opportunities in an effective and efficient manner.

The Bensenville Comprehensive Plan is created with the goals of: • Improving coordination among departments by identifying actions that could be undertaken in a collaborative manner.

• Prioritizing implementation actions in the near-term and long-term, allowing Village officials to focus their efforts on well-defined and finite tasks.

• Improving implementation by setting realistic and achievable goals.

• Enforcing accountability by assigning tasks to specific individuals/departments/ agencies and emphasizing their leadership role in achieving success.

• Saving money due to improved efficiency in operations and administration.

Planning Process The planning process to create the Village’s Comprehensive Plan included multiple steps that were undertaken over approximately 15 months. The process was crafted with assistance from Community and Economic Development (CED) staff and was designed to include resident and business owner input throughout. At the beginning of May 2013, CED staff met with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) staff to develop a scope of work for the project. A work plan established program tasks, a timeline for the program, and recommended participation by a community steering committee to assist CMAP staff in developing the final plan and recommendations. The key steps in the planning process are illustrated in the following timeline.

A Comprehensive Plan for Bensenville Figure 1.3: Project timeline APR.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG.

SEPT.

OCT.

NOV.

DEC.

JAN.

FEB.

MAR.

APR.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

1 2 3 4 5

1. Project Kick-Off 2. Public Kick-Off Meeting 3. Existing Conditions Report

2 014

2 013

6

4. Public Visioning Workshop 5. Draft Comprehensive Plan

7 6. Plan Completion and Approval 7. Community Implementation of Plan

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

Introduction

9

Chapter 2 PLAN OVERVIEW

The Bensenville Comprehensive Plan provides recommendations for a number of topic areas and geographic locations. These recommendations are organized into chapters that correspond with the Village’s major land uses: residential areas, commercial areas, industrial areas, transportation areas, and natural areas. While each chapter contains recommendations that are unique in terms of their geography and implementation actions, there are a number of commonalties, or overarching ‘themes,’ that run throughout the document.

The first half of this chapter provides a thematic roadmap to the Plan, introducing the overarching themes, and identifying the Plan chapters in which they appear. The latter part outlines the first step for the Village to undertake after the Plan has been formally adopted by the Village President and Board of Trustees.

Implementation of prior initiatives was identified as an issue by stakeholders during the planning process, and the Plan proposes the creation of a task force that would not only lead implementation efforts, but also track progress and ensure accountability.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

Plan Overview

11

Overarching Themes Regulatory Changes

Infrastructure Improvements

The Comprehensive Plan emphasizes the fundamental role of well-written regulations and their effective enforcement will play in the implementation of Bensenville’s vision for the future, from the revitalization of commercial properties to the preservation of natural features. The most important regulatory document is the zoning ordinance, which regulates, among other things, the permitted uses of land, lot sizes, density, yard requirements, building heights, parking, accessory uses and buildings, and other requirements.

Improving the Village’s infrastructure capacity and condition is identified as a priority within the Comprehensive Plan. While regional infrastructure and improvement projects such as the EOWA initiative will present new economic opportunities to the Village, the timing and magnitude of these opportunities will largely be determined by whether the Village is prepared to take full advantage of them. The two major types of infrastructure improvements addressed in the Plan are related to transportation and stormwater.

Given the finite resources available for improvements, the Community Investment Plan (CIP) will serve as the guiding document for infrastructure improvements and should be updated on a regular basis.

The Village’s existing zoning ordinance is outdated and does not allow for the types of development desired by the Village. The Plan’s key regulatory recommendation is therefore to revise the existing zoning ordinance to be compatible with the adopted Comprehensive Plan. A revised zoning ordinance will not only provide Village officials with the tools to regulate the types and quality of development; it will also make it easier for private sector developers to understand the Village’s needs and be encouraged to work with a community where the administrative processes are streamlined.

More specifically, a revised zoning ordinance will enable the Village to implement the other key regulatory changes recommended in the Plan: • Allow for the construction of higher residential and mixed-use development in the downtown area. (See Residential Areas Plan) • Incorporate design standards for buildings, landscape, and signage in the commercial areas. (See Commercial Areas Plan) • Rezone C-4 District on the west side of York Road across from O’Hare airport to permit industrial use.

(See Commercial Areas Plan) • Create high-density nodes along York Road south of Irving Park Road. (See Commercial Areas Plan)

12

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Transportation Transportation improvements enabling the efficient movement of people and goods within Bensenville and to and from the greater Chicago region will help the Village capitalize on EOWA initiative opportunities, and retain local businesses and residents. Roadway connectivity and access management are therefore two of the major transportation recommendations that are addressed throughout the Comprehensive Plan.

Both in previous studies and during the Comprehensive Plan process, businesses identified the lack of an efficient roadway circulation system as a concern. An improved roadway network that eliminates dead end streets and improves the ability of freight traffic to move in and out of the industrial areas is very important for industrial operations. Roadway extensions are also important in commercial areas where they provide better access for customers and site utilization for businesses. The Plan recommends that the Village continue to pursue roadway extensions in conjunction with redevelopment projects, either as improvements constructed by the developer and then maintained by the Village, or as improvements integrated into the Village’s Community Investment Plan and paid for through tax increment finance (TIF) and special service area (SSA) funds.

More specifically, the Plan makes recommendations for improved roadway connectivity in the following areas: • Midtown/Irving Park Road Corridor (See Commercial Areas Plan) • Grand Avenue Corridor (See Commercial Areas Plan) • Northern Business District (See Industrial Areas Plan) • Eastern Business District (See Industrial Areas Plan) • EOWA initiative area (See Transportation Plan) In terms of access management, the Comprehensive Plan identifies multiple commercial sub-areas that would benefit from the combination of shared parking facilities and restricted access points. Shared parking would help the Village achieve multiple goals: reduce the amount of impervious surface; eliminate frequent curb cuts and improve pedestrian circulation; and encourage higher quality compact redevelopment along the corridor. Reducing the number of curb cuts along major roadways would reduce vehicularpedestrian conflict and reduce traffic congestion. More specifically, the Plan discusses access management for the following corridors: • Midtown/Irving Park Road Corridor (See Commercial Areas Plan and Transportation Plan) • York Road Corridor (See Commercial Areas Plan and Transportation Plan)

Stormwater At the local level, stormwater infrastructure upgrades will play a critical role in retaining businesses and residents that are impacted by flooding despite the slew of measures undertaken by Village officials.

More specifically, the Plan identifies the following key stormwater infrastructure improvements, some of which have also been identified in the CEDS Stormwater Conveyance System Study of Bensenville Ditch and Addison Creek: • Purchase land or acquire development rights to parcels along Silver Creek adjacent to the Irving Park Road corridor. (See Commercial Areas Plan) • Continue to undertake stormwater and water main upgrades in Northern Business District. (See Industrial Areas Plan) • Undertake short-term projects to address drainage and flooding issues within the Silver Creek and Addison Creek watersheds. (See Natural Areas Plan) • Continue implementing the DuPage County Stormwater and Floodplain Ordinance. (See Commercial Areas Plan) • Continue to work with engineering consultants to undertake Hydrology and Hydraulic studies, site plan reviews, and stormwater management solutions at various locations throughout the Village. (See Natural Areas Plan)

• Grand Avenue Corridor (See Commercial Areas Plan and Transportation Plan)

Plan Overview

13

Multi-Jurisdictional Collaboration

Sub-Area Plans

A number of the issues facing Bensenville are not restricted to municipal limits, but rather cross over and involve neighboring communities and regional entities. To address these issues, multi-jurisdictional collaboration is emphasized repeatedly in the Comprehensive Plan chapters. The Plan contains recommendations related to housing, economic development, infrastructure upgrades, and transportation improvements calling for the Village to reach outside its political boundaries and work closely with neighboring communities, DuPage County, IDOT, and regional agencies. More specifically, the Comprehensive Plan recommends the following partnerships:

In recent years, the Village completed two major planning initiatives: the 2011 TOD Study and the 2013 CEDS Study. Both of these studies identified strategic sub-areas that are particularly important in terms of commercial and industrial development. The Comprehensive Plan builds upon these studies, and provides a variety of recommendations for each subarea. Since these recommendations span a number of topics, certain sub-areas are discussed in more than one chapter. The table below summarizes which chapters address which sub-area.

• DuPage County for downtown revitalization, creating an inventory of vacant parcels, housing rehabilitation, understanding business growth and retention programs, and bicycle-pedestrian improvements. (See Residential Areas Plan, Commercial Areas Plan, and Transportation Plan) • DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference for roadway and infrastructure improvements. (See Transportation Plan) • IDOT for roadway improvements on state roads. (See Transportation Plan) • Pace and Metra on transit improvements. (See Transportation Plan) • Park District, School District, DuPage County, and neighboring communities to address stormwater management and increase access to open space. (See Natural Areas Plan)

14

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Sub-Area

Downtown District

Chapter 4: Residential Area Plan

Chapter 5: Commercial Areas Plan

X

X

Mid Town/Irving Park Road Corridor

X

Grand Avenue Corridor

X

York Road Corridor or Northern Business District

X

Eastern Business District

Chapter 6: Industrial Areas Plan

X

X

EASTERN AVE

FRONTIER WAY

N

LN

YORK ROAD CORRIDOR

SUPREME DR

83 U V

§ ¦ ¨ 390

NORTHERN BUSINESS DISTRICT

Figure 2.1. Sub-areas map

SUPREME DR

THO

RND

BRYN MAWR AVE

ALE

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

AV E

Refer to Chapter 4 & 5 (Residential & Commercial Areas)

LARSON LN

GASOLINE ALY

BIRGINAL DR

Refer to Chapter 5 & 6 (Industrial & Commercial Areas) SIEVERT CT

Refer to Chapter 6 (Industrial Areas)

TH

FAIRWAY DR

Refer to Chapter 5 (Commercial Areas)

O MAS RD

INDUSTR IAL DR

Chicago

County Boundary MEYER RD

EAGLE DR

WILSON CT

Existing Roads ! ! ! ! ! !

BROOKWOOD ST

ST

CENTER ST

MA IN

0

GROVE ST

Milw auke

e Dis trict

S WALNUT ST

ELLIS ST

MARION CT

GRACE ST

ROSE ST

PINE AVE

WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

Chicago

West Line

GR

MEMORIALRD

2ND AVE

EE

NS T

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

FR

AN

KL IN

EASTERN BUSINESS DISTRICT

AV E

SESAME D R JOHN ST

83 U V

YORK ROAD CORRIDOR

REDMOND CT

CREST AVE

RED OAK ST

Miles 1

0.5

EVERGREEN ST

MEMORIAL RD

MAY ST

MINER ST

JUDSON ST

S MASON ST

WOOD AVE

BRIAR LN

0.25

MCLEAN AVE S ADDISON ST

HR D

FOLEY ST

SC

HU

RC

WOOD ST

Metr a

Bensenville

GAYLIN CT

I

Rail Spurs

ADDISON ST

EN ST

Proposed Roads Future EOWA

PLEASANT ST

PLENTYWOOD LN

2ND CT

Addison

Metra Rail Lines

GATEWAY RD

ROOSEVELT AVE

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

Wood Dale

LELAND CT

IRVING PARK RD

BARRON ST

HENDERSON ST

AV E

DR

Metra Stations

2 I

PARK ST

K

GRE

GROVE AVE

POPPY LN

EASTVIEW AVE

MEDINAH ST

AW

SPRUC E AVE

GLENDALE ST BROOKWOOD ST

A

19 U V

MO H

PINE LN

W HILLSIDE DR

TIO G

Wood Dale

WALNUT ST

TWIN OAKS ST

S CENTER ST

GREENVALLEY ST

Unincorporated

BEELINE DR

COUNTY LINE RD

MAPLE LN

STONEHAM ST

Bensenville Limits

YORK RD

ARGYLE ST

GOLF LN THOMAS DR

ARGYLE ST

COUNTRY CLUB DR

NORDIC ST ELMHURST ST

MID-TOWN IRVING PARK ROAD CORRIDOR

FOSTER AVE

MARSHALL RD

ITASCA ST

Franklin Park

W

AD

R

BERNICE DR

DAVID DR

W BELMONT AVE

YORK RD

JAMES ST

BOBBY DR

ARTHUR CT

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

FERRARI DR

CH UR CH RD

F

RD

DIANA CT

DOLORES DR

VIE

DANIEL DR

ST

PAMEL

S ADDISON RD

E OR

DENNIS DR U CQ JA

DR YN EL

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

GRAND AVE

GRAND AVE

290

Elmhurst

GRAND AVE CORRIDOR

Elmhurst

Cook County

§ ¦ ¨

DuPage County

Pace Bus Routes

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

SOUTHERN BUSINESS DISTRICT

S CENTER ST

GEORGE ST

MASSEL CT

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

Refer to Chapter 4 (Residential Areas)

DOMENIC CT

TOWER

Elk Grove Village

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

PODLIN DR

N H I LL DR I N D IA EDGEWOOD AVE

N YORK RD

A

THOMAS DR

AV E

SH

CENTRAL AVE

IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

Union Pacific Railroad

Canadian Pacific Railroad

DEVON AVE EDGEWOOD AVE

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Plan Implementation — First Step While previously completed studies have involved the community and elected leadership during their creation, they have unfortunately seen limited implementation post adoption. One of the goals of the Comprehensive Plan at the outset was to bring the key recommendations of these separate studies under one umbrella document and outline ways to move them forward. In doing so, the Plan would create a centralized resource for interested parties, and be user-friendly for Village officials in terms of implementation. There are three tasks the Village will need to initiate immediately after plan adoption.

1. Create a matrix that outlines plan recommendations and tasks to be undertaken, with a focus on Year 1. The lead for this effort should be the CED Department. Tasks for Year 1 should be outlined in detail and include quarterly deadlines and benchmarks. This matrix should be presented to the Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC) for feedback, as it will be responsible for tracking implementation and reporting to the Board of Trustees on an annual basis. CMAP will be available to provide guidance on the creation of the matrix.

2. Raise awareness of plan recommendations.

To ensure that the Bensenville Comprehensive Plan is utilized by all its intended users on a day to day basis, the Village needs to raise awareness about the Plan’s contents and its importance.

Following the creation of the matrix, the CEDC should lead a series of informational meetings with all Village departments, committees, and elected officials to explain each of their roles and responsibilities in implementing the Plan make any modifications necessary.

3. Upon matrix finalization, the CEDC should convene quarterly meetings to discuss implementation progress and upcoming tasks.

The CEDC will invite representatives from the relevant groups as needed. It is expected that, at a minimum, representatives from the following will be involved: - Village Manager’s Office - Board of Trustees - Infrastructure and Environment Committee - Recreation and Community Building Committee - Community Development Commission - Park District - Community and Economic Development Department - Recreation and Community Programming - Finance Department - Public Works Department - Police Department - Fire Department The CEDC will monitor overall progress, but each department or committee representative will be responsible for monitoring the progress on their tasks and reporting back to the CEDC on a quarterly basis. At the end of Year 1, the various representatives should create a summary of their achievements, which would be compiled into a formalized report by the CEDC. The Village President should receive this performance report and share it with the community at Board meetings, Village events, and through media channels such as newsletters, cable channels, and online media.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

16

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Chapter 3 FUTURE LAND USE PLAN

The future land use plan presented in this chapter serves as the foundation for the recommendations contained within the Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of this chapter is to translate the community’s vision into physical terms by providing a general pattern for the location, distribution, and characteristics of future land uses in Bensenville. Given that the community is built-out, the future land use plan builds upon the existing land use pattern while proposing a combination of redevelopment and better utilization of specific areas to help the Village realize its vision over the next 15 years.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

Future Land Use Plan

19

Figure 3.1. Existing land use map Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2013.

Figure 3.2. Proposed land use changes map DEVON AVE

Canadian Pacific Railroad

EDGEWOOD AVE IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

A

EASTERN AVE

N H I LL DR I N D IA EDGEWOOD AVE

FRONTIER WAY

TOWER

Elk Grove Village

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

N

LN

Proposed Land Uses Single Family Residential Medium Density Residential Multi Family Residential Mixed Multi Use

§ ¦ ¨ 390

Local Commercial

THOMAS DR

83 U V

SUPREME DR

SUPREME DR

THO

RND

BRYN MAWR AVE

ALE

Regional Commercial N YORK RD

AV E

SH

CENTRAL AVE

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

AV E

Commercial/Industrial Flex Industrial

GASOLINE ALY

Institutional

LARSON LN

BIRGINAL DR

O MAS RD

INDUSTR IAL DR

Open Space

SIEVERT CT

Transportation Chicago

TH

FAIRWAY DR

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

County Boundary

LELAND CT

Existing Roads

GATEWAY RD ! ! ! ! ! !

BROOKWOOD ST PLEASANT ST

0 Metr a

Bensenville

GROVE ST

Milw auke

e Dis trict

MARION CT

WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

Chicago

West Line

GR

MEMORIALRD

2ND AVE

Miles 1

0.5

EE

NS T

EVERGREEN ST

MAY ST

S CENTER ST

PINE AVE

PARK ST

ELLIS ST

S WALNUT ST

BRIAR LN

MEMORIAL RD

YORK RD

S MASON ST

MINER ST

JUDSON ST

BARRON ST

WOOD AVE

S ADDISON ST

MCLEAN AVE

HR D

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

CREST AVE RED OAK ST

83 U V

FR

AN

KL IN

AV E

SESAME D R JOHN ST

REDMOND CT

SC

HU

RC

WOOD ST

0.25

DOMENIC CT

ST

GAYLIN CT

I

Rail Spurs

CENTER ST

MA IN

ADDISON ST

ROOSEVELT AVE EN ST

Proposed Roads Future EOWA

PLENTYWOOD LN

2ND CT

Addison

E

DR

Metra Rail Lines

IRVING PARK RD

FOLEY ST

HENDERSON ST

Wood Dale

POPPY LN

K

GRE

GROVE AVE

AV

WALNUT ST

EASTVIEW AVE

BROOKWOOD ST MEDINAH ST

AW

SPRUC E AVE

GLENDALE ST

A

19 U V

MO H

PINE LN

W HILLSIDE DR

TIO G

Wood Dale

WILSON CT

COUNTY LINE RD

EAGLE DR

TWIN OAKS ST

Metra Stations

2 I

PODLIN DR

MEYER RD

MAPLE LN

Unincorporated

GRACE ST

GREENVALLEY ST

BEELINE DR

ROSE ST

ARGYLE ST

STONEHAM ST

GOLF LN THOMAS DR

COUNTRY CLUB DR

ELMHURST ST

Bensenville Limits Union Pacific Railroad

MARSHALL RD

ITASCA ST NORDIC ST

ARGYLE ST

FOSTER AVE

Franklin Park

R

DAVID DR

BERNICE DR

YORK RD

W BELMONT AVE

DOLORES DR

AD

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

GRAND AVE

Elmhurst

Cook County

Elmhurst

RD

DANIEL DR

W

PAMEL

S ADDISON RD

VIE

DuPage County

290

BOBBY DR

JAMES ST

FERRARI DR

ARTHUR CT

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

GRAND AVE

§ ¦ ¨

ST

DIANA CT

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

E OR

DENNIS DR U CQ JA

F

CH UR CH RD

MASSEL CT

S CENTER ST

GEORGE ST DR YN EL

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Figure 3.3. Future land use map

EDGEWOOD AVE EASTERN AVE

FRONTIER WAY

N

RND

ALE

AV E

LARSON LN

O MAS RD

TH

Bensenville Limits MEYER RD

MAPLE LN

EAGLE DR

K

E

DR

GATEWAY RD

Metra Rail Lines Existing Roads Future Elgin O'Hare Western Access

BROOKWOOD ST PLEASANT ST

ST

CENTER ST

MA IN

ADDISON ST

ROOSEVELT AVE EN ST

0 Metr a

Bensenville

GAYLIN CT GROVE ST

0.25

Milw auke

e Dis trict

MARION CT

WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

Chicago

West Line

GR

MEMORIALRD

2ND AVE

Miles 1

0.5

EE

NS T

EVERGREEN ST

GRACE ST

ROSE ST

PINE AVE

PARK ST

ELLIS ST

S WALNUT ST

BRIAR LN

MEMORIAL RD

MAY ST

S CENTER ST

S MASON ST

MINER ST

JUDSON ST

BARRON ST

WOOD AVE

S ADDISON ST

MCLEAN AVE

HR D

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

CREST AVE REDMOND CT

SC

HU

RC

WOOD ST

I

Rail Spurs

PLENTYWOOD LN

2ND CT

Proposed Roads

! ! ! ! ! !

IRVING PARK RD

FOLEY ST

HENDERSON ST

POPPY LN

EASTVIEW AVE

SPRUC E AVE

PINE LN

AW

BROOKWOOD ST MEDINAH ST

AV

A

MO H

TIO G

W HILLSIDE DR

WALNUT ST

WILSON CT

GLENDALE ST

Metra Stations

2 I

LELAND CT

TWIN OAKS ST

GROVE AVE

Unincorporated

BEELINE DR

THOMAS DR

COUNTRY CLUB DR

MARSHALL RD

GOLF LN

GRE

Addison

County BoundaryChicago

Union Pacific Railroad

ARGYLE ST

GREENVALLEY ST

19 U V

Transportation

SIEVERT CT

FOSTER AVE

STONEHAM ST

Wood Dale

Institutional Open Space

INDUSTR IAL DR

FAIRWAY DR

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

Industrial

GASOLINE ALY

BIRGINAL DR

ARGYLE ST

Commercial/Industrial Flex

N YORK RD

THO

BRYN MAWR AVE

NORDIC ST

Regional Commercial

THOMAS DR

SUPREME DR

§ ¦ ¨ 390

ELMHURST ST

Local Commercial

SUPREME DR

83 U V

ITASCA ST

Mixed Multi Use

RED OAK ST

83 U V

DOMENIC CT

LN

Multi Family Residential

FR

AN

KL IN

AV E

SESAME D R JOHN ST

TOWER

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

Medium Density Residential

PODLIN DR

EDGEWOOD AVE

Single Family Residential

COUNTY LINE RD

N HI LL DR I N D IA

YORK RD

SH

AV E

IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

A

Elk Grove Village

Wood Dale

Canadian Pacific Railroad

CENTRAL AVE

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

DEVON AVE

Franklin Park

R

DAVID DR

BERNICE DR

YORK RD

W BELMONT AVE

DOLORES DR

AD

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

GRAND AVE

Elmhurst

Cook County

Elmhurst

RD

DANIEL DR

W

PAMEL

S ADDISON RD

VIE

DuPage County

290

BOBBY DR

JAMES ST

FERRARI DR

ARTHUR CT

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

GRAND AVE

§ ¦ ¨

ST

DIANA CT

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

E OR

DENNIS DR U CQ JA

F

CH UR CH RD

MASSEL CT

S CENTER ST

GEORGE ST DR YN EL

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Residential

Commercial

For the most part, Bensenville’s residential neighborhoods should retain their established character and intensity of use. The Comprehensive Plan does not recommend any significant changes in the Village’s existing housing stock. The Plan recommends maintaining the existing residential types while adding multiple family units, townhomes and mixed-use developments. Recommendations for residential areas are further detailed in Chapter 4.

A majority of Bensenville’s commercial uses are proposed in four sub-areas: Downtown District, MidTown/Irving Park Road Corridor, York Road Corridor, and Grand Avenue Corridor. Recommendations for commercial areas are further detailed in Chapter 5.

The Comprehensive Plan envisions three types of commercial districts with distinctive characteristics: Regional Commercial, Local Commercial, and Mixed/ Multi Use.

• Single Family Residential District—These parcels accommodate detached and attached single-family homes. Detached single-family homes can include a variety of densities, from the traditional singlefamily detached homes found in the Village to compact, small lot homes. Certain parcels within this district can accommodate neighborhood parks and recreational amenities, religious institutions, and neighborhood retail uses that service the neighborhood.

• Regional Commercial District—These parcels contain retail, entertainment, and employment services supported by the greater region and surrounding communities, not only the Village of Bensenville.

• Medium Density Residential District—These parcels accommodate a combination of attached single-family homes including townhomes and lower density multiple family buildings containing up to six units per building. Certain parcels within this district can accommodate neighborhood parks and recreational amenities, religious institutions, and neighborhood retail uses that service the neighborhood.

• Multiple Family Residential District—These parcels accommodate primarily multiple family housing typologies including condominiums and apartments containing more than six units. Certain parcels within this district can accommodate neighborhood parks and recreational amenities and neighborhood retail uses that service the neighborhood.

• Local Commercial District—These contain retail, office, and service-oriented commercial uses that serve the day-to-day needs of households living within a walking or short driving distance.

• Mixed/Multi Use District—These parcels should contain a mix of residential, retail, office, and institutional uses arranged in a compact and pedestrian-friendly development pattern. Buildings could be configured as single-use buildings interconnected in a pedestrian-friendly manner and with complementary uses in close proximity (e.g., a residential building next to a commercial and office building), or could mix uses within the same building in appropriate locations. The Plan recommends creation of a downtown mixed-use area near the Metra station that aligns with recommendations in previously completed studies and the Village’s vision for the area.

• Mixed/Multi Use District—These parcels contain a mix of residential, retail, office, and institutional uses arranged in a compact and pedestrian-friendly development pattern. Buildings could be configured as single-use buildings interconnected in a pedestrianfriendly manner and with complementary uses in close proximity (e.g., a residential building next to a commercial and office building), or could mix uses within the same building in appropriate locations.

Future Land Use Plan

23

Industrial

Transportation

It is important to support the Village’s stable industrial sector, recognizing its enormous contribution to the local and regional economy in terms of generating revenue and creating jobs.

Bensenville offers proximity to the airport, rail yard, and major interstates, advantages which will continue to be primary factors in the location choices of industrial businesses. Furthermore, the EOWA initiative will have a transformative effect on the area with a net gain expected in industrial development in Bensenville. Keeping this in mind, vacant and underutilized parcels that are currently located in the midst of industrial areas are recommended for industrial use in the future. Recommendations for industrial areas are further described in Chapter 6.

These parcels are restricted to areas directly in the right-of-way of the future Western Bypass and EOWA. The Village will have limited control of these parcels, which will be utilized for expansion of roadway infrastructure. Chapter 7 contains more detail on recommendations for transportation.

The Comprehensive Plan envisions two types of industrial districts to accommodate Bensenville’s evolving needs: Industrial and Commercial/ Industrial Flex.

Open Space These parcels contain all the recreational areas under the ownership of the Park District and Village of Bensenville. Detention areas, private open areas, and unincorporated areas under Park District and Forest Preserve jurisdiction are not included in this category.

Chapter 8 addresses open space in more detail.

Institutional These parcels contain the Village’s religious organizations, hospitals, schools, and public facilities.

Open spaces contained within these parcels are also classified as institutional uses.

• Industrial District—These parcels contain industrial uses with activities intended for both small-scale and larger scale production, warehousing, assembly, and distribution.

• Commercial/Industrial Flex District—These parcels contain a combination of commercial, office, and lowintensity industrial uses. Commercial uses such as hotels, restaurants, service retail, and entertainment uses may be located in the district, provided they are buffered from industrial uses by landscaping and screening. Industrial uses in this district may have a retail or office component attached to them, have lower environmental impacts than those associated with heavy industry, and have smaller footprints compared to industrial parcels.

Photo credits: Bensenville Village Staff.

24

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

25

Chapter 4 RESIDENTIAL AREAS PLAN

The Village of Bensenville will preserve its established neighborhoods and housing diversity while seeking opportunities for attractive, higher density development in the downtown and other strategic locations, in order to help accommodate future growth.

Key Findings • Bensenville’s residential landscape changed significantly as a result of the OMP, which required the acquisition of 665 homes at the northeastern edge of the Village.

• The EOWA initiative is estimated to spur the construction of anywhere between 700 to 1,100 new homes in Bensenville.

• The Homes for a Changing Region (Homes) report projects that by 2040, the Village could gain 5,287 new residents or 1,248 new households. While some of this projected growth will be absorbed by units that are currently vacant, the Village will have to build additional units. According to CMAP’s GO TO 2040 household forecast and analysis of American Community Survey (ACS) data, the Village will need to build approximately 1,350 to 1,550 new units to accommodate future growth.

• CMAP’s analysis of ACS data determines that future demand will primarily be for denser housing types: approximately 57 percent of demand will be for multiple family units and approximately 20 percent for small lot singlefamily units.

• Seniors are expected to drive future owner and renter demand, particularly at the lower income levels. Approximately one quarter of renters and one third of homeowners will be older than 65 in 2040. This growth also underlines the importance of exploring multi-generational housing options.

• The Village’s housing stock is old compared to the county and region, with approximately three-quarters of homes built between 1950 and 1980.

Residents expressed the need to maintain existing residential properties while adding higher quality new housing to attract a younger demographic.

• The Mohawk Terrace subdivision does not connect to the Village’s water, sewer, sidewalk, and electricity network. This has been described by residents as a major safety concern.

Residential Areas Plan

27

EASTERN AVE

FRONTIER WAY

N

THO

RND

BRYN MAWR AVE

ALE

AV E

LARSON LN

O MAS RD

TH

Unincorporated MEYER RD

BEELINE DR

MAPLE LN

EAGLE DR

LELAND CT

TWIN OAKS ST

0

Bensenville

GAYLIN CT

Metr a

Milw auke

e Dis trict

S WALNUT ST

MARION CT

PINE AVE

MEMORIAL RD

ELLIS ST

GRACE ST

MAY ST

S CENTER ST

S MASON ST

S ADDISON ST

MINER ST

JUDSON ST

BARRON ST

WOOD AVE

WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

Chicago

West Line

GR

MEMORIALRD

2ND AVE

Miles 1

0.5

MCLEAN AVE

HR D

EE

NS T

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

CREST AVE REDMOND CT

SC

HU

RC

WOOD ST

I

Rail Spurs

CENTER ST

ST

ADDISON ST

MA IN

Proposed Roads Future EOWA

PLEASANT ST

GROVE ST

BRIAR LN

Addison

! ! ! ! ! !

BROOKWOOD ST

PLENTYWOOD LN

2ND CT

Existing Roads

GATEWAY RD

ROOSEVELT AVE EN ST

FOLEY ST

HENDERSON ST

Wood Dale

DR

Metra Rail Lines

IRVING PARK RD

GRE

GROVE AVE

E

Metra Stations

2 I

RED OAK ST

83 U V

FR

AN

KL IN

AV E

SESAME D R JOHN ST

K

POPPY LN

EASTVIEW AVE

SPRUC E AVE

AW

BROOKWOOD ST MEDINAH ST

AV

A

19 U V

MO H

PINE LN

W HILLSIDE DR

GLENDALE ST

WALNUT ST

WILSON CT TIO G

Wood Dale

Existing Parcels Shape

ROSE ST

STONEHAM ST

GREENVALLEY ST

GOLF LN THOMAS DR

MARSHALL RD

ARGYLE ST

Chicago

Bensenville Limits

FOSTER AVE COUNTRY CLUB DR

ARGYLE ST

County Boundary

SIEVERT CT

Union Pacific Railroad

ELMHURST ST

Multi Family Residential Mixed Multi Use

INDUSTR IAL DR

FAIRWAY DR

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

Medium Density Residential

GASOLINE ALY

BIRGINAL DR

NORDIC ST

Single Family Residential

EVERGREEN ST

390

N YORK RD

§ ¦ ¨

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

THOMAS DR

SUPREME DR

83 U V

ITASCA ST

Figure 4.1. Future residential areas map

SUPREME DR

DOMENIC CT

LN

PARK ST

TOWER

Elk Grove Village

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

PODLIN DR

N H I LL DR I N D IA EDGEWOOD AVE

YORK RD

A

COUNTY LINE RD

IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

AV E

SH

CENTRAL AVE

Canadian Pacific Railroad

DEVON AVE EDGEWOOD AVE

Franklin Park

290

Elmhurst

R

DANIEL DR

DAVID DR

BERNICE DR

YORK RD

W BELMONT AVE

DOLORES DR

AD

PAMEL

S CENTER ST

RD

DIANA CT

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

GRAND AVE

Elmhurst

Cook County

§ ¦ ¨

W IE

TV

S RE

DR

DuPage County

GRAND AVE

BOBBY DR

JAMES ST

FERRARI DR

ARTHUR CT

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

N DENNIS DR LY UE CQ JA

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

FO

CH UR CH RD

MASSEL CT

S ADDISON RD

GEORGE ST

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Revise zoning ordinance.

The Future Land Use Map should serve as the foundation for an update of the zoning ordinance.

The Village should revisit regulations and administrative procedures outlined in the zoning ordinance and ensure that they do not impede the construction of the types and densities of housing proposed. Specifically, regulations for the downtown area should be modified to allow for the construction of vibrant, compact, mixed-use buildings.

Focus new housing efforts in the downtown.

In order to meet the projected growth and increased demand for housing outlined in the Homes report, the Village should focus near-term housing development efforts on higher density residential and mixed-use developments in the downtown area, particularly around Towne Center Park and along Main Street.

New housing units should represent a diversity of types and price points. CED staff should refer to residential design concepts in the CEDS Study and TOD Study development when communicating the community’s vision with developers and reviewing development proposals.

CED staff should begin by prioritizing the redevelopment of Village owned sites, such as the vacant lots and buildings on the northwest corner of Center Street and Main Street. The TIF District 12 is a financial tool that can help finance redevelopment.

The Village can also apply to DuPage County for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to help finance aspects of redevelopment projects.

Residential Areas Plan

Create an SSA for Mohawk Terrace subdivision.

The Mohawk Terrace subdivision is not connected to the Village’s water and sewer infrastructure.

During the planning process, residents living in the subdivision expressed flooding, lack of lighting, irregular power supply, and lack of sidewalks being major concerns. To fund improvements, the Village should work with the Mohawk Terrace Homeowners Association to establish a SSA that would help pay for infrastructure investments in the subdivision. SSAs are a unique financing tool that can be used to support and implement a wide-array of physical improvements such as roads, water, sewer, stormwater, curbs, and gutters. The infrastructure improvements should be incorporated into the Village’s CIP and additional funds allocated accordingly.

Work with realtors and developers to sell, lease, or redevelop vacant units.

As discussed in the Homes report, CMAP’s analysis of ACS data determined that Bensenville has approximately 538 vacant units, or a vacancy rate of 7.7 percent. Given the number of local owner-occupied and rental units and a healthy housing market, the Village should only have approximately 307 vacant units. The Village currently operates a Neighborhood Stabilization Program aimed at making homes affordable, making neighborhoods stable, and offering home retention assistance.

To address residential vacancy, CED staff should obtain records of vacant units through the Addison Township Assessor’s Office and create an inventory of vacant, foreclosed, and abandoned residential properties. This information should be field verified and mapped by staff. Parcels and units could be classified into categories based on location, size, or other parameters that staff may deem appropriate.

Staff should share the resulting database with realtors and should also use the database to identify potential sites for redevelopment, and market them to potential developers.

29

Apply to DuPage County for CDBG funds to assist with downtown redevelopment.

The CDBG program is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. As an entitlement community, DuPage County receives annual grants and develops its own programs and funding priorities. The County’s Community Development Commission (CDC) holds annual funding cycles, with applications generally due to the CDC in October. The CDC completes its recommendation in December, the County Board takes final action in February, and funds are available to start new activities in April.

In recent years, Bensenville has used CDBG funds to pay for the Volk Brothers Subdivision infrastructure improvement project. In the near-term, the Village should continue to apply to the County for CDBG, and develop proposals focused on downtown redevelopment efforts. For instance, CDBG funds could be used for land acquisition, demolition, and rehabilitation of both residential and non-residential buildings. Funds could also be used to pay for public investments and improvements from streets, sidewalk, and sewer lines to parks, playgrounds, and senior centers. Finally, CDBG can be used to support economic development, and fund the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, or installation of commercial buildings, or fund grants, loans, or technical assistance for private, for-profit businesses.

As CED staff develops proposals, they should ensure that proposals fit with the County’s funding priorities, as outlined in the five-year Consolidated Plan. The 2010-14 Consolidated Plan is available at: http://www. dupageco.org/Community_Services/Community_ Development_Commission/1310/. An updated Consolidated Plan is due in 2015.

30

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Raise awareness of Village and County rehabilitation, maintenance, and other assistance programs.

Bensenville and DuPage County offer a variety of assistance programs that can help Village residents with maintenance and utilities expenses. Currently, the Bensenville website provides information on a number of programs (e.g., 50/50 Storm Sewer Program, Overhead Sewer Program, soundproofing, foreclosure assistance and counseling, heating assistance). The Village should continue to promote these programs, as well as provide information on other programs.

Given the Village’s older housing stock and residents’ concern regarding maintaining the quality of housing, CED staff should focus on promoting programs that aid in the rehabilitation and maintenance of residential properties. Key programs to highlight include: The DuPage County Single-Family Rehabilitation Programs which provide qualified homeowners home repair loans of up to $24,000 at 0 percent simple interest, and accessibility grants up to $4,999.

The Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides qualified households assistance with energy conservation assistance.

CED staff should work to raise the profile of these programs by centralizing information on Bensenville’s website, and through advertising, events, and code enforcement. By helping residents access these funds, the Village can ensure the continued vibrancy of Bensenville’s residential neighborhoods.

Support “Aging in Place.”

As discussed in the Homes report, seniors are expected to drive future renter and owner demand by 2040. The Village should therefore work to make Bensenville as age-friendly as possible, and take measures to help senior residents “age in place.” Aging in place is the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Providing seniors with housing choices in terms of type, accessibility, and affordability is crucial to promoting age-friendliness.

In the near term, Village officials should focus on providing additional housing opportunities for seniors and promoting affordability assistance programs. As a first step in increasing senior housing opportunities, CED staff should revise the zoning code and zoning map to allow for accessory dwelling units, and for more multifamily development in the Village. Current efforts to build higher density dwellings in the downtown area, which is walkable and well-connected by transit, support aging in place. CED staff should continue these efforts and ensure that all new units built in the downtown area comply with universal design principles, allowing them to be well-suited to a variety of tenants, including seniors.

As a first step in promoting affordability assistance, Village officials should work closely with the Bensenville Senior Citizens Group and other relevant stakeholders to raise awareness of DuPage County’s housing assistance programs, Senior Citizens’ Real Estate Tax Deferral, and other resources outlined in the County’s Senior Services Overview and Senior Resource Directory. The Communications Department should also centralize information on senior services and assistance programs on the Village website.

Residential Areas Plan

Long-Term (5-10 Years) Recommendations Develop new housing in other strategic locations in the Village.

In order to accommodate future residential demand, the Village will need to be strategic about development on the few vacant and underutilized parcels in Bensenville. CED staff should refer to the future land use map and the CEDS Study and TOD Study to guide future development priorities.

Village officials should focus long-term redevelopment efforts along Irving Park Road, beginning with the section east of Church Street, where residential redevelopment and new streets infrastructure is necessary. Both the CEDS Study and the TOD Study provide design concepts and alternatives that can help guide the redevelopment process.

Explore the creation of a home-sharing program.

Home-sharing programs are a great way of addressing some of the aging in place challenges, particularly affordability and social isolation challenges, which seniors face. Programs can be structured in a variety of ways. Some programs pair aging homeowners who have room to spare in their homes with people who are looking for affordable rental options. Renters could include students, part-time workers, or fixedincome retirees. The program is mutually beneficial; in exchange for affordable housing, renters assist seniors with household activities. Park Ridge’s Center of Concern does not serve DuPage County residents, but offers a good example of this model. DuPage County’s Shared Housing Program operates under a similar model, but is not specifically targeted towards senior homeowners, instead matching individuals seeking an affordable housing arrangement, including seniors, with home providers. Other programs provide opportunities for small groups of seniors to live independently in an affordable family style home. One example of this model is Senior Home Sharing, which operates shared senior homes in Lombard, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, and Naperville.

31

As a first step, CED staff should meet with the Bensenville Senior Citizens Club and other senior stakeholder groups to explore interest in homesharing. CED staff, and if appropriate, senior resident representatives, should then meet with representatives from DuPage County’s Shared Housing Program and Senior Home Sharing to work on the creation of shared housing opportunities in Bensenville.

ADD PHOTO

Consider developing pre-annexation agreements with residents in unincorporated land along IL-83.

Exploring the possibility of annexing the unincorporated areas along IL-83 is a Village priority, and many households in these areas have reached out to Village officials, expressing interest in connecting to the Village’s storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and water main systems. The Village should consider negotiating pre-annexation agreements with residents living in unincorporated areas. The agreements would specify the terms and conditions that the Village and property owners could expect to apply upon annexation, particularly regarding utilities, services, zoning and other regulations. Upon annexation, the Village would provide the full range of services provided to property owners in Bensenville, such as refuse collection, street services and maintenance, street lighting, brush and branch removal, and connection to storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water main systems.

32

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Chapter 5 COMMERCIAL AREAS PLAN

The Village of Bensenville will continue to work towards creating a vibrant and sustainable business environment that enables it to become one of the region’s leading economies.

Bensenville’s future commercial uses should be focused in the following key sub-areas: • Downtown District • Mid-Town/Irving Park Corridor • York Road Corridor • Grand Avenue Corridor While additional opportunities for commerce will exist in other areas, the Village should focus staff time and funding resources in these four subareas. The recommended strategies in each sub-area may be applicable to other areas or throughout the community as well.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

Commercial Areas Plan

35

IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

A

EASTERN AVE

N H I LL DR I N D IA EDGEWOOD AVE

FRONTIER WAY

TOWER

Elk Grove Village

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

N

LN

§ ¦ ¨ 390

THOMAS DR

83 U V

SUPREME DR

SUPREME DR

THO

RND

BRYN MAWR AVE

ALE

Figure 5.1. Future commercial areas map

AV E

Mixed Multi Use

LARSON LN

GASOLINE ALY

BIRGINAL DR

Regional Commercial SIEVERT CT

Transportation

TH

FAIRWAY DR

Local Commercial

O MAS RD

INDUSTR IAL DR

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

N YORK RD

AV E

SH

CENTRAL AVE

Canadian Pacific Railroad

DEVON AVE EDGEWOOD AVE

Chicago

County Boundary MEYER RD

BEELINE DR

LELAND CT

Proposed Roads

! ! ! ! ! !

Future EOWA

PLEASANT ST

0

2 I Bensenville

GAYLIN CT

Metr a

GROVE ST

Milw auke

e Dis trict

MARION CT

WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

Chicago

West Line

EE

NS T

EVERGREEN ST

MEMORIALRD

2ND AVE

Miles 1

0.5

GR

PARK ST

ELLIS ST

S WALNUT ST

BRIAR LN

GRACE ST

MAY ST

S CENTER ST

PINE AVE

MEMORIAL RD

YORK RD

S MASON ST

MINER ST

JUDSON ST

BARRON ST

WOOD AVE

S ADDISON ST

MCLEAN AVE

HR D

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

CREST AVE RED OAK ST

83 U V

FR

AN

KL IN

AV E

SESAME D R JOHN ST

REDMOND CT

SC

HU

RC

WOOD ST

0.25

DOMENIC CT

ST

I

Rail Spurs

CENTER ST

MA IN

ADDISON ST

EN ST

PLENTYWOOD LN

2ND CT

Addison

GATEWAY RD

BROOKWOOD ST

ROOSEVELT AVE

FOLEY ST

HENDERSON ST

Wood Dale

E

Existing Roads

IRVING PARK RD

GRE

GROVE AVE

AV

DR

WALNUT ST

K

POPPY LN

EASTVIEW AVE

SPRUC E AVE

MEDINAH ST

AW

PINE LN

GLENDALE ST BROOKWOOD ST

A

19 U V

MO H

2 I

WILSON CT

W HILLSIDE DR

TIO G

Wood Dale

Metra Rail Lines

PODLIN DR

EAGLE DR

TWIN OAKS ST

Metra Stations

2 I

COUNTY LINE RD

MAPLE LN

Unincorporated

ROSE ST

GREENVALLEY ST

GOLF LN THOMAS DR

COUNTRY CLUB DR

ARGYLE ST

STONEHAM ST

Bensenville Limits Union Pacific Railroad

NORDIC ST ELMHURST ST ARGYLE ST

FOSTER AVE

MARSHALL RD

ITASCA ST

Franklin Park

DANIEL DR

DAVID DR

BERNICE DR

DOLORES DR

R

PAMEL

S CENTER ST

AD

W BELMONT AVE

YORK RD

BOBBY DR

RD

DIANA CT

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

GRAND AVE

Elmhurst

Cook County

Elmhurst

W IE

TV

S RE

DR

DuPage County

290

FERRARI DR

JAMES ST

GRAND AVE

§ ¦ ¨

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

ARTHUR CT

N DENNIS DR LY UE CQ JA

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

FO

CH UR CH RD

MASSEL CT

S ADDISON RD

GEORGE ST

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Canadian Pacific Railroad

Elk Grove Village

§ ¦ ¨ 390

Figure 5.2. Commercial sub-areas map

ChicagoAgency Source: Chicago Metropolitan for Planning, 2014.

Commercial Districts Union Pacific Railroad

Wood Dale

Wood Dale

County Boundary Bensenville Limits Unincorporated

2 I

Metra Stations Metra Rail Lines

2 I

MID-TOWN/IRVING PARK ROAD CORRIDOR

Existing Roads

19 U V

Future EOWA Bensenville

0

0.25

I

Miles 0.5

YORK RD

2 I DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

YORK ROAD CORRIDOR

Addison

83 U V

Franklin Park

§ ¦ ¨ Addison

Elmhurst

Elmhurst

Cook County

290

DuPage County

§ ¦ ¨

GRAND AVE CORRIDOR

Union Pacific Railroad

294

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Downtown District Key Findings • Limited number of retail and entertainment establishments. Lack of restaurants identified as a major factor in keeping residents away from downtown.

• Metra station and Village surface parking lots located in prime downtown location and limiting redevelopment potential.

• Unattractive building and streetscape conditions.

• Several vacant and underutilized parcels situated adjacent to Metra station and under the ownership of the Village.

• EOWA initiative will attract new retail and housing developments to downtown.

Figure 5.3: Downtown District map.

Commercial Districts Local Commercial

N CENTER ST

W MA

County Boundary Bensenville Limits Unincorporated Existing Parcels Shape Buildings Footprints

I Metra Stations 2 Chicago Metra Rail Lines Existing Roads

IN ST ! ! ! ! ! !

Bensenville

Intersection Improvement

2 I

RE EN

LINC OL

W WOOD AVE

N AV

250

I Feet 500

E

S YORK RD

S CENTER ST

S ADDISON ST

S MASON ST

S WALNUT ST

MCLEAN AVE

0

ST

EG

RE EN

E WOOD AVE

ST

ROSE ST

WG

MAY ST

GA YL IN

CT

Rail Spurs RAILR OAD A VE

GROVE ST

BARRON ST

Proposed Roads

GRACE ST

N ASHBY WAY

W ROOSEVELT AVE

Transportation

N YORK RD

N MASON ST

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT N ADDISON ST

N OLD PLANK RD

W CARRIAGE LN

Mixed Multi Use

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

38

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Implement CEDS streetscape plan.

The following streetscape improvements should be implemented in the downtown district: • Install additional street trees as needed to create consistent canopy.

• Eliminate angled parking on east side of Center Street.

• Widen sidewalks.

• Improve street lighting.

• Install decorative paving pattern across roadway and sidewalk paving.

• Establish downtown gateways and signage on York Road at Green Street, Railroad Avenue, Center Street, Main Street, and Roosevelt Avenue.

The Village can begin implementation with the installation of additional street trees, a low-cost and quick method to improve the appearance of the area.

In 2007, the Village declared the last Friday of April every year as Arbor Day. On this day, individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees in their neighborhood or anywhere in the community.

The Village President and elected officials should highlight this day by having a kick-off event in downtown and participating in tree planting events at various locations.

Commercial Areas Plan

Create shared parking opportunities.

The Village should encourage shared parking in all of its commercial areas. There are a few different ways for the Village to implement this, and these are discussed in the Mid-Town/Irving Park sub-area recommendations. The Irving Park corridor is a good candidate to launch a pilot shared parking program, which can be expanded to downtown and other commercial areas in the long-term.

Create web-based vacant and underutilized parcel inventory.

In order to effectively market available sites and identify sites that could be consolidated for redevelopment, the CED Department should create a parcel inventory in close coordination with DuPage County. This information should be field verified and mapped by the Village, and made available on the Village’s website in an interactive web-based format.

Parcels could be classified into categories based on size, condition, location, or other parameters that the Village may deem appropriate. The resulting database of parcel records will help the Village prioritize sites for redevelopment as well as market them effectively to potential developers and existing businesses looking to expand their facilities.

Creation of the database should focus on the downtown district. This activity should be funded by the Village within their annual budget. Funds would be utilized to hire a (Geographic Information Systems) GIS technician or consultant to create an inventory of vacant and underutilized parcels, field verify the information, and create a map.

39

Undertake detailed market assessment and developer recruitment.

A detailed market analysis will allow the Village to gain a better understanding of the types of uses feasible for downtown Bensenville and steps needed to move the recruitment process forward. The Village should conduct an economic assessment that answers the following questions: • What is the order in which parcels should be redeveloped, if any? Short-, mid-, and long-term.

• What specific types of uses are feasible on which parcels? For residential uses, specify type, density, size of units, and number of units, price points.

For retail uses, specify type, size, and examples of potential retailers.

• What incentives can the Village offer to interested developers or investors?

• Does the Village need to modify its development review or approval process? If so, how?

The study should also identify one pilot project site and assist the Village with moving it through the entire process, answering all the questions identified above. The TOD study should be referenced to identify this pilot project as it provides recommended uses for specific sites in the downtown. This process can be replicated in other commercial sub-areas in the future.

Revise zoning ordinance to include design standards for buildings, landscape, and signage.

The zoning ordinance should contain development standards that address physical design elements ranging from the block face to building signage. The key elements to be included in the standards are: • Blockface Design: The placement and appearance of buildings contribute to the character of the entire block and also the character of the right-of-way.

Closely spaced or contiguous buildings are encouraged.

40

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

• Site Design: This refers to the placement of buildings, parking lots, sidewalks, and landscaping on a parcel.

Buildings placed closer to the street should be encouraged in both the mixed/multi-use districts, local commercial district, and commercial/industrial flex district with shared parking placed behind.

• Building Design: This should address both new construction as well as renovation of existing facades.

Facades should preferably be designed to provide a strong sense of place. Guidelines regarding scale, proportion, and details should be outlined in this section of the development standards.

• Building Height: The guidelines should allow flexibility to build taller buildings in the downtown while complementing the existing character of the adjacent neighborhoods.

• Signage: Building signage should fit with and enhance the character of the building and overall character of the right-of-way. Standards should outline the location, size, and type of signage with illustrative examples.

Similar standards regarding streetscape and pedestrian amenities should be created for public property adjoining buildings. The elements to be addressed within this section should include: • Street lighting • Planters and landscape • Pavement • Furnishings (benches, trash receptacles, bicycle stalls) • Signage (including wayfinding signs) The CEDS Study should be referred to during development of the design requirements, especially for the streetscape and site design strategies.

Long-Term (5-10 Years) Recommendations Reconfigure parking lots.

Metra has stated in the TOD Study that a number of conditions need to be met in order for them to reconfigure their surface parking lots. These include: • The amount of commuter parking in the station area should remain at its current level throughout the redevelopment process.

• Parking displaced as a result of proposed development should not be replaced within existing commuter parking lots.

• Any new or replacement parking should be within the line of sight of a station.

The Village should consider entering into a land swap with Metra which would allow it to redevelop the Metra surface parking lots south of the Bensenville station as compact development while accommodating the additional spaces in adjacent areas or in a new Village-owned parking structure, whatever is considered a financially viable option.

Above: Center Street Existing Section and Plan.

Below: Streetscape Plan and Recommended Improvements Source: CEDS Study.

Figure 5.4. CEDS Streetscape Renderings.

Source: CEDS Study.

Commercial Areas Plan

41

Mid-Town/Irving Park Corridor Key Findings • Silver Creek runs along the corridor and impacts several parcels on the southern side of Irving Park Road.

• Building and streetscape conditions are poor and in need of upkeep.

• There are several curb cuts that impede vehicular and safe pedestrian movement.

• Canadian Pacific overpass and Irving Park Road Grade Separation will negatively impact businesses in the short-term but should prove beneficial in the long-term.

• The connection between Irving Park Road and IL 83 requires vehicles to travel through a residential area, presenting challenges both for residents as well as truck operators.

• There are several vacant and underutilized parcels throughout the corridor, specifically between Mason Street and Poppy Lane.

EAGLE DR

MID - TOWN /IRVING PARK ROAD CORRIDOR O

AW K TE

R

M

H

AW

K

D

R

ALGONQUIN AVE

19 U V

PLEASANT ST

IL-83

W MA

County Boundary

WG

WOOD LN

G FOLEY ST

DONNA LN

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

42

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

BREITER CT

S ADDISON ST

LN A VE

RE EN

ST

MAY ST

EG

S YORK RD

S CENTER ST

BARRON ST

MINER ST

I

S MASON ST

SC

Intersection Improvement

Feet 1,000

LINC O

AV E

E WOOD AVE

HU

Proposed Roads

500

OA D

RC

HR

W WOOD AVE

S WALNUT ST

JUDSON ST

ST L LIS

MCLEAN AVE

D

Existing Roads

0

2 I

RA IL R

GROVE ST

SE

Metra Rail Lines

HENDERSON ST

Metra Stations

S FRANZEN ST

Buildings Footprints

RIDGEWOOD AVE

Existing Parcels Shape

Rail Spurs

Bensenville

AY L

Unincorporated

! ! ! ! ! !

NS T

IN

PL ENTY

IN S T

CT

Wood Bensenville Limits Dale

REE

N CENTER ST

W ROOSEVELT AVE

Local Commercial

N ADDISON ST

PA R

KS

ID

E

LN

N MASON ST

W IRVING PARK RD

Commercial Districts

2 I

GATEWAY RD

N YORK RD

MEDINAH ST

EASTVIEW AVE

MARSHALL RD

BROOKWOOD ST

BL ACKH

N FRANZEN ST

PINE LN

GLENDALE ST

WILSON CT

N WALNUT ST

W HILLSIDE DR

Chicago

LELAND CT

POPPY LN

TWIN OAKS ST

N CHURCH RD

SPRUCE AVE

N POPLAR AVE

GREENVALLEY ST

MEYER RD

Figure 5.5. Mid-town/Irving Park Corridor map.

Chicago E PINE AVE

W MEMORIAL RD

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Create shared parking opportunities.

As a first step, the Village officials should work with the local businesses groups to encourage existing adjacent businesses that have underutilized surface parking to enter into contractual agreements.

Subsequently, the Village should explore the creation of a Shared Parking District for the entire corridor, allowing businesses along the corridor to access all parking spaces. To create a Shared Parking District, the Village would have to: • Work with property owners and businesses to educate them about Shared Parking Districts and their advantages.

• Work with property owners and businesses to develop mutually-agreeable agreements for public use of private parking.

• Install appropriate information signage and wayfinding signs for users.

• Launch an awareness campaign through corridor businesses and local media.

Depending on the success of a Shared Parking District in this corridor, Village officials should consider expanding the concept to all commercial areas. The Village should also update the zoning ordinance to permit shared parking in commercial districts and reduce parking requirements in general. This would allow for more efficient use of land as redevelopment occurs along the corridor.

Commercial Areas Plan

Create access management plan to reduce curb cuts.

The GO TO 2040 plan supports access management as an effective program for improving the region’s thoroughfares. Access management is a tool to help improve traffic safety, aesthetic appearance, and pedestrian convenience by implementing a variety of strategies. With respect to the Irving Park corridor, access management will help reduce points of vehicular conflict, thus improving traffic flow and traffic safety. Additionally, it will also help in the development of a safe and welcoming environment for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders.

The Village should create an access management manual focusing on enhancements to Irving Park Road. The Transportation Research Board’s Access Management Manual should be referred to for this purpose and can be purchased online at http://www. trb.org/Main/Blurbs/152653.aspx. Access management enhancements for the Irving Park road may include driveway consolidation, raised/landscaped medians, and intersection improvements.

As a first step, the Village should work with local business groups to introduce the concept to business and property owners. Typically, the business community has opposed changes to access or restrictions on access to commercial properties. The Village and local business groups would need to engage businesses in a discussion of the pros and cons of access management, potentially with external assistance.

43

Install signage and wayfinding during construction.

Temporary signs will be a critical component of 1) safely and efficiently moving drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists through the area during intersection improvements; and 2) ensuring the viability of businesses hampered by construction activities related to EOWA activities, and specifically related to the York Road/Irving Park road intersection improvements.

While businesses will install signs during construction to help customers navigate to their store, the Village and local business groups should also contribute to this effort. The Village should earmark funds within its annual budget to partially fund temporary signs for major construction projects. The funds could be lent out to businesses looking to create their own signs or directly fund the creation of temporary signs.

A potential long-term strategy for the Village would be to pre-qualify contractors that can fabricate and install temporary signs prior to future construction activities. Pre-qualification might streamline the approval process and reduce turnaround times for the creation and installation of temporary signs for future construction activities.

44

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Identify sites for consolidation.

The Village should evaluate the redevelopment and consolidation potential along the Irving Park corridor based on a variety of parameters including, but not limited to: • Size of parcel • Location of parcel • Land use and condition of adjacent parcels • Site remediation costs • Parcels under single or multiple ownership This analysis will allow the Village to prioritize specific sites for consolidation and redevelopment. As mentioned previously, the Village should work closely with Choose DuPage to create an inventory of vacant parcels and with local business groups to engage the business community.

Revise zoning ordinance to include design standards for buildings, landscape, and signage.

Please refer to the Downtown District recommendations earlier in this section for details.

Require additional buffering for redevelopment along Silver Creek.

As illustrated in the CEDS Study, future development on parcels along Silver Creek should take the floodplain boundaries into account. New developments or building expansions should be prohibited within the 100 year floodplain boundaries. A minimum 25 foot buffer should be required between the building line and the 100 year floodplain. While this buffer will limit, or in some cases, eliminate the development potential for certain types of use along the Creek, it is required to reduce flood related damage to properties and will also contribute to reduced flooding in downstream areas of the Village. Additional long term steps to the undertaken by the Village include:

• Create an unobstructed and permeable open area on both sides of the Creek extending as far out as possible.

• Develop a walking/biking path along the Creek that connects to Veteran’s Park and includes public access at multiple points.

• Develop on-site techniques to mitigate stormwater run-off, e.g. on-site detention, permeable parking surfaces, plantings, etc.

• Explore opportunities to purchase land or acquire development rights to parcels along the Creek in order to maintain floodplain and open space.

• Work with business owners to encourage community gardening on certain sites.

• As a first step, the Village should reach out to businesses in the corridor and educate them on the benefits of stormwater management.

Figure 5.6. Buffer along Silver Creek.

Source: CEDS study.

Commercial Areas Plan

45

Long-Term (5-10 Years) Recommendations Implement CEDS streetscape plan.

Incorporate sustainable stormwater strategies.

The following streetscape improvements should be implemented in the Irving Park corridor:

While improvement of the Village’s aging infrastructure will be an ongoing and long-term project, there are non-structural and cost-effective measures to reduce the burden on the existing infrastructure. Chief among these are stormwater ordinances.

• Install shade trees and shrub hedges to screen parking areas and define street edge.

• Bury underground utilities wherever feasible.

• Upgrade light poles along the corridor.

• Install banners to promote Village and retail street identity.

• Select and install site furnishings.

• Create consistent building signage and gateway signs at the intersections with York Road and IL 83.

The Village has adopted the DuPage County Stormwater and Floodplain Ordinance into the Village’s Municipal Code, and should continue to work on its implementation. DuPage County recently completed an amendment to the ordinance requiring Best Management Practices (BMP) on development sites to promote runoff reduction, adjusting floodplain regulations to allow certain types of developments within the flood plain, amending post construction BMPs required, and adjusting submittal requirements and processes. As defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a BMP is a non-structural technique used to reduce pollutant content in stormwater discharge. These range from low-cost preventative maintenance (e.g. street cleaning) to more sophisticated elements such as bioswales and rooftop gardens. The ordinance will impact new development and redevelopment in the industrial areas, where a majority of properties do not currently provide on-site detention or retention facilities.

In the long term, the Village can consider creating an ordinance tailored to its own needs. The Village should review examples of ordinances that have been successful in addressing stormwater run-off using innovative measures, such as the Village of Antioch Stormwater Management Plan, the Village of Addison Stormwater Water and Floodplain Management Ordinance, and the City of Warrenville Stormwater Management and Flood Plain Ordinance.

46

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Undertake road extensions to improve connectivity.

The future land use map proposes a number of roadway extensions to reduce traffic congestion and improve roadway safety. The specific extensions proposed for the corridor are: • Extending Meyer Road south to Irving Park Road.

This extension will improve access for the Northern Business District to Irving Park Road. At present, all trucks servicing the industrial area head north and connect to Foster Avenue.

These roadway extensions will also require intersection improvements. Given that Irving Park is a state route, the Village should initiate conversations with IDOT to understand the appropriate procedure for making roadway connections and also any associated engineering studies required to test the feasibility of these connections.

• Extending the east-west road between Eastview Avenue and Main Street, and extending Marshall Road and Franzen Street to create intersections between all roadways. The additional roads will allow for the creation of a well-connected residential development south of Irving Park Road.

Figure 5.7. CEDS Streetscape Renderings.

Source: CEDS Study.

Above: Irving Park Road Existing Section.

Below: Streetscape Plan and Recommended Improvements Source: CEDS Study.

Commercial Areas Plan

47

York Road Corridor Key Findings • There are a wide variety of uses along the corridor ranging from heavy industrial to residential. The northern half of the corridor extending from Irving Park Road to Devon Avenue is primarily industrial in character with wider rights-of-way, buildings set back significantly from roadways, limited signage, and unattractive streetscape. This character changes dramatically south of Irving Park road with narrower rights-of-way, mix of residential and local commercial uses, streetscape improvements in the form of decorative street lights and sidewalks, and slower vehicular traffic speeds.

• The Irving Park Road/York Road Grade Separation will vastly relieve traffic congestion.

• C-4 zoning north of Irving Park Road has negatively impacted existing industrial uses and corridor redevelopment.

• There is a lack of signage and wayfinding signs, despite the corridor being a primary gateway into the community.

• As per the TOD Study, there are over 150 curb cuts in the corridor’s four-mile stretch, restricting smooth vehicular and pedestrian movement.

Commercial Areas Plan

Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Create access management plan to reduce curb-cuts.

Refer to strategy detailed in Mid-Town/Irving Park corridor sub-area.

Revise zoning ordinance for C-4 district north of Irving Park Road.

The Village rezoned the industrial areas on the west side of York Road across from O’Hare airport to C-4 Regional Planned Unit Development (PUD) Commercial to better position the area for airport related redevelopment. The rezoning has negatively impacted industrial businesses from expanding operations and sale of property, however. Real estate professionals mentioned the ongoing demand for industrial redevelopment on rezoned parcels, but property owners have been unable to sell or improve the land since the parcels are not suited for the big box retail stores permitted by the C-4 zoning designation.

The Village should change the C-4 designation to permit industrial uses as part of the zoning ordinance revision. Future designation should be based on market analysis findings.

49

TOWER

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

YORK ROAD CORRIDOR

N

LN

83

390

T HO

RND

BRYN MAWR AVE

AL E

Commercial Districts

AV E

Union Pacific Railroad

§ ¦ ¨

THOMAS DR

V U

SUPREME DR

SUPREME DR

N YORK RD

Elk Grove Village

LARSON LN

GASOLINE ALY

BIRGINAL DR

Mixed Multi Use Transportation County Boundary

SIEVERT CT

Bensenville Limits

TH

FAIRWAY DR

O MAS RD

INDUSTRIAL DR

Local Commercial

Unincorporated Existing Parcels Shape

MAPLE LN

EAGLE DR

Existing Roads LELAND CT

Future EOWA

E

DR

GATEWAY RD

PLEASANT ST

Rail Spurs

Bensenville

T

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

2 I

Metr a

GRACE ST

ROSE ST

PINE AVE

MEMORIALRD

2ND AVE

Distr ict W est L in

GR

WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

PARK ST

ELLIS ST

S WALNUT ST

BRIAR LN

MEMORIALRD

MAY ST

S CENTER ST

S MASON ST

BARRON ST

JUDSON ST

MINER ST

S ADDISON ST

D

MCLEAN AVE

HR

EEN

e

CREST AVE

RED OAK ST

Chicago

ST

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

REDMOND CT

RC SC HU

Milw au ke e

MARION CT

FOLEY ST

GROVE ST

WOOD AVE

Miles 1

Figure 5.8. York Road Corridor map

GAYLIN CT

2ND CT

S CENTER ST

GRAND AVE

R

DANIEL DR

DAVID DR

DR

LIN

AVE

Franklin Park

DIANA CT

DOLORES DR

AD

PAMEL

RD

W BELMONT AVE

BERNICE DR

Elmhurst

EW VI ST RE

YORK RD

S ADDISON RD

JAMES ST

BOBBY DR

ARTHUR CT

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

FERRARI DR

CHURCH RD

FO

N DENNIS DR LY UE CQ JA

FRA NK

SESAME D R

GEORGE ST

MASSEL CT

I

0.5

DOMENIC CT

PLENTYWOOD LN

0.25

EVERGREEN ST

MAIN S

0

CENTER ST

ADDISON ST

ROOSEVELT AVE N ST

WOOD ST

Addison

Intersection Improvement

BROOKWOOD ST

IRVING PARK RD

GREE HENDERSON ST

WALNUT ST

K

POPPY LN

EASTVIEW AVE

MEDINAH ST

AV

A

BROOKWOOD ST

AW

SPRUCE AVE

TIOG

GLENDALE ST

GROVE AVE

Proposed Roads

! ! ! ! ! !

WILSON CT

W HILLSIDE DR MO H

PINE LN

TWIN OAKS ST

PODLIN DR

GREENVALLEY ST

Metra Rail Lines

BEELINE DR

COUNTY LINE RD

STONEHAM ST

Chicago Metra Stations

2 I

JOHN ST

ARGYLE ST

GOLF LN

YORK RD

ARGYLE ST

Buildings Footprints

MEYER RD

NORDIC ST

ELMHURST ST

THOMAS DR

ITASCA ST

COUNTRY CLUB DR

MARSHALL RD

Wood Dale

FOSTER AVE

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

Northlake GRAND AVE

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Long-Term (5-10 Years) Recommendations Implement CEDS streetscape plan.

The following streetscape improvements should be implemented in the York Road corridor: • Install street trees along York Road in a manner that blocks airport views on the east side and provides shade on the west side.

• Install planted median.

• Install street lights with banners in planted median where possible.

Figure 5.9. CEDS Streetscape Renderings.

Source: CEDS Study.

Above: York Road Existing Section and Plan.

Below: Streetscape Plan and Recommended Improvements Source: CEDS Study.

Commercial Areas Plan

51

Grand Avenue Corridor Key Findings • The corridor is primarily composed of industrial and auto-oriented commercial uses. There are no sidewalks on the south side of the roadway.

• Commercial uses are set back from the roadway with parking in the front. A majority of parking lots are not utilized fully.

• The roadway provides access to the Southern Business Park and River Forest Golf Course.

Industrial businesses have only one access point to Grand Avenue, making it difficult for freight movement.

• The number of curb cuts between Entry Drive and Church Road is excessive and interferes with the smooth movement of traffic along Grand Avenue.

• There is a lack of signage and wayfinding signs, despite the corridor’s significance as the Village’s southern gateway.

Figure 5.10. Grand Avenue Corridor map.

GEORGE ST

DIANA CT

Franklin Park JOHN ST

S YORK RD

S CENTER ST

S ADDISON RD

S DR DOLORE

CHURCH RD

PAMELA DR

DR BRENTWOOD

N DR UELY JACQ DENNIS DR

E GRAND AVE

Local Commercial

Metra Rail Lines

County Boundary Bensenville Limits

Existing Roads Elmhurst ! ! ! ! ! !

Proposed Roads Rail Spurs

Unincorporated Existing Parcels Shape

§ ¦ ¨ 290

Buildings Footprints

0

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

52

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

500

I

GRAND AVE CORRIDOR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

Cook County

Metra Stations

2 I

DuPage County

W GRAND AVE

Commercial Districts

COUNTY LINE RD

BERNICE DR

DANIEL DR

DAVID DR

S ADDISON ST

JAMES ST

ENTRY DR

ARTHUR CT

FERRARI DR

WILLIAM ST

BOBBY DR

W BELMONT AVE

Northlake

Feet 1,000

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Extend Williams Street and Arthur Court for better connectivity.

Freight and vehicular access to the Southern Business District and commercial areas in the western portion of Grand Avenue is restricted to Entry Drive. To improve internal circulation and access to Church Road, the Village should extend the Arthur Court cul-de-sac east to Judson Street. As a first step, the Village should initiate discussions with property owners to be impacted by the extension—the residents to the east and industrial businesses to the west. The alignment should allow for buffered streetscape and landscaping, protecting residents from freight activity.

The Village should also consider extending Judson Street south towards Grand Avenue, creating an additional point of access for industrial businesses.

The Village should undertake a preliminary engineering analysis to identify possible alignments for the extension. Property owners and businesses to be impacted should be involved in the process from the beginning. Given that Grand Avenue is a county road, a meeting with DuPage County’s Division of Transportation should also be held by Village officials to discuss the intent, benefits, and potential alignment of the roadway extension.

Commercial Areas Plan

Revise zoning ordinance to include development standards.

The C-2 Highway Commercial designation along Grand Avenue negatively impacts is visual character.

As part of a comprehensive zoning ordinance revision, the Village should create a commercial zoning district for Grand Avenue that requires buildings to be placed closer to the right-of-way, reduces parking requirements, increases landscape and streetscape coverage, and encourages better signage.

Create gateway enhancements plan.

Grand Avenue is the southern gateway into Bensenville. The Village should work closely with the County to install gateway signs and/or make landscape improvements at the following intersections: • County Line Road • York Road • Church Road The treatment at each intersection may vary by adjacent land uses and character of development.

County Line Road primarily caters to industrial employees and freight movement while York Road is a mix of visitors, residents, and daily commuters passing through the community. Building upon the signage and wayfinding recommendations in the TOD Study, the Village should create a gateway enhancement plan that would identify a theme for the Village’s gateway features and provide a series of images illustrating the various gateway features and supporting landscape. These options should be shared and discussed with the County and a preferred design for each intersection selected by both parties. The funding, timeline, and process for installation of the signs should be discussed at this point.

53

Long-Term (5-10 years) Recommendations Improve transit and pedestrian amenities.

As identified earlier, the Grand Avenue corridor does not encourage pedestrian movement and has limited amenities for transit riders. Pace does not currently operate any service on Grand Avenue, but Routes 757 and 332 have stops on Grand Avenue as they run north-south. As recommended in the TOD study, the Village should reach out to Pace and convey the need for better defined bus stops and bus shelters at Grand Avenue for both Pace routes. The bus stop at the northeast corner of York Road and Grand Avenue is especially important given its proximity to the shopping center.

Pedestrian connections from the bus stop to the shopping center are also required. In addition, defined cross walks at major intersections, consistent sidewalk connections from the corridor to various commercial businesses along Grand Avenue are also important. The Village should require the construction of sidewalk connections from Grand Avenue to retailers as part of any future redevelopment along the corridor. The Village should simultaneously work with the County to install sidewalks along the length of the corridor for pedestrian access.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) funding should be pursued for improvements to the bus stop and pedestrian connection to the shopping center from the corner of Grand Avenue and York Road.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

54

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

55

Chapter 6 INDUSTRIAL AREAS PLAN

The Village of Bensenville will implement policies and programs that allow its industrial sector to continue to flourish and expand within the community, create new jobs for the local population, and support growth in other sectors of the Village’s economy.

Industrial park business in Bensenville.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

Industrial Areas Plan

57

IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

EASTERN AVE

N H I LL DR I N D IA EDGEWOOD AVE

FRONTIER WAY

TOWER

N

LN

AV E

LARSON LN

GASOLINE ALY

BIRGINAL DR

MEYER RD

GOLF LN

MAPLE LN

EAGLE DR

DR

Proposed Roads Future EOWA

GATEWAY RD

BROOKWOOD ST

Rail Spurs

PLEASANT ST

ST

0 Metr a

Bensenville

GAYLIN CT GROVE ST

e Dis trict

MARION CT

MEMORIALRD

2ND AVE

WASHINGTON ST VIRGINIA ST

Chicago

West Line

GR

PARK ST

S WALNUT ST

ELLIS ST

GRACE ST

PINE AVE

MEMORIAL RD

BRIAR LN

ROSE ST

MAY ST

S MASON ST

MINER ST

JUDSON ST

BARRON ST

WOOD AVE

S ADDISON ST

MCLEAN AVE

HR D

EE

NS T

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

CREST AVE REDMOND CT

SC

HU

RC

WOOD ST

0.25

Milw auke

I

Miles 0.5

COUNTY LINE RD

MA IN

ADDISON ST

ROOSEVELT AVE EN ST

FOLEY ST

HENDERSON ST

E

PLENTYWOOD LN

2ND CT

Addison

! ! ! ! ! !

IRVING PARK RD

GRE

Wood Dale

POPPY LN

K

WALNUT ST

EASTVIEW AVE

SPRUC E AVE

PINE LN

AW

MEDINAH ST

AV

A

MO H

GLENDALE ST BROOKWOOD ST

GROVE AVE

Existing Roads

WILSON CT TIO G

19 U V

Metra Rail Lines

LELAND CT

TWIN OAKS ST

W HILLSIDE DR

Metra Stations

2 I

BEELINE DR

RED OAK ST

83 U V

FR

AN

KL IN

AV E

SESAME D R JOHN ST

STONEHAM ST

Unincorporated

EVERGR EEN ST

ARGYLE ST

GREENVALLEY ST

Wood Dale

County Boundary

Chicago

THOMAS DR

ARGYLE ST

COUNTRY CLUB DR

NORDIC ST ELMHURST ST

Transportation Bensenville Limits

FOSTER AVE

MARSHALL RD

ITASCA ST

SIEVERT CT

Commercial/Industrial Flex

TH

FAIRWAY DR

O MAS RD

INDUSTR IAL DR

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

Industrial

DOMENIC CT

BRYN MAWR AVE

ALE

PODLIN DR

RND

N YORK RD

THO

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Union Pacific Railroad

§ ¦ ¨ 390

Figure 6.1. Future industrial areas map

THOMAS DR

83 U V

SUPREME DR

SUPREME DR

CENTER ST

Elk Grove Village

E LLIS ST

MARK ST

S CENTER ST

A

YORK RD

AV E

SH

CENTRAL AVE

Canadian Pacific Railroad

DEVON AVE EDGEWOOD AVE

Franklin Park

290

Elmhurst

R

DANIEL DR

DAVID DR

BERNICE DR

YORK RD

W BELMONT AVE

DOLORES DR

AD

PAMEL

S CENTER ST

RD

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

GRAND AVE

Elmhurst

Cook County

§ ¦ ¨

W IE

TV

S RE

DIANA CT

DuPage County

GRAND AVE

BOBBY DR

JAMES ST

FERRARI DR

ARTHUR CT

ENTRY DR

WILLIAM ST

DENNIS DR U CQ JA

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

FO

CH UR CH RD

MASSEL CT

S ADDISON RD

GEORGE ST DR YN EL

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Community-Wide Recommended Strategies Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Incorporate innovative stormwater management practices in ordinances.

During the analysis of existing conditions, Village officials acknowledged the need for creating an ordinance that would reduce stormwater runoff from new and existing developments. Within the industrial areas, a few businesses have addressed this issue by creating detention and retention ponds on individual sites. While this has been effective to a certain extent, there is a wide array of innovative options the Village should continue to explore.

To this end, the Village should adopt an ordinance to control stormwater runoff at the individual site-level.

Please refer to Chapter 4: Commercial Areas Plan for further details.

Create incentives to encourage rehabilitation of older properties/sites.

The quality and speed of physical improvements to private property as well as public rights-of-way will depend a great deal on the funds available. To help with the rehabilitation of older properties, the Village should consider creating one or more financial incentive programs.

For the purpose of undertaking site work that include green infrastructure (e.g. permeable pavers, bioswales, tress and native plantings) and building facade improvements, the Village should consider the following options: • Industrial revolving loan fund: This program could offer loans at a certain percentage of total cost or up to a fixed amount, whichever is lower, for projects that create or retain jobs. Applicants would need to provide a detailed plan to the Village and the Village would work with a lender to negotiate a low fixed interest rate loan for the business. This program would be administered through the Village’s Finance Department. • Facade and site improvement grant: This program would focus on improvements to the facades and site level improvements for older industrial properties with the goal of improving building appearance and bringing older signs, parking, and landscaping into conformance with new standards as per the proposed new zoning ordinance. The program would provide a 50/50 matching grant up to a certain amount for facade as well as site level improvements.

The Village of Skokie created a similar program focused on facades for its Southeast Industrial Area and approximately 18 facades have been completed thus far.

Industrial Areas Plan

59

Work with utility providers to improve energy efficiency.

The U.S. Green Building Council estimates that energy efficient retrofits will allow businesses to save between 10 percent and 50 percent savings of their energy costs. For older industrial businesses, the Village of Bensenville should consider providing resources to businesses to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings.

A number of industrial buildings in Bensenville’s industrial areas were built several decades ago. As a result, there are a number of energy efficiency improvements that could help reduce energy consumption and costs for these buildings. The Village should reach out to utility providers to assist building owners in obtaining professional energy audits. Both Commonwealth Edison and Nicor Gas run programs to help businesses conserve energy and reduce energy bills. ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business program offers a portfolio of incentives, services, and solutions to help identify energy-saving technologies and operational improvements for businesses (https:// www.comed.com/business-savings/programsincentives/Pages/default.aspx). Nicor Gas helps businesses determine their energy needs from the site selection stage and provides energy saving strategies to maximize operational efficiency and lower operating costs (http://nicorgas.aglr.com/Business.aspx).

The primary role of the Village and local business groups would be to act as a resource for businesses seeking information on the various components of these programs including auditing, funding, and implementation. Examples of what other businesses have accomplished through the two programs can be found here: • ComEd program: https://www.comed.com/businesssavings/resources/Pages/case-studies.aspx.

• Nicor Gas programs: http://www.nicorgasrebates. com/index.php/bus/business-contractor/ bus-con-downloads.

60

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Support regional and statewide efforts.

As described in the GO TO 2040 regional comprehensive plan, the Chicago region has traditionally lacked a champion to look out for its freight needs, despite being the nation’s hub of truck and rail freight. National discussions and decisions about the movement of goods are dominated by port cities and states, partly because of the Chicago region’s lack of a leading representative. There is a tremendous amount at stake for all municipalities in these discussions as the movement of freight can have a wide range of potentially positive or negative effects, including economic ones.

Bensenville is part of the O’Hare industrial submarket that generates a significant amount of freight traffic.

With completion of the EOWA initiative, freight volumes are anticipated to rise as the industrial sector takes advantage of improved access and visibility. It is important for the Village to engage with the business community, neighboring communities, regional stakeholders, and national freight decision-makers to ensure that movement of goods is seamless and freight issues are being addressed proactively. CMAP is leading discussions with regional and national freight stakeholders on how to strategically invest in freight improvement in northeastern Illinois. While there are no municipal roles identified at this point, there will be opportunities to contribute in the future.

Canadian Pacific Railroad

Elk Grove Village

§ ¦ ¨ 390

Figure 6.2. Industrial sub-areas map

NORTHERN BUSINESS DISTRICT

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Business Districts County Boundary

Chicago

Bensenville Limits Future EOWA Unincorporated Union Pacific Railroad

Wood Dale

2 I

Wood Dale

Metra Rail Lines Existing Roads

0

19 U V

Metra Stations

0.25

I

Miles 0.5

YORK RD

Bensenville

EASTERN BUSINESS DISTRICT Addison

83 U V

Franklin Park

Elmhurst

Elmhurst

Union Pacific Railroad

290

SOUTHERN BUSINESS DISTRICT Cook County

§ ¦ ¨

294

DuPage County

Addison

§ ¦ ¨

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Long-Term (5-10 years) Recommendations Support workforce development.

In order to support industrial growth specifically, the Village needs to create a robust and educated workforce. The Village’s leadership should work with non-profit organizations such as the Chicago Jobs Council to identify workforce development services available to Bensenville residents. The Village should also coordinate with educational organizations such as Robert Morris University and College of DuPage to create education and training program in collaboration with Bensenville’s industrial businesses, allowing them to hire locally.

Coordinate with Choose DuPage on industrial initiatives.

Choose DuPage leads economic development initiatives in DuPage County. The organization serves a number of functions that include providing businesses information on ongoing projects, creating an on-line database of available sites and spaces, and providing information on a variety of resources varying from financing to workforce development.

The Village of Bensenville should reach out to Choose DuPage to understand the range of services that could be beneficial to local businesses, e.g. business retention programs, financing programs, and workforce training resources. Representatives from Choose DuPage should be invited to share information on the resources they offer at monthly Board meetings and networking events.

62

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Participate in the Golden Corridor Advanced Manufacturing Partnership.

Bensenville is part of the Golden Corridor Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (GCAMP), consisting of municipalities, businesses, schools, and other institutions near and along the I-90 corridor from Elgin to O’Hare International Airport. The group, formed in 2009, focuses on the manufacturing sector, highlighting manufacturing careers, changing the negative perception of the sector, and linking businesses to a skilled labor force. The group members meet on quarterly basis, and hold events such as open houses connecting students to employers and showcasing the opportunities for specialized and skilled positions in manufacturing.

The Village should stay involved in GCAMP and encourage manufacturers to participate in quarterly events. Information about the group should be disseminated through local business groups as well as local media, including the Village website. The Village should also reach out to local schools, as well as Robert Morris University to make them aware of the resources available through GCAMP and promote their participation in education and training programs.

In addition to these community-wide recommendations relevant to all business in Bensenville, there are a number of recommendations aimed at addressing the issues unique to each of the Village’s business districts: the Northern Business District and the Eastern Business District.

Northern Business District Key Findings • There are limited north-south truck connections to Irving Park Road, Thorndale Avenue, and Devon Avenue.

• Very few local streets provide continuous connections within the District.

• The EOWA initiative will create a more competitive Northern Business District by improving access to O’Hare airport and regional transportation network.

• The future Thorndale Road will substantially improve access and visibility, but also further divide the District.

• The rights-of-way and building conditions lack aesthetic appeal, especially south of Thorndale Avenue.

• Flooding is a major concern for businesses along Willow Creek. The Village has recently addressed these concerns by implementing various stormwater, sewer, water, and street light improvements. To fund the improvements, the Village established seven SSA. A TIF District was also established to pay for the Village’s share of the improvements.

• There is a large daytime employee population that could drive demand for restaurants and convenience shopping.

Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Make local street connections to improve circulation.

Figure 6.3 illustrates the existing street network and recommended street extensions that would enhance connectivity and site access. As per the CEDS Study, the alignment of extensions is designed to impact the least amount of parcels in the District, taking factors such as building value, land value, and building condition into account.

Specific extensions include: • Meyer Road extended south to connect with Irving Park Road. The road can be aligned with Mason Street, but alignment will be determined by the final development plan for the area.

• Meyer Road extended north to tie into the new EOWA frontage road.

• Country Club Drive extended northward to connect with the EOWA frontage road and under the proposed expressway to connect with Supreme Drive.

This extension would increase connectivity between the industrial areas north and south of the EOWA initiative.

• Bryn Mawr Avenue extended to the future Country Club Drive. The connection would provide a direct connection to IL-83.

Funding for road extensions should not compete with the Village’s capacity to fund and maintain existing roads. The Village should undertake a preliminary engineering and financial analysis of the road extension projects with assistance from a transportation engineering agency. The analysis will help the Village identify the process, cost, potential funding mechanisms, and phasing of these projects.

Engaging and educating business owners and landlords in the Northern Business District will be a key part of this process.

Industrial Areas Plan

63

OD AVE EW O

Figure 6.3. Northern business district map

T N EL LIS S

Commercial

NORTHERN BUSINESS DISTRICT

MARK ST TOWER LN

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Regional Commercial

N YORK RD

ED G

AV E AS H

CENTRAL AVE

Canadian Pacific Railroad

EASTERN AVE

Elk Grove Village

INDIAN HILL DR

Commercial/Industrial Flex SUPREME DR

Industrial Transportation County Boundary

THO R

Bensenville Limits

NDA

LE A V

E

§ ¦ ¨ 390

Existing Parcels Shape

LARSON LN

Metra Stations BIRGINAL DR

Metra Rail Lines Existing Roads Proposed Roads Future EOWA

Chicago

INDUSTRIAL DR

Business District Intersection Improvement

RD

FAIRWAY DR THOMAS

Rail Spurs Water

BEELINE DR

MAPLE LN

EAGLE DR

W IRVING PARK RD

DR

POPPY LN

K

RD

HA W

N CHURCH

EASTVIEW AVE

N FRANZEN ST

M O

E AV

MEDINAH ST

A

BROOKWOOD ST

GATEWAY RD

G

GLENDALE ST

O TI

W HILLSIDE DR

N CENTER ST

ARGYLE ST

GOLF LN

MEYER RD

COUNTRY CLUB DR

SPRUCE AVE

Wood Dale

MARSHALL RD

I

THOMAS DR

FOSTER AVE

IL-83

0.125

PINE LN

0

Miles 0.25

N ADDISON ST

Buildings Footprints

N MASON ST

! ! ! ! ! !

N WALNUT ST

2 I

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 20

Undertake intersection improvements.

The Plan supports a number of key intersection improvements (refer to Figure 6.3) in the Northern Business District to accommodate increased traffic volumes from the EOWA initiative.

The CEDS Study identifies the following intersections for improvements: • IL-83 and Foster Avenue • York Road and Foster Avenue • York Road and Irving Park Road (currently underway) Village officials should continue to monitor traffic volumes on local streets on an annual basis. This will allow them to monitor the evolving traffic through the Northern Business District and make improvements accordingly. Intersection improvements could include: • Wider right-of-ways at intersections to accommodate additional turn lanes and through lanes.

• Access restrictions from side streets and driveways near intersections.

• Improved pedestrian facilities including sidewalks and crosswalks.

• Wider curb radii to allow larger WB-65 freight trucks to maneuver without driving over the curb.

• Modified landscape improvements to avoid damage.

The Village will need to undertake further detailed engineering and design analysis for each specific location identified above, with the exception of the York Road/Irving Park Road intersection. The York Road/Irving Park Road intersection redesign is already underway and is expected to be completed in late 2015.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

Industrial Areas Plan

65

Bensenville Limits

CENTRAL AVE

Canadian Pacific Railroad

DEVON AV E EDGEWOOD AV E

N I LL I NDIA EDGEWOOD AV E

EASTERN AVE

R

FRONTIER WAY

LLIS

N

LN

THOMAS DR

SUPREME DR

83 U V

Special Service Areas

THO

RND

BRYN MAWR AVE

ALE

AV E

Unincorporated Airport Runways

Union Pacific Railroad

SUPREME DR

County Boundary

e

TOWER

Elk Grove Village

T

MARK ST

N YORK RD

AV E

IROQUOIS LN SPRUCE AVE

SH

A

Metra Stations

2 I

Freight Rail Lines Rail Spurs

LARSON LN O M AS D

INDUSTRIAL DR

Flood Control Projects

SIEVERT CT

I

Chicago

TH

FAIRWAY DR

CHICAGO O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Metra Rail Lines

GA SOLINE A LY

BIRGINAL DR

Airport

Northern Industrial Area MEYER RD

MAPLE LN

EA GLE DR

V

GATEWAY RD

BROOKWOOD ST

Met r a

auke

e Dis t rict

MARION CT

GRACE ST

ROSE ST

MAY ST

EEN

ST

JEFFERSON ST

3RD AVE

RED OAK ST

GRAND AVE

§ ¦ ¨ 290

Elmhurst

R

BERNICE DR

DAVID DR

W BELMONT AVE

AV E

Franklin Park

Residential along Addison Creek

DOLORES DR

AD

KL IN

DIANA CT

RIVER FOREST DR

§ ¦ ¨ 294

DANIEL DR

S

YORK RD

BOBBY DR

FERRARI DR

ARTHUR CT JAMES ST

IE TV

RD

AN

GRAND AVE

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

WILLIAM ST

W

RE

FO

ENTRY DR

MASSEL CT

CHURCH RD

Addison Creek Culvert Replacement Project

DENNIS DR LY UE CQ JA

PAMEL

S ADDISON RD

S CENTER ST

GEORGE ST N DR

FR

SESAME D R JOHN ST

REDMOND CT

CREST AVE

DOMENIC CT

VIRGINIA ST

PODLIN DR

MEMORIAL D WASHINGTON ST

EVERGREEN ST

S CENTER ST

in e

200 Block of South Center Street and Addison Street

2ND AVE

83 U V

Chicago

West L

GR

PARK ST

ELLIS ST

S WALNUT ST

BRIAR LN

MEMORIAL RD

PINE AVE YORK RD

S MASON ST

MINER ST

JUDSON ST

Tioga School Site

S ADDISON ST

MCLEAN AVE

HR D RC HU

SC

Milw

Cook County

Bensenville

GROVE ST

WOOD AVE

DuPage County

ST

COUNTY LINE RD

MA IN

CENTER ST

ADDISON ST

ROOSEVELT AVE

GAYLIN CT FOLEY ST

HENDERSON ST

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2013.

IRVING PARK RD

WOOD ST

Addison

Figure 6.4. CIP infrastructure improvements map

LELAND CT

PLENTYWOOD LN

2ND CT

Miles 1

0.5

R PLEASANT ST Former Mohawk School Site

GREE N T

GROVE AVE

0.25

WILSON CT Areas surrounding former Mohawk School POPPY LN

19 U V

EASTVIEW AVE

MEDINAH ST

AW

SPRUC E AVE

GLENDALE ST BROOKWOOD ST

A

MOH

Wood Dale

W HILLSIDE DR

TI O G

Wood Dale

PINE LN

TWIN OAKS ST

WALNUT ST

STONEHA M ST

GREENVA LLEY ST

0

BEELINE DR

BARRON ST

ARGYLE ST

GOLF LN THOMAS DR

COUNTRY CLUB DR

NORDIC ST ELMHURST ST ARGYLE ST

FOSTER AVE

MARSHALL RD

ITASCA ST

Legends Site

Elmhurst

Northlake Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2013.

Eastern Business District Key Findings • Green Street and County Line Road are busy truck routes, with wide travel lanes to accommodate larger vehicles and higher speeds. These characteristics including the lack of buffer between travel lanes and sidewalk, parking lots adjacent to rights-of-way, limited tree plantings, and overhead utilities, create a an unattractive visual environment and unsafe pedestrian realm.

Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Make local street connections to improve circulation.

The following roadway extensions will help improve vehicular circulation through the Eastern Business District (refer to Figure 6.5). Specific extensions include:

• The EOWA initiative will impact a number of buildings in the District. It will also enhance access for an area that already enjoys good access to the regional transportation system.

• John Street extended north to Green Street.

• The District is home to a variety of retail, office, and light industrial facilities.

• Pine Avenue extended east to Evergreen Street.

• There are several vacant and underutilized properties available for redevelopment, including some with environmental challenges.

• The TIF 4 site is a redevelopment priority for the Village, but has a number of environmental challenges that need to be addressed.

• A new north-south street between Jefferson Street and Green Street, providing access to a mix of service, office, and light industrial uses.

• Evergreen Street extended north to Green Street, improving access to Green Street for industrial businesses.

As mentioned above, the Village should undertake a preliminary engineering and financial analysis of the road extension projects with assistance from a transportation engineering firm.

Engaging and educating business owners and landlords in the Eastern Business District will be a key part of this process.

Undertake intersection improvements.

The Plan supports the implementation of the County Line Road and Green Street intersection improvements identified in the CEDS Study (refer to Figure 6.5).

Intersection improvements could include: • Improved pedestrian facilities, including sidewalks and crosswalks.

• Wider curb radii to allow larger WB-65 freight trucks to maneuver without driving over the curb.

• Modified landscape improvements to avoid damage.

The Village will need to undertake further detailed engineering and design analysis for this intersection.

Industrial Areas Plan

67

GRACE ST

Chicago

EASTERN BUSINESS DISTRICT

EG

RE

VIRGINIA ST

ROSE ST

EN

ST PODLIN DR

PARK ST

MARION ST

E MEMORIAL RD

EVERGREEN ST

E PINE AVE

COUNTY LINE RD

E JEFFERSON ST E CREST AVE RED OAK ST

SESAME DR

Local Commercial Regional Commercial Franklin

GEORGE ST

ELA PAM

DR

JOHN ST

Transportation County Boundary Bensenville Limits

DR

2 I

Metra Stations Metra Rail Lines Existing Roads

DOLORE S DR

DANIEL DR

DIANA CT

Industrial

O D DR

VID DA

DR BRENTWO

JAC

LYN Q UE

Park Flex Commercial/Industrial

! ! ! ! ! !

Proposed Roads Existing Parcels Shape Future EOWA

§ ¦ ¨ 294

Business District Intersection Improvement Rail Spurs Buildings Footprints

Northlake Water

0

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Elmhurst

Cook DuPage

Figure 6.5. Eastern Business District map

0.125

I

Miles 0.25

Figure 6.5. Eastern Business District map Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Implement streetscape improvements as per CEDS Study.

The CEDS Study recommends improvements to Green Street to improve its visual appeal and make it safer for all modes of transportation. Streetscape improvements for Green Street include: • Landscape improvements to block views of overhead utilities, railroad, airport, and future elevated highway.

• Street lighting and burying overhead utilities where possible.

• Entrance gateway signs and banners designating entry to downtown and identifying major destinations.

Figure 6.6. CEDS Streetscape Renderings.

Source: CEDS Study.

Above: Green Street Existing Section and Plan.

Below: Streetscape Plan and Recommended Improvements Source: CEDS Study.

Industrial Areas Plan

69

Chapter 7 TRANSPORTATION PLAN

The Village of Bensenville will provide its residents and businesses with safe and efficient transportation options to navigate the community and connect to regional transportation systems. Residents will have convenient access to local and regional shopping and recreational destinations while businesses will be able to transport freight regionally and nationally in a timely manner.

Key Findings • The EOWA initiative will reshape travel and freight movement patterns for businesses and residents alike.

• The Canadian Pacific Railroad overpass project and York Road/Irving Park intersection improvements will help alleviate traffic congestion.

• There are several roads that are in need of repairs ranging from resurfacing to reconstruction. Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds are being utilized for a number of these improvements.

• Major rights-of-way such as Irving Park Road, York Road, Grand Avenue, and County Line Road lack aesthetic appeal.

• Lack of sidewalk maintenance is one of the top concerns of community residents.

• Bensenville has no existing bike trails within its municipal boundaries.

The planned O’Hare Connector Trail is slated to go through downtown Bensenville and would connect to regional trails including the Des Plaines River Trail and Salt Creek Greenway Trail.

Freight Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Increase street connectivity.

Please refer to Chapter 2 Plan Overview and Chapter 6 Industrial Areas Plan for details.

Photo credit: Robby Gragg, Flickr.

Transportation Plan

71

N ELLIS ST

AV E AS H

TOWE R LN

SU P R

CHICAGO O'HARE INTL

§ ¦ ¨

E

390

Figure 7.1. Proposed streets connections map Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

S RD

FAIRWAY DR

N YORK RD

MEYER RD

THOMAS DR

Chicago

W JEFFERSON ST

EG

GRACE ST

MAY ST ROS E ST

S MASON ST

BARRON ST

S WALNUT ST

JUDSON ST

0.25

E JEFFERSON ST

E CREST AVE

S YORK RD

CQ

DR

DANIEL DR

LO RE S DAVID DR DR

YORK RD DO

BOBBY DR

ENTRY DR FERRARI DR

JAMES ST

Franklin Park

DIA NA CT

JOHN ST

JA

N LY UE

AD

R

GEORGE ST

EL

§ ¦ ¨ 294

W GRA ND AVE

Elmhurst

Elmhurst

Cook County

290

ST

RED OAK ST

PA M

§ ¦ ¨

RE EN

Union Pacific Railroad

Addison

I

Miles 0.5

Bensenville

MINER ST

83 U V

CHURCH RD

Addison

0

MARION ST

GROVE ST

S CENTER ST

S ADDISON ST

RD N CH URCH

D

R CH R S CHU

Rail Spurs

W ROOS EVELT AVE W MA IN S T

EEN S T

Proposed Roads Future EOWA

W WOOD AVE

2ND CT

! ! ! ! ! !

GATEWAY RD

N WALNUT ST

DR

MEDINAH ST

POPPY LN

GLENDALE ST

K

PINE LN

Existing Roads

W HILLSIDE DR

W GR

Wood Dale

Metra Stations

2 I

BEELINE DR

Metra Rail Lines

BROOKWOOD ST

19 U V

Unincorporated

EAG LE DR

W HA

Wood Dale

Bensenville Limits

MAPLE LN

MO

SPRUCE AVE

MARSHALL RD

FOSTER AVE

GOLF LN

Chicago

County Boundary

THO M A

IL-83

INDUSTRIAL DR

COUNTY LINE RD

LE A V

DuPage County

NDA

LARSON LN

THO R

EM E DR

EVERGREEN ST

Elk Grove Village

PARK ST

CENTRAL AVE

MARK ST

Union Pacific Railroad

Canadian Pacific Railroad

DR INDIAN HIL L

Northlake

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Roadways Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Incorporate the Pavement Management Program into the Village’s CIP. The Public Works Department recently completed a multi-year Pavement Management Program that establishes guidelines for street maintenance and repair. The program should be listed as a line item within the Village’s CIP. This will allow the Public Works Department to budget for improvements in a phased manner. While there will most likely be a funding gap between the pace at which improvements will be needed and can be made, the following are some strategies for mitigating street maintenance costs in order to help close the funding gap: • Within the industrial areas, the Public Works Department should work with the business owners to create cost sharing agreements for roads that are frequently utilized by trucks serving local businesses.

Work closely with the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference Transportation Committee.

For a number of recommended transportation actions outlined in this chapter, the Village should work closely with the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference (DMMC) Transportation Committee. The Transportation Committee is split into two groups, the Transportation Policy Committee and the Transportation Technical Committee. The Policy Committee oversees initiatives to improve mobility and reduce congestion in the County, as well as the implementation of the DuPage Area Transit Plan. The Technical Committee oversees distribution of STP funds. The level of interaction and coordination will vary by action, but it is important for the Village to be aware of, support, and if possible participate in initiatives undertaken by DMMC and vice versa. Coordination and involvement with DMMC is particularly crucial in cases where the success of recommended actions relies on intergovernmental cooperation.

• Improving pavement conditions adjacent to local schools will benefit the school districts as well. The Village should consider entering into a cost-sharing agreement with the school districts to maintain streets adjacent to schools.

• The Park District and Library District will benefit from the maintenance of streets adjacent to their facilities. The Village should approach both the entities and propose a cost-sharing agreement for maintenance of streets adjacent to local parks and library facility.

Transportation Plan

73

Long-Term (5-10 years) Recommendations Focus on access management to promote safety along major thoroughfares.

As discussed in the Commercial Areas Plan chapter, the GO TO 2040 plan supports access management as an effective program for improving the region’s thoroughfares. Access management will help Bensenville reduce arterial road conflict points along Irving Park Road and York Road, thus improving traffic flow and traffic safety. The challenge will be to achieve improved mobility on these roads while providing sufficient access to ensure prosperous businesses in planned commercial and mixed-use areas.

As discussed in the Commercial Areas Plan chapter, the Village should create an access management manual focusing on enhancements to Irving Park Road and York Road.

Monitor and support regional transportation projects.

The EOWA initiative will have several economic and transportation impacts at the regional level.

Transportation improvements that will directly benefit Bensenville include: • Western Bypass linking I-294 to I-90.

• Extension and redesign of Thorndale Avenue as a western access to O’Hare airport.

• System interchange at Thorndale Avenue and Western Bypass.

• Partial interchange at Irving Park Road and Western Bypass.

• Full interchange at IL-83 and redesigned western access.

• Direct access to O’Hare airport from York Road.

Additional improvements such as the construction of the Taft Avenue connector, full interchange at Franklin Avenue and Taft Avenue, partial interchange at Green Street and County Line Road, and new I-294 interchange at the southern end in Franklin Park will also benefit Bensenville businesses and residents.

The Village should continue to monitor the EOWA initiative’s progress and participate through DMMC’s Transportation Committees.

74

Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Arlington Heights McHenry

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§ ¦ ¨

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Figure 7.2. EOWA Initiative project map

Berkeley

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

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Bensenville Limits County Boundary

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0.5

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WESTERN TERMINAL AREA WIDEN AND ADD LANE Bellwood SYSTEM INTERCHANGE FULL INTERCHANGE PARTIAL INTERCHANGE Hillside ELGIN O-HARE EXTENSION AND WESTERN ACCESS 88 § ¦ ¨ Source: ChicagoMetropolitan Metropolitan Agency Agency for for Planning, Source: Chicago Planning, 2014.

2014.

Transit Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Implement transit recommendations in TOD Study.

The RTA-funded TOD Study, completed in 2011, focused on transit improvements in Bensenville. There are three forms of public transit serving the Village: Metra commuter rail service, Pace bus service, and Dial-A-Ride services provided by the Village. Dial-ARide and subsidized taxi services are also available and provided through private operators.

The Village should prioritize the following Dial-ARide recommendations for implementation in the near-term: • Enhance the existing Dial-A-Ride service by extending evening hours, operating on Saturday, and serving a few select locations outside the Village.

• Make timed connections at the Metra Bensenville station from the Dial-A-Ride service.

• Improve awareness of the Dial-A-Ride program and examine fare policy.

From a regional services perspective, the Village should work closely with Pace to implement the following service changes: • Increase mid-day service for Pace Route 332 to an hourly service. This will allow residents greater access to downtown Elmhurst, Elmhurst hospital, Rosemont CTA station, and Oakbrook Shopping Center.

• Create a new Irving Park Road Regional Bus Route linking the CTA Rosemont station to the Walmart in Addison with timed connections to the Dial-a-Ride or Pace Bus 332 at the Bensenville Metra station.

These recommendations are consistent with Pace’s Vision 2020 Plan and the 2002 DuPage Transit Plan.

The TOD Study should be referred to for further details on each of the above recommendations.

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Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Identify preferred locations for bus shelters/stops.

In 2013, Pace embarked on a three-year study to evaluate the location of bus stops throughout its existing network. The study is intended to improve the movement efficiency of buses by identifying the specific location of bus stops for all existing routes.

The Village should work with Pace to proactively undertake an assessment in order to identify preferred bus stop locations along Irving Park Road, York Road, Grand Avenue, Foster Avenue, and Devon Avenue, as these future bus stops will serve the greatest number of residents and businesses along the corridors. The future land use map should be utilized as a base for this assessment as it demarcates areas for higher intensity development and therefore high transit need in the future. The results of this assessment should be coordinated with Pace so that the agency can take them into consideration in their system-wide planning effort.

Long-Term (5-10 years) Recommendations Monitor and support EOWA initiative related transit improvements and other regional initiatives.

The public transportation network will also be significantly impacted by the EOWA initiative. Transit options for the future Western Terminal are still in the planning stage. There are three major options being considered as part of the Western Terminal, detailed in the TOD Study: • A dedicated 70-foot wide median reserved within the new highway’s right-of-way to accommodate some transit mode in the future.

• A multi-purpose Western Transportation Center located west of the airport with off-site parking, rental car operations, People Mover, CTA Blue Line, or Pace Bus routes. It may be located adjacent to the proposed extension of Elgin-O’Hare expressway, west of York Road.

Other regional transit initiatives that will impact public transit services in Bensenville include: • ‘J’ Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service through Pace, connecting Naperville, Oak Brook, O’Hare, and Schaumburg. In Bensenville, the ‘J’ Line is proposed to operate via IL 83 to Thorndale Road and then east to O’Hare.

• New Pace services to serve the Western Transportation Center with modifications to existing routes serving Bensenville, including Route 332 and Route 757.

The Village should continue to participate in informational meetings and discussions related to these projects to ensure that Bensenville’s interests are preserved throughout the planning and implementation phases.

• A rail station in the Western Terminal served by the CTA Blue Line, CTA Airport Express, or Metra.

Transportation Plan

77

G IN S RD

90 § ¦ ¨

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RD

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284

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715

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319

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318

N GRACE ST

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Proposed Irving Park Road Regional Bus Route Pace Bus Routes CTA Rail Blue Line Miles 5

I

301

88 § ¦ ¨

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Bellwood

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S FINLEY RD

E MADISON ST

Villa Park

S VILLA AVE

N MAIN ST

S MAIN ST

2 I

674 Unincorporated

309

2 I

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W ST CHARLES RD

Source: Chicago Metropolitan LombardAgency for Planning, 2014.

Bensenville Limits

Elmhurst

N MANNHEIM RD

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317

776

Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Inventory sidewalk and curb repairs and incorporate into Pavement Management Program.

Either as a separate program or as part of the Pavement Management Program, the Village should inventory unsafe sidewalks and curbs within local rights-of-way. The initiative would provide Bensenville residents with an online, phone-based, or in person portal to enter requests for sidewalk and curb repair.

Requests would then be evaluated by the Public Works Department and fixed accordingly.

The purpose of the Sidewalk and Curb Replacement program is to address areas of concern that need immediate attention, not improvements to entire blocks or large sections of a street. The program would address requests based on need, but funds available for this program through the CIP will also factor into the Public Works Department’s response time.

Create a Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan.

The existing conditions analysis identified the need to develop a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths in the community. In order to initiate this, the Village should consider undertaking an Active Transportation Plan that will help identify improvements to the physical infrastructure, policies, and programs that make it safer and more convenient for people to walk and bike in Bensenville. The Northeastern Illinois Regional Greenways and Trails Plan and local bikeway network created by the DuPage County Regional Planning Commission should be used as a foundation for creation of the local bicycle network.

Transportation Plan

CMAP created the Northeastern Illinois Regional Greenways and Trails Plan in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and IDOT. The Plan describes conceptual alignments along with existing greenways and trails. The Plan serves as a basis for planning and programming funding for greenways and trails, and as a guide for making connections between communities and other greenways and trails. In DuPage County, approximately 207 miles of the total 278 miles of trails have been completed as of 2013. Bensenville has seen the completion of the Salk Creek Greenway and Des Plaines River Trail on either side of the community. The proposed east-west O’Hare Connector trail running through downtown Bensenville and connecting the community to both of these regional trails and greenway systems is yet to be completed.

The Plan and County bikeway network recommend the following rights-of-way for future bike paths, trails, or lanes: • Jefferson Street from Church Road to Evergreen Street.

• George Street from York Road to John Street.

• John Street from George Street to Belmont Avenue and looping back to George Street.

• Dolores Street from Grand Avenue to Diana Court.

• Mason Street from Jefferson Street to Grove Avenue.

• Grove Avenue from Mason Street to Church Road.

• Addison Street from Wood Street to Roosevelt Avenue.

79

ELMHURST RD

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Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

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RD

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Source: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, 2014.

Long-Term (5-10 years) Recommendations Regional trails such as the O’Hare Connector trail are eligible for a variety of funding sources, including the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), STP, and CMAQ. While TAP will be the preferred mechanism to fund trail projects, the Village should initiate discussions with CMAP to understand the process and criteria for applying for CMAQ and TAP funding. Partnering with neighboring communities such as Wood Dale and Rosemont to submit a joint application should also be considered, given the multijurisdictional nature of the project.

In addition to the Regional Greenways and Trail Plan and the County network, the Village should refer to the recommendations in the CEDS and TOD studies in the creation of the Active Transportation Plan.

The Active Transportation Plan should include the following key components: • Sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, bicycle routes and crossings, wayfinding signage, and infrastructure improvements.

• Potential policies, ordinances and/or programs that the Village should consider adopting. Examples include a Complete Streets Policy, Safe Park Zones Ordinance, Distracted Driver Ordinance, and Traffic Calming Policy.

• Programs for education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation.

• Timeline for implementation of each of the recommendations.

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Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Improve bicycle and pedestrian amenities on existing roadways as per CEDS and TOD Studies.

As discussed in the Commercial Areas Plan and Industrial Areas Plan chapters, the CEDS and TOD studies identify streetscape improvements for various industrial and commercial areas. For pedestrian and bicycle improvements along state routes such as IL 19 and County roads such as Grand Avenue, York Road, County Line Road, and Devon Avenue, the Village should collaborate with corridor communities and reach out to DMMC to seek support for detailed studies. For example, for the Irving Park Road corridor, the Village should collaborate with Norridge, Schiller Park, Wood Dale and Itasca. Similar studies have been carried out through the Southwest Mayors and Managers Conference for the Cicero Avenue Corridor and Harlem Avenue corridor. (http://www. harlemcorridor.com/).

Chapter 8 NATURAL AREAS PLAN

The Village of Bensenville will lead a multijurisdictional effort to enhance the community’s quality of life by developing an extensive network of parks in the community and enhancing access to regional open spaces and recreational amenities.

Key Findings • Bensenville is part of three watersheds. Flooding is a major concern for residents and businesses alike.

• Several projects are underway or have been completed to address flooding.

However, more needs to be done to eliminate flooding.

• Stormwater management is not effectively addressed at the sub-regional or watershed level, with limited coordination among neighboring communities and DuPage County.

• The CEDS Study evaluated existing drainage and flooding issues within the Silver Creek and Addison Creek watersheds.

• There is a need for greater coordination between the Park District, School District, and Village to share recreational amenities.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

Natural Areas Plan

85

Stormwater Management Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Continue to implement DuPage County Stormwater and Flood Plain Ordinance.

The Village should continue to enforce County regulations for existing and future developments.

Specific attention should be paid to the industrial areas along Willow Creek and commercial development within the Irving Park Corridor.

Maintenance of existing detention and retention facilities is also critical. The Village’s Public Works Department should continue to monitor these facilities with an inspection program that ensures each detention and retention pond can accommodate the required run-off volumes.

Implement short- and mid-term priority projects.

The CEDS Study identifies existing drainage and flooding issues within the Silver Creek and Addison Creek watersheds. Hydrology and hydraulic models of the drainage system were developed to support the evaluation of alternatives. Key short and mid-term projects identified are: • Sewer replacement in the 200 South block of Center Street. (Short-Term) • New sewers at Wood Street and Addison Street.

(Short-Term) • New sewers and detention basins at Fenton High School. (Short-Term) • New sewers and detention basin in the IL 83 and Irving Park area. (Short-Term) • Sewer replacement at Entry Drive and Bernice Drive.

(Mid-Term) • Sewer replacement at Grove Avenue and Wood Street. (Mid-Term) The Village should identify these projects as priorities within its CIP. The Village should also continue to work with engineering consultants to undertake Hydrology and Hydraulic (H&H) studies, site plan reviews, and stormwater management solutions. Undertaking H&H studies for specific sites or areas of the community would help the Village better understand the movement and storage of stormwater. This in turn would help the Public Works Department prioritize projects for implementation based on funds available and need.

H&H analysis is currently underway for the Redmond Reservoir, as is a study to bring 10 non-compliant sites into compliance with the DuPage County Stormwater and Floodplain Management Ordinance, both with assistance from engineering consultants.

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Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Launch outreach and education program.

In addition to enforcing regulations and upgrading stormwater infrastructure, the Village should create a comprehensive outreach and education program to educate elected officials, appointed officials, and the general public on various facets of stormwater management. The Village’s Public Works Department, with assistance from the Community and Economic Development Department, should develop a series of outreach and education materials that include presentations and distribution materials. Examples of outreach and education activities include: • Information for residents on Village website regarding simple techniques to reduce runoff and water loss.

• Simple tips to prevent water loss printed on residential water bills.

• Posters with information about stormwater runoff and preventive measures posted at Village Hall and Park District facilities.

• Presentations by Public Works officials at Village events.

• Presentations by Public Works officials or external agency to elected officials and Commissions on stormwater management, County ordinance, best practices, case studies, etc.

• Presentations by Village officials in local schools.

This suggested list should be modified or expanded by the Village, as per department capacity and outside resources available. Outreach, however, should be initiated with immediate effect in some form, and expanded over time.

Photo credit: iStockphoto.com.

Natural Areas Plan

87

Long-Term (5-10 years) Recommendations Continue to upgrade infrastructure as per Community Investment Plan.

The 2013 Community Investment Plan identifies a number of reconstruction projects in the industrial and residential areas related to water system improvements, sanitary sewer improvements, and storm sewer improvements. The goal of the storm sewer improvements is to improve stormwater conveyance through the business districts, eliminate properties from the Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain, and add curb and gutter in road reconstruction projects.

The Village should continue to work closely with the DMMC to acquire funding to upgrade stormwater infrastructure while incorporating innovative best management practices, wherever possible.

Participate in Municipal Partnering Initiative of DuPage County.

The Village of Glenview initiated the creation of the Northern Illinois Municipal Partnering Initiative, a shared services agreement between 21 communities in Cook and Lake County. This innovative cost-saving measure currently allows participating communities to negotiate pricing for services by issuing joint contracts. Contracts may vary from painting fire hydrants to infrastructure improvements.

A number of Public Works Departments are considering a similar collaborative in DuPage County, and Bensenville should initiate these discussions internally, as well as participate in discussions with other interested communities. A collaborative would allow the Village to negotiate pricing for several key infrastructure projects, including those related to storm-sewer and water main upgrades. As a first step, the Village’s Public Works Department should review upcoming new contracts and contract renewals to see if other communities are willing to partner on these initiatives and negotiate joint contracts.

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Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Preserve open space and introduce innovative design elements.

Parks and open spaces can play a role in stormwater management as well, and the Village and Park District should consider working together to capture these benefits. Merely by preserving the existing parks such that they retain their permeable surfaces, the Village can significantly reduce stormwater management costs by capturing precipitation and/or slowing its runoff.

The Village and Park District should ensure that any construction of facilities or amenities in public parks does not cause an increase in the amount of run-off by creating more impervious surfaces.

Innovative design elements could be introduced in parks to assist with stormwater management such as native plantings, community gardening beds, planting beds, and drainage swales. Similar efforts could potentially be pursued with the schools, where they can also serve a valuable educational purpose.

Installations for stormwater management can be used by school teachers as outdoor classrooms to aid in teaching lessons about the natural environment. Stormwater management features can be used to demonstrate to high school students how civil engineering and landscape architecture shape the built environment and mitigate the effects of urban development.

Enhancing/Expanding Open Space Near-Term (1-5 years) Recommendations Implement Park District’s Strategic Plan.

The Bensenville Park District adopted a Vision 2015 Strategic Plan that outlines specific recommendations to improve the District’s operations, programming, administration, and communication. Specific recommendations that should be prioritized for implementation in the Near-Term include: • Support implementation of the Varble Spray Park improvement project.

• Consider acquisition of relevant park property north of Irving Park Road, west of York Road, and east of IL 83.

Create Intergovernmental Agreements.

The Park District should consider entering into a formal sharing agreement with Bensenville School District 2, Fenton Community High School District 100, Bensenville Community Public Library District, and the Village to maximize access to existing open space as well as provide a variety of recreational amenities to its residents. Agreements should also be explored with neighboring communities as a way to allow residents access to additional amenities and bring in visitors. Potential communities to share services with include neighboring Elmhurst and Wood Dale. These partnerships would allow the Bensenville Park District to:

• Support Fischer Farm as an enterprise fund project for development as a site of historical and ecological significance.

• Better maintain parks and recreational facilities due to improved operational efficiency.

• Support the development of an intergovernmental pedestrian/bicycle transportation plan that includes local communities within the Park District.

• Share usage of open space and associated buildings.

• Support the development of the Wood Dale Road/Klein Parcel park site per Land and Water Conservation Funds requirements.

• Support the addition of technologically advanced signage in key locations in the District for public information dissemination.

• Support the improvement of website, Internet and mobile applications for communication with customers using parks and recreation programs, facilities and services, and with residents of the Park District in general.

• Share the cost of personnel.

• Explore the joint development of facilities or joint contracts for services.

• Collaborate on grant applications.

• Expand stormwater management capacity.

Examples of intergovernmental agreements include the one between the Park District and Village for the former Mohawk School site, and the one between the School District 2 and the Village at the Tioga School site.

Longer term and administrative actions identified in the Strategic Plan should be discussed internally within the Park District and prioritized on the basis of need and funding available.

Natural Areas Plan

89

Launch a community gardening program.

There are many benefits to developing community gardens in Bensenville, including enhanced neighborhood character and sense of community, increased access to locally grown produce, and decreased Park District and Village costs associated with maintenance. The Bensenville Park District and Village should create a community gardening program to facilitate garden development in appropriate locations, such as within open space areas and available portions of schoolyards. Moving forward, the Village should also ensure that its development regulations permit community gardens within most or all zoning districts. Maintenance of gardens would be the responsibility of the entity that owns the property.

There are many different ways to organize community gardening programs. Some communities offer garden space at no cost to residents in return for maintenance and upkeep. Another approach is to establish a lease program whereby a not-for-profit organization, or group of individuals with a notfor-profit sponsor, creates gardens for a low fee.

The Village and Park District should pursue grant opportunities to build community gardens as they arise, preferably as a joint effort.

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Bensenville Comprehensive Plan

Long-Term (5-10 years) Recommendations Continue to build additional recreational amenities.

The Park District should continue to apply for grants such as KaBOOM!, Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grants, and Park and Recreation Facility Construction grant (PARC) that will allow it to build additional open spaces as well as new facilities within existing parks. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit dedicated to developing the nation’s recreational infrastructure for children. The OSLAD and PARC grants are offered through the IDNR and provide funds to acquire and develop land for parks and open space purposes as well as construct recreational facilities.

Photo credit: Bensenville Village Staff.

List of Acronyms ACS

American Community Survey

GIS

Geographic Information Systems

BMP

Best Management Practice

H&H

Hydrology and Hydraulic

BRT

Bus Rapid Transit

CDBG

Community Development Block Grant

HUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

CDC

Community Development Commission

CED

Community and Economic Development

CEDC Community and Economic Development Committee

IDNR

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

IDOT

Illinois Department of Transportation

LTA

Local Technical Assistance

OSLAD Open Space Land Acquisition and Development

CEDS Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

OMP

O’Hare Modernization Program

CIP

Community Investment Plan

PARC

Park and Recreation Facility Construction

CMAP

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

PUD

Planned Unit Development

RTA

Regional Transportation Authority

SSA

Special Service Area

STP

Surface Transportation Program

TAP

Transportation Alternatives Program

TIF

Tax Increment Finance

TOD

Transit-Oriented Development

CMAQ Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program DMMC DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference EOWA Elgin O’Hare Western Access EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

FHWA Federal Highway Administration FTA

Federal Transit Administration

GCAMP Golden Corridor Advanced Manufacturing Partnership

CMAP is the region’s official comprehensive planning organization. Its GO TO 2040 planning campaign is helping the region’s seven counties and 284 communities to implement strategies that address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality of life issues.

See www.cmap.illinois.gov for more information.

233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60606 312-454-0400 info@cmap.illinois.gov www.cmap.illinois.gov

FY15-0063