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McLean CountyRegional Planning Commission

City of LexingCity of LexingtontonComprehensive Plan

Commissioners

Don Fernandes, ChairmanCity of Bloomington

Scott Lay, Vice ChairmanUnit School District #5

Sharon A. Mcginnis, Past ChairTown of Normal

Bernard AndersonCity of Bloomington

William J. BartleyTown of Normal

Christine BrauerCounty of McLean

Jane EngblomCounty of McLean

John HansonSchool District #87

Mark KlingerWater Reclamation District

Jeff KowalczykAirport Authority

Shane RutherfordCounty of McLean

Executive Committee

Don Fernandes, ChairmanCity of Bloomington

Scott Lay, Vice ChairmanUnit School District #5

Tom HamiltonCity Manager, City of Bloomington

Mark PetersonCity Manager, Town of Normal

John ZeunikCounty Administrator, County of McLean

Paul Russell, AICPExecutive Director

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City of LexingtonComprehensive Plan

Prepared By

McLean County Regional Planning Commission115 East Washington Street #M103

Bloomington, Illinois 61701

(309) 828-4331

In Cooperation With the City of Lexington

January, 2005

CITY OF LEXINGTONCOUNCIL AND OFFICIALS

Frank Feigl, MayorRick Althouse, Alderman

Keith Armstrong, AldermanRobert Brown, AldermanChuck Cole, AldermanJohn Mohr, Alderman

Don Revelle, Alderman

Andrea Neumann, City ClerkNelda Park, Treasurer

Wallace McCord, ZoningMargaret Quinley, City Collector

iii

Lexington's amenitiesand high quality of life haveresulted in moderate butsteady growth in recentdecades, despite the lack of acentral sewer system. Thecurrent effort by the City todevelop a central sewer sys-tem is expected to create aperiod of unprecedentedgrowth and development, assignificantly more people willbe able to take advantage ofthe community's rural lifestyle while convenientlyaccessing the employment,education, shopping andentertainment centers ofBloomington-Normal bymeans of Interstate 55. Inrecognition of this potentialgrowth and the need to effec-tively manage that growth,City officials initiated theplanning process that led tothe development of this com-prehensive plan.

The comprehensiveplan is intended to serve asan advisory guide to aid deci-sion making in matters per-taining to community devel-opment, so that growth isaccommodated in a mannerthat contributes to the localquality of life. The planexamines past and presenttrends in growth and develop-ment and provides a longrange vision for the future ofthe City and immediate vicin-ity. The plan was developedon the basis of field surveys,personal interviews, andanalysis of land use, Census,and other data. It summarizes

research results, presentsgoals and objectives, illus-trates recommendations forfuture development, and iden-tifies methods, responsibili-ties and policies for achievingthe vision.

The components ofthe plan include: natural envi-ronment, community history,economy, population, hous-ing, land use, transportation,community facilities andimplementation. The basicprovisions for each compo-nent are summarized on thefollowing pages.

NNAATTUURRAALLEENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT

This componentaddresses climate, topogra-phy, soils, flood plains andwetlands. The humid conti-nental climate offers four dis-tinct seasons and is ideallysuited to agricultural produc-tion. The topography is forthe most part nearly level togently sloping and offers fewconstraints for development.Steeper slopes are locatedadjacent to the MackinawRiver and Turkey Creekflood plains. These areasoffer great potential as scenicgreenways and will be pre-served as such for the benefitof present and future genera-tions. Wetlands are limited tocertain flood plains andponds, and otherwise pose nolimitations on development.Soils are highly productive

for agricultural purposes andrequire no more than typicalprecautions required for mosturban uses on central Illinoissoils.

CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY HHIISSTTOORRYY

Lexington has a richhistory that contributes to adistinctive community identityand sense of place. The planidentifies policies designed topreserve and enhance this his-torical identity for the benefitof residents and visitors tothe community.

EECCOONNOOMMYY

The economic futureof Lexington appears bright.The local economy includes anumber of smaller, locallyowned businesses that providelocal tax revenues andemployment opportunities.The community's low unem-ployment rate, combined withthe high proportion of thepopulation employed in fieldsother than agriculture, sug-gests a significant number ofresidents commute to work inBloomington-Normal as wellas Pontiac. The strong econo-my of Bloomington-Normal,in addition to the localemployment base, high quali-ty of life and proximity toInterstate 55, are reasons foroptimism regarding the City'seconomic future.

v

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PPOOPPUULLAATTIIOONN

The City's moderatebut sustained growth since1960, despite the lack of acentral sewer system, can beattributed to the community'samenities and small town lifestyle in proximity to theemployment and businesscenters of the Bloomington-Normal urban area, accessi-ble by a short commute onInterstate 55. The anticipateddevelopment of a centralsewer system has resulted ina 2025 population projectionof 2,900, which represents anincrease of over fifty percentabove the 2000 population of1,912 (see Exhibit A).

HHOOUUSSIINNGG

Lexington's projectedpopulation growth is expectedto generate a demand for over420 new housing units by theend of the 2025 planningperiod. All but about sixty of

these are expected to beowner units. The City isplanning to ensure new hous-ing is situated in well-designed neighborhoods thatoffer the amenities, likepedestrian accessibility toparks and schools, that makethe community attractive,while at the same time, main-taining the community's rela-tive affordability.

LLAANNDD UUSSEE

The land use planidentifies contiguous areas ofthe community for futuredevelopment of greenways,residential, commercial and

industrial uses, and publicfacilities (see Figure 1). Theplan is based on an analysisof existing land use, a projec-tion of future land userequirements, and a consider-ation of accepted design prin-ciples and stated goals and

objectives.The plan provides for

the preservation of theMackinaw River and TurkeyCreek flood plains and anumber of other smallerdrainageways as greenways toform ecological and recre-ational linkages throughoutmuch of the community. Italso provides for significantlow to medium density resi-dential development on thesouthern edge of the commu-nity and to the southwest. Anarea of higher density resi-dential development is desig-nated on the north centraledge of the City.

The downtown area isdesignated as a mixed usetown center suitable forretail, office, public, and avariety of residential uses,including apartments abovebusinesses.

Major areas of com-mercial and industrial devel-opment are designated in thevicinity of the Interstate 55interchange, as well as to thesouthwest of the downtown.

Additional land hasbeen designated as residentialreserve in order to providedirection for long-rangegrowth that exceeds the fore-casts presented in this plan.In general, reserve areasshould not be developed priorto designated growth areasdue to inefficiencies thatwould likely result.

TTRRAANNSSPPOORRTTAATTIIOONN

The transportation

vi

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 20251,000

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Exhibit APopulation Projections 1960-22025

City of Lexington

Source: U. S. Census; McLean County Regional Planning Commission

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component addresses majorstreets and pedestrian/bicycletransportation. A major focusof the plan for major streetsis on preserving the existingstreet network and on provid-ing direction for the extensionof streets that will be neededto maintain continuity andeffectively serve future areasof development. The mostsignificant street addition isthe loop around the southernedge of the City created bythe proposed southern exten-sion of Lee and VermilionStreets and a connecting linkbetween them. Other impor-tant street additions providedfor in the plan include thewesterly extension of TimberRidge Road and the south andwesterly extension of EastStreet on the south side of P.J. Keller Highway. Bothextensions are in the paths ofplanned growth, and bothoffer potential for futureextensions as long rangegrowth to the southeast of theInterstate 55 interchange war-rants.

The trails plan pro-vides for the on-going devel-opment of the Historic Route66 Bikeway through the City,and for the development of aloop from Route 66 along"Memory Lane," and anotherloop from the MemoryLane/Route 66 connection viathe proposed Turkey Creekand Mackinaw RiverGreenways (see Figure 1).The paved bike trail will con-nect Memory Lane toDameron Road. The biketrail initiative is being madepossible through a jurisdic-

tional transfer of a four-milestretch of the south-boundlane of Old Route 66 fromthe Illinois Department ofTransportation (IDOT) to theCity. Approximately 2.2miles of this section havealready been paved for use asa bicycle and pedestrian trail.This effort by the City is con-sistent with the McLeanCounty Regional GreenwaysPlan and the intergovernmen-tal agreement currently inplace to develop the proposedHistoric Route 66 Bikeway inMcLean County. The trailloops will provide an inter-connected system that takesadvantage of the proposedgreenways and the HistoricRoute 66 Bikeway. Thisresults in exciting recreationalopportunities for both resi-dents and potential tourists.

The transportationplan also recommends thatthe City encourage the provi-sion of sidewalks in develop-ing areas to enhance pedestri-an accessibility and help pre-serve the high quality of life.

CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY FFAACCIILLIITTIIEESS

Community facilitiesaddressed in the plan includepublic buildings, schools,parks and recreational facili-ties, and public water andsewer service.

The public buildingscomponent provides for theconstruction of a new fire sta-tion several blocks to thewest of the existing station inorder to better serve bothexisting and expected future

areas of development.The parks and recre-

ation component also identi-fies the potential need for anadditional park and identifiesa potential park site thatcould be developed.

The water and sewerservice component summa-rizes the findings of previousengineering studies conductedby the City's consulting engi-neer, the Farnsworth Group,and notes the likely need fora new water treatment plantto be located near the south-eastern city limits near anexisting City-owned well (seeFigure 1). It also notes thatconsideration will be given toparticipating in a regionalwater system if and whensuch a system is developedand becomes available to theCity. And finally, it summa-rizes the City's plans fordeveloping a sewage collec-tion system and a treatmentplant to be located to thenortheast of the present citylimits (see Figure 1).

IIMMPPLLEEMMEENNTTAATTIIOONN

The implementationcomponent summarizes themethods and responsibilitiesavailable, and outlines specif-ic policies for carrying outthe plan. Some of the morecommon and effective legalmethods noted are up-to-datezoning and subdivision regu-lations and the official map.Financial methods includecapital improvements pro-gramming, tax incrementfinancing, and federal and

ix

state aid programs. The planconcludes with an identifica-tion of specific policiesdesigned to guide decisionsrelative to each element ofthe plan and its administra-tion.

x

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page iCity of Lexington Council and Officials iiiExecutive Summary vTable of Contents xiIndex to Illustrations xiii

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1Purpose of the Plan 1Scope of the Plan 2Method of Approach 2Limitations of the Plan 2

Chapter 2. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 5Climate 5Topography 5Soils 6Floodplains 6Wetlands 8

Chapter 3. COMMUNITY HISTORY 11Beginnings 11The Early 1800’s 11The Mid to Late 1800’s 12The Twentieth Century 13

Chapter 4. ECONOMY 15Economic History 15Existing Characteristics 15Future Economy 17

Chapter 5. POPULATION 19Historical Population Growth 19Existing Population Characteristics 20Future Population Growth 23

Chapter 6. HOUSING 27Existing Characteristics 27Future Housing Demand 30

xi

Chapter 7. LAND USE 31Design Principles 31Existing Land Use 32Future Land Use 34

Chapter 8. TRANSPORTATION 43Streets and Highways 43Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation 49

Chapter 9. COMMUNITY FACILITIES 51Design Principles 51Public Buildings 51Schools 55Parks and Recreational Facilities 56Water and Sewer Systems 57

Chapter 10. IMPLEMENTATION 59Methods of Implementation 59Responsibility for Implementation 64Policies for Implementation 64

xii

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS

Maps

Figure 1 Community Development Plan viiFigure 2 Regional Context 3Figure 3 Physical Features 9Figure 4 Existing Land Use 35Figure 5 Land Use Plan 39Figure 6 Existing Transportation System 45Figure 7 Transportation Plan 47Figure 8 Community Facilities Plan 53Figure 9 Official Map 61Figure 10 Tax Increment Financing District 65

Graphs

Exhibit 5-A Population Change, 1900-2000 20Exhibit 5-B Population Projections, 1950-2050 24

Tables

Table 2.1 Selected Lexington Soil Properties 7Table 4.1 Lexington Area Employment by Industry 16Table 4.2 Area Employment and Income Level Comparisons 16Table 5.1 Population 1860-2000 19Table 5.2 Percentage Age Distribution and Comparison 21Table 5.3 Lexington Population Distribution by Sex 21Table 5.4 Size of Household by Tenure 22Table 5.5 Comparison of Median Household Incomes 22Table 5.6 Percentage of Population Attaining Specified Level of Education 23Table 5.7 McLean County Area Population Projections 24Table 6.1 Gross Rent & Percentage of Income 28Table 6.2 Residential Construction 28Table 6.3 Mortgage Status & Selected Monthly Owner Costs; Mortgage Status as

Percentage of Household Income 29Table 6.4 Value of Owner-Occupied Housing 30Table 6.5 Projected Housing Demand, 2000-2025 30Table 7.1 Summary of Existing Land Use Data 33Table 7.2 Projected Change in Land Use Composition: 2004-2025 38Table 8.1 Existing Major Streets and Truck Routes 44Table 10.1 Suggested Comprehensive Plan Implementation Methods 60

xiii

Photographs

Exhibit 1-A Downtown Lexington 1Exhibit 2-A Northwest Lexington terrain 5Exhibit 2-B Turkey Creek 8Exhibit 3-A Reconstruction of John Patton cabin 11Exhibit 3-B Residence constructed in 1901 by Van Dolah 13Exhibit 4-A Anvil Brand Shoes 15Exhibit 6-A A well-maintained older home in Lexington 27Exhibit 6-B An example of newer construction 28Exhibit 7-A Prairie Central Co-op Elevator 37Exhibit 8-A Route 66 Walkway/Bike Path 43Exhibit 9-A Lexington Community Building 51

xiv

The City ofLexington is located alongInterstate 55 approximatelyseventeen miles northeast ofBloomington-Normal (seeFigure 1). The area was firstsettled by Kickapoo andDelaware Native Americantribes, followed by the firstEuropean settlers who arrivedin the 1820's on their wayWest. From those humblebeginnings, Lexingtonbecame a service center forthe surrounding agriculturalarea, and has transformeditself into an attractive bed-room community due to itshigh quality of life and prox-imity to the growingBloomington-Normal metro-politan area. Although theCity has experienced moder-ate to steady growth in recentdecades, additional growth,particularly commercialgrowth, has been somewhatlimited over the years by lackof a central sewer system.

However, preliminarystudies have already beencompleted and planning isunderway to implement a citysewer system which will posi-tion the City for futuregrowth. A central sewer sys-tem will allow growth in thecoming years by enabling theCity to take full advantage ofits small town appeal, com-petitive-priced housing, andproximity to Interstate 55.

The City already boastsamenities such as schools,recreation facilities and acommunity center. Theseamenities serve to attract andretain residential and com-mercial development andassociated population levels.Lexington's establishedassets, combined with thegrowing cost of living inBloomington-Normal, posi-

tion the City well for futuregrowth.

In order to meet thedemands of future growth, aplan is needed to serve as aguide for the City in makingdecisions pertaining to futureland use and infrastructuredevelopment. A comprehen-sive plan provides a decision-making framework to helpensure coordinated growthand development that will

help protect and enhance theCity's quality of life.

PPUURRPPOOSSEE OOFF TTHHEE PPLLAANN

This comprehensiveplan is intended to serve asan advisory guide for publicand private actions regardingthe future development ofLexington. The plan is

designed to be periodicallyreviewed and updated and isintended to be flexible, sothat future development pro-posals can be evaluated incontext with the intent of theplan as opposed to the strictletter of the plan.

The comprehensiveplan is also intended toexpress community-basedaspirations for long-rangedevelopment. The compre-

City of Lexington Comprehensive Plan 11

C H A P T E R

11Introduction

Exhibit 1-A. Downtown Lexington

hensive plan examines pastand present trends in growthand development and pro-vides a “vision” for thefuture.

SSCCOOPPEE OOFF TTHHEE PPLLAANN

Lexington and areascontiguous for a distance ofone and one-half miles, with-in which the City has plan-ning jurisdiction, wereincluded in the study area forthis plan (see Figure 2). Thecomprehensive plan addressesissues related to the potentialgrowth of the City throughthe year 2025. The compo-nents of the plan include: nat-ural environment, communityhistory, population, economy,housing, land use, transporta-tion, community facilities andimplementation.Recommendations are madefor future use of land, streets,public buildings, recreationfacilities, and water andwaste water systems. Theplan also addresses imple-mentation with recommenda-tions for specific actions thatwill be needed to carry outthe plan.

MMEETTHHOODD OOFF AAPPPPRROOAACCHH

Field surveys, per-sonal interviews and existingland use and census data wereused to analyze existing con-ditions, project future needsand formulate plans for thefuture of the community.Community problems,resources, needs and poten-

tials were identified andaddressed through thisprocess, which also outlinedactions necessary to imple-ment the plan. This processincluded City officials andtheir representatives in thereview, modification andrefinement of specific ele-ments of the plan.

LLIIMMIITTAATTIIOONNSS OOFF TTHHEEPPLLAANN

A community com-prehensive plan is not an endresult. The comprehensiveplan represents a series ofintermediate steps in the plan-ning process. It summarizesresearch and presents com-munity goals and objectivesand recommends actionsneeded to carry out the plan.To effectively complete theprocess, the City should carryout the needed actions andcontinually review and refinethe plan and the process.

The plan is concernedwith development issues rele-vant to the City of Lexingtonbut cannot and does notattempt, to thoroughly ana-lyze all community issues. Itsummarizes research results,presents community goals andobjectives, makes recommen-dations regarding futuredevelopment and suggestsactions which can be taken tocarry out the plan.

22 City of Lexington Comprehensive Plan

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The natural environ-ment provides the physicalbasis for community plan-ning. Information on climate,soils, terrain and drainagecharacteristics is essential foridentifying land developmentpotential. It can determineprospects and limitations forresidential and commercialconstruction and infrastruc-ture development and mainte-nance. Consideration of suchinformation can minimizefuture development problemsand therefore is of greatimportance when planning thecourse of future development.

This chapter presentsan assessment of the physicalcharacteristics and limitationsof the natural environment inthe Lexington area. Itaddresses the local climate,topographic and soil condi-tions, floodplains and wet-lands. This information pro-vides a basis for determiningfuture planning and landdevelopment strategies.

CCLLIIMMAATTEE

Due to itsMidwestern location, the Cityof Lexington experiences aseasonal climate classified asHumid Continental. The cli-mate is characterized by hotand humid summers and coldwinters. The average temper-ature for July is approximate-

ly seventy-three degreesFahrenheit, although tempera-tures well into the ninetiesare not uncommon. The aver-age temperature for Januaryis twenty-six degrees, withtemperatures occasionallydropping below zero.

The length of thegrowing season varies some-what from year to year butaverages 172 days. The sea-

son starts with the last frostin mid-May and ends with thefirst freeze in mid to lateOctober.

Despite occasionaldry spells, Lexington receivessufficient precipitationthroughout the year. In win-ter, cold dry air from Canadaforces its way south where itmixes with moisture-laden airfrom the Gulf of Mexico.Snowfall per year averages

twenty-five inches.In warmer months,

warm moist air from the gulfmoves up the MississippiValley, contributing to thehumid climate and resultingin occasional and sometimesstrong thunderstorms.Average annual rainfall forthe area is thirty-six inches.Combining these storms withLexington's relatively flat

topography can result inlocalized flooding and pond-ing thus requiring properstorm water management.

TTOOPPOOGGRRAAPPHHYY

Local topography wasshaped by continental glacia-tion. Lexington and most ofMcLean County are locatedon a glacial till plain. This


Natural Environment

C H A P T E R

22

Exhibit 2-A. Northwest Lexington Terrain

plain is characterized by sev-eral moraines that resultedfrom the recession of theWisconsin glacier about15,000 to 20,000 years ago.These ridges of deposited soiland rock extend from thenorthwest corner of the coun-ty toward the southeast.

The City ofLexington is located at thecrest of the El Paso Moraine.There is no drastic slope oneither side of the city, exceptfor a few locations in thesouth along the MackinawRiver. Terrain in theLexington area generallyranges from gently sloping tonearly level (see Figure 3).

Lexington is locatedwithin the Mackinaw Riverdrainage system, one ofMcLean County's largest.This system was created byerosion of the glacialdeposits.

The only area ofmore steeply sloping topogra-phy in the Lexington area isaround the Mackinaw River,south of the City at the baseof the El Paso Moraine.Development in these areaswill be limited or discouragedbecause of the erosion poten-tial created by the steeperslopes around the Mackinaw.

For the most part,however, Lexington's topog-raphy does not present signif-icant limitations for develop-ment. Special considerationwill be taken to conserveopen space along drainageways and to provide for prop-er storm water management.Also, drainage improvementsmay be needed in flat and

low lying areas before devel-opment occurs, due to poten-tial flooding or ponding prob-lems.

SSOOIILLSS

The Natural ResourceConservation Service (NRCS)has identified fourteen soiltypes in the Lexington area.The NRCS also provides rel-evant information regardingthe suitability of these soilsfor various purposes, includ-ing agricultural production,recreational use, building sitedevelopment, sanitary facili-ties and other uses. Lexingtonsoil types are identified inTable 2.1.

Prime farmland is animportant natural resourceand is prevalent in the sur-rounding area. Thirteen ofthe fourteen soils found in thearea are classified by theNRCS as prime farmland.This is not surprising sinceMcLean County containssome of the most productiveagricultural soils in theworld.

Like most CentralIllinois soils, a majority ofLexington soil types containqualities that could be adverseto construction, because ofwetness, potential ponding,shrink-swell or erosion poten-tial. Soils most adverse toconstruction include:Flanagan, Harpster, Lawson,Lisbon, Peotone, and Raub.The remaining soils in theLexington area have moderateto severe limitations fordevelopment. Soil limitations

are due to the following char-acteristics: natural high watertable (one to three feet insome locations), shrink/swelland frost heave potential (cancrack dwelling basements andfoundations), slow liquidabsorption rate, and propensi-ty for ponding of surfacewater (USDA Soil Survey,1990).

Suitability of soils foragriculture, dwellings, roadsand streets and septic fields isillustrated in Table 2.1.These soil characteristics willbe considered when contem-plating development in agiven area, as limiting soilfactors may pose problemsfor construction. In someinstances, special design,construction and maintenancepractices may be needed toavoid potential problems.Development demands creat-ed by site location, landavailability and cost may ormay not outweigh the addedcosts to overcome the physi-cal limitations of certain sites.

FFLLOOOODDPPLLAAIINNSS

A floodplain isdescribed as a nearly level,alluvial plain that borders astream and is subjected toflooding unless artificiallyprotected. Although not suit-ed for most types of urbandevelopment, floodplains areconsidered a valuable naturalresource and will be pre-served in a natural state if atall possible.

Floodplains left in anatural condition offer bene-


fits to the community andsurrounding area. Leavingfloodplains intact assists inmaintaining open space andpreserving water quality. Leftin a natural state, floodplainscan provide passive recre-ation for the community toenjoy while conserving openspace for possible develop-ment of trails and parks.

Undeveloped floodplains canalso reduce the risk of flood-ing and contamination of sur-face and sub-surface waterresources.

The FederalEmergency ManagementAgency (FEMA) has identi-fied flood prone areasthroughout the nation to assistin floodplain management.

The maps designed by FEMAare based on the 100-yearflood event. This term relatesto the largest area that wouldbe inundated by water duringthe most severe flooding thatwould normally occur duringa 100-year period. Floodprone areas in and aroundLexington include low lyingareas around the Mackinaw


TTaabbllee 22..11SSeelleecctteedd LLeexxiinnggttoonn SSooiill PPrrooppeerrttiieess

SSooiillAAssssoocciiaattiioonn SSllooppee DDrraaiinnaaggee

CCuullttiivvaattiioonnSSuuiittaabbiilliittyy

DDwweelllliinnggSSuuiittaabbiilliittyy

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SSttrreeeettssSSuuiittaabbiilliittyy

Brenton Near levelSomewhat poorlydrained Prime farmland Poor, wetness Poor, wetness

Low strength, frost action

Drummer Near level Poorly drained Prime farmland Poor, ponding Poor, pondingLow strength, ponding, frost

Flanagan Near levelSomewhat poorlydrained Prime farmland

Wetness, shrink-swell

Wetness, percs slow


Harpster Near level Poorly drained Prime farmland Poor, ponding Poor, pondingLow strength, ponding, frost

LaRose Gently sloping Well drained Prime farmlandModerate, shrink-swell Poor, percs slow

Moderate, shrink-swell

Lawson Near levelSomewhat poorlydrained Prime farmland Poor, flooding

Poor, wet, flooding

Flooding, frost action

Lisbon Near levelSomewhat poorlydrained Prime farmland

Poor, wet, shrink-swell

Wetness, percs slow

Poor, low strength

MiamiGently sloping tosteep Well drained Prime farmland

Moderate, shrink-swell Poor, percs slow

Poor, low strength

Peotone Near levelVery poor drainage Prime farmland

Ponding, shrink-swell

Ponding, percs slow

Low strength, ponding

Plano Gently sloping Well drained Prime farmlandModerate, shrink-swell Poor, seepage


Raub Near levelSomewhat poorlydrained Prime farmland Poor, wetness

Wetness, percs slow


Saybrook Gently slopingModerately well drained Prime farmland

Moderate, wetness Poor, percs slow


StawnGently sloping tovery steep Well drained Moderate Moderate, slope Poor, percs slow

Moderate, low strength, slope

WarsawGently sloping tovery steep Well drained Prime farmland Moderate, slope Poor, poor filter

Moderate, frost action

Source: Soil Survey of McLean County, Illinois, 2000; United States Dept. of Agriculture, NRCS

River and Turkey Creek (seeFigure 3).

Development regula-tions in and around flood-plains have been implementedby the County of McLean.Development on or nearfloodplain sites will be dis-couraged. However, if properordinance requirements aremet, limited developmentmay occur under certain cir-cumstances.

WWEETTLLAANNDDSS

Wetlands includestreams, lakes, ponds, andlow-lying, swampy areas.

These areas may providewildlife habitats when vegeta-tive cover is present.

Development on wet-lands is restricted by the fed-eral government. The UnitedStates Department ofAgriculture is responsible fordesignating wetlands on agri-cultural lands. The NRCSdetermines the status of a

wetland already on agricultur-al land. The Army Corps ofEngineers is charged withreviewing delineation for allnon-agricultural lands.Several government-spon-sored conservation incentiveprograms are available on anannual basis to encourage andassist land owners with landstewardship, including wet-lands.

There are only a fewwetland areas in the vicinityof Lexington. Over the years,many of the wetland areas inand around Lexington havebeen drained for agriculturalpurposes by tiling or drainageditches. Identified wetlands

include the Mackinaw River,which is located west andsouth of the City, and TurkeyCreek, which extends in asouthwest direction andbegins just north ofLexington’s corporate limits.


Exhibit 2-B. Turkey Creek

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Consideration ofcommunity history is animportant component of theplanning process. A study ofcommunity history providesan understanding of the fac-tors that influenced thegrowth and development ofthe community in the past andthat may continue to be aninfluence in the future.Historical information canalso foster a sense of commu-nity by highlighting localcharacter and appeal whilepromoting civic pride amongresidents.

This chapter providesa general overview ofLexington’s history fromearly settlement through thetwentieth century. For a morein-depth historical look at thecommunity of Lexington,many publications and articlesare available at the LexingtonPublic Library at 207 S.Cedar Street. Some of theseinclude: The History ofMcLean County, Illinois byWilliam LeBaron, Jr., TheHistorical Encyclopedia ofIllinois and History ofMcLean County by EzraPrince, Lexington Centennial1855-1955 and The EarlyHistory of PleasantHill/McLean County, Illinois(Journal of the Illinois StateHistorical Society) by D.F.Trimmer.

BBEEGGIINNNNIINNGGSS

The history of theCity of Lexington began withNative American tribes.Kickapoo and Delaware tribeswere the first known to cometo the area and set up villagesalong the Mackinaw River.According to historicalaccounts dating back to thelate 19th century, these tribeslived in villages which had an

approximate population of300 persons. The villagerslived in wigwam dwellingswith earth banked up alongthe sides. These tribes sup-ported themselves by hunting,growing corn and tobacco,and making maple sugar.Men of the Native American

tribes were often gone forlong periods of time onextended hunts. The womenof the tribes gardened andtook care of the crops withthe crudest of tools. Tribalpeople were very welcomingto the first European settlers.

TTHHEE EEAARRLLYY 11880000''SS

The first Europeansettlers arrived in the area in

the late 1820's. Records indi-cate the first white men tosettle in the area were ConradFlesher, John Haner, andIsaac and Joseph Brumhead.Most of the early Europeansettlers were from Ohio,planning on a more westwardmigration later on in their

Community History

C H A P T E R

33

Exhibit 3-A. John Patton Cabin: Built in 1829 by John Patton and Kickapooand Delaware Indians; on National Register of Historic Places; guides

available June through Labor Day, Sundays 2 to 4 p.m.

lives. The first settlers alsosettled along the MackinawRiver just south of the pres-ent site of the City.

Like the NativeAmericans, the settlersdepended on farming andhunting for survival. Cropsgrown included corn and avariety of vegetables. Theearly housing consisted of logcabins that were built byusing only an ax and auger.No nails or iron connectionswere used to construct thedwellings. Other settlersmoved into wigwams aban-doned or no longer needed bythe Native American tribesstill living in the area. One ofthose was John Patton, whowould have a profound effecton the new community incoming years as a Lexingtonleader. His family would begiven credit for building thefirst house in the area in 1829with assistance of localNative American tribes.

The NativeAmericans and European set-tlers depended on each other.Their children often attendedschool together and those thatlost their lives were buried inwhat was known as IndianField Cemetery.

From 1829 to 1831,the area grew quickly.Settlers from other parts ofMcLean County and Illinoismoved into LexingtonTownship with some comingfrom Indiana and Kentucky.Letters written to relatives inOhio and other parts of thecountry told of the "fine landand great opportunities in thearea." Many of Lexington's

first settlers were of Englishand Irish descent. Other set-tlers from the Mid-Atlanticregion, particularly Virginia,would come later.

Formal local govern-ment was established in 1830.New settlers continued toarrive despite the disruptionof the Blackhawk War in1832. Land speculation inand around Lexington wasvibrant by 1834. The buildingof Fort Bartholomew meantadded security for local farm-ers, although the fort wasnever called on to providedefense for the community.

Lexington was plattedon January 14, 1836 byAshael Gridley and JamesBrown. Gridley and Brownacquired the land from thefederal government. Gridleywould become well-knownfor being responsible for plot-ting and planning severalcommunities in McLeanCounty. Brown was aKentucky pioneer who hadestablished a partnership withGridley. The two men namedthe new communityLexington since Gridley'sfather had fought with theMinutemen in Lexington,Massachusetts during theRevolutionary War andBrown had come fromLexington, Kentucky.

As more settlersarrived, they chose to maketheir homes near the timberof the Mackinaw River. Inaddition to corn, they grewpotatoes, squash and beans,which according to historicalaccounts, produced yields of40 bushels per acre. They

also were successful in pro-ducing an impressive wheatcrop. However, the cropwould no longer be plantedafter 1860 due to a problemwith insects. During thistime, Lexington also becamenoted as an important horseand cattle breeding communi-ty.

By 1837, the townhad grown so much it estab-lished its first post office.Jacob Spawr was named thecommunity's first postmasterthat year.

In what would be along tradition of joining thenew town with the develop-ment of religious institutions,the first church in Lexingtonwas built in 1842. The UnitedBrethren Church evolved intothe Evangelical UnitedBrethren in 1846 and laterbecame the EvangelicalUnited Methodist Church 122years later.

The city's first schoolbuilding was built in 1843.Although local children hadbeen schooled with studentsfrom local Native Americanvillages, the new school wasan important symbol of thecommunity's future.

TTHHEE MMIIDD TTOO LLAATTEE 11880000''SS

Independence Day1854 began a new era inLexington's development.That day, the Chicago andAlton Railroad began serviceto Lexington. The expandingrail system would improvelocal farmers' access to mar-kets as well as provide a


transportation system for newpeople and goods arrivingfrom all over an expandingnation. Lexington was incor-porated in July of 1855.

From the 1850'sthrough the Civil War and therest of the century, Lexingtonbecame home to new fami-lies, civic institutions,expanding schools and morechurches. With the railroadcame improved methods offarming, including improvedplows and harvesting tech-niques, and better prices forgrain. By this time,Lexington was home to sev-eral large dry goods stores,two banks, two flour mills, abroom factory, cultivator fac-tory, a brickyard and a nurs-ery.

Settlers from foreigncountries also arrived aboutthis time putting their cultureand mark on the community.As recently as 1960, fifteenfamilies from the originalLexington pioneers were stillholding land in the area.

In the mid 1800's, thevillage of Pleasant Hill,which was built southeast ofLexington, was also a thriv-ing community. It offeredmany of the amenities ofLexington and more. PleasantHill eventually became aghost town after it was by-passed by the railroad.

The mid 1800's alsosaw a spiritual growth in thecommunity as many ofLexington's religious denomi-nations built churches duringthis era. Lexington's newschool building was alsoerected on the west side in

1857. By 1874, Lexingtonhad built an impressive net-work of roads that crossedthe township. By 1887, thecommunity had built what isbelieved to be the first hard-surface road in McLeanCounty. The growth andaffluence of the town wassymbolized at the turn of thecentury in 1901 by the con-struction of the Van DolahCastle on the west end ofLexington. D. J. Van Dolahwas a respected internationalbusinessman who made hisfortune in animal breeding.

TTHHEE TTWWEENNTTIIEETTHHCCEENNTTUURRYY

The community beganto take on the look of anestablished community in the

early twentieth century.Permanent structures for abank, library and high schoolwere all built before the endof 1916. The McLean CountyFarm Bureau was formedduring this period to helpbring electricity to Lexingtonand other rural communitieswithin McLean County.Recreation facilities and cityparks were built during thisperiod with the dedication ofthe city park bandstand in1925 and the formation of theTurkey Creek Golf Club in1929.

Agriculture continuedas the primary economicactivity of the region throughthe 1900's. Continued expan-sion of the railroad and theintroduction of the nationalhighway system during themid 1900's also shaped


Exhibit 3-B. Residence constructed in 1901 by Van Dolah

Lexington to become a multi-faceted community.Lexington's future was great-ly benefited in 1938 when itwas announced that Route 66would run through the com-munity.

Several other signifi-cant building projects fol-lowed, including constructionof a hemp plant in 1942 (laterbecame Cargill Seed Plant)and construction of the highschool and the elementaryschool addition and fire sta-tion in the 1950's. The highschool was totally recon-structed in 1962, and under-went extensive rehabilitationin 2003 due to a major fire.

Lexington's agricul-tural history has provided sta-ble employment that has cre-ated spin-off service indus-tries and businesses, whichhave stood the test of timeover the past 20 to 30 years.The community continues tore-create its downtown as evi-denced by the construction ofthe community center and thecontinued prosperity of local-ly owned and operated busi-nesses. It has also takenadvantage of recently estab-lished tourism events such asthe Taste of Country Fair andthe Route 66 Auto Reunion,which draw attention to theCity as a tourist destinationtwo times a year.


The economy is amajor factor affecting com-munity development.Economic factors usually playa major role in initial com-munity development. Theavailability and/or accessibili-ty to employment centers,such as major commercial orindustrial establishments pro-vides a major growth stimu-lus. Moreover, the existenceof employment centers canstrengthen the financial stabil-ity of a community throughthe provision of sales tax rev-enues. A strong financial baseincreases a community's abil-ity to provide a wide range ofurban services. Therefore,economic trends and forecastsare important considerationsin community planning.

EECCOONNOOMMIICC HHIISSTTOORRYY

Lexington's economichistory is based in agricul-ture. Historically, farminghas been responsible for mostof the job creation in thecommunity. Companies suchas Myers, Inc., MartinImplement, Prairie CentralCooperative (formerlyKemp's) and just recently,the Illinois State UniversityFarm, indicate that agricul-ture continues to be importantfor the community.

Most centers ofemployment in Lexington

have some tie-in to the agri-cultural history of the area.Several of the businesseswere created out of somespin-off need, whether indus-trial or service-based,because of the agricultural-based roots of the area.

A majority of localemployers have shopsemploying less than twenty-five and are mostly locallyowned and operated. Amongthe most recognizable busi-nesses are: Nelder FordGroup (auto sales/repair),Lexington Truck Service(large truck maintenance andrepair), John's Paint andBody (large truck repair),Anvil Brand Shoes (horseshoemanufacturer), H & HMachining (machine partsmanufacturing/fabrication)and Barker Chevrolet (for-merly Uftring-Mason

Chevrolet) (autosales/repair). Group Tool andDie also has operations inBloomington-Normal but hashad a Lexington location forseveral years. The downtownbusiness district has also pro-vided local services such asbanking, grocery and restau-rants and continues to do so.

EEXXIISSTTIINNGGCCHHAARRAACCTTEERRIISSTTIICCSS

The locally-basedeconomy of Lexington mayalways have a connection tothe Bloomington-Normaleconomy. Based on the 2000U.S. Census data, 1,020 peo-ple of Lexington's populationof 1,920 were employed. Dueto the number of Lexington’spopulation that work in non-agricultural sectors, it is pre-


Economy

C H A P T E R

44

Exhibit 4-A. Anvil Brand Shoes

sumed that a significant num-ber of residents work in theBloomington-Normal area(see Table 4.1).

According to U.S.Census figures, many ofLexington's residents work inthe following fields: educa-tion, health, social services,finance, insurance, real estateand manufacturing. This sug-gests the City may continueto see a decreasing dependen-cy on agriculture for its eco-nomic survival.

For those choosing towork in Bloomington-Normal, average travel timeis just under twenty-threeminutes. This is about thesame amount of travel time toPontiac from Lexington.Some residents of Lexingtonmay also work in Pontiacsince it provides additionalemployment opportunities. Itis likely Lexington residents

will continue to choose tocommute to work in sur-rounding communities ifLexington does not attractadditional “livable wage”companies to the immediatearea.

In 1999, Lexingtonhad a median household

income of $46,146 (see Table4.2). Average per capita(individual) income was$20,898 in 2000. Medianfamily income (average fami-ly income) was $54,336 forthis same time period. Thesewere below the levels forMcLean County but com-


Table 4 .1Lexing ton Area Employment By Industry

Category Percen tage

Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Mining 2.5%Construction 7.9%Manufacturing 15.0%Wholesale Trade 4.4%Retail Trade 8.7%Transportation/Warehouse/Utilities 6.7%Information/Related Sciences 2.4%Finance/Insurance/Real Estate 14.6%Management/Professional Occupations 4.6%Education/Health/Social Services 18.6%Arts/Entertainment/Recreation/Food Services 5.2%Other Services 9.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Table 4 .2Area Employment and Income Level Comparisons

Communi ty Labor Force % UnemplyPer Capita

Income

MedianHousehold

IncomeMedian Family

Income% Below

Poverty Level

Lexington 1,057 2.5% $20,898 $46,146 $54,336 4.4%

Chenoa 991 1.9% $19,559 $44,420 $50,948 5.7%

Danvers 643 2.4% $19,598 $52,647 $58,355 5.0%

Downs 451 4.3% $22,468 $53,750 $56,932 4.3%

Heyworth 1,267 1.3% $20,655 $53,043 $60,648 3.1%

LeRoy 1,809 1.5% $20,743 $45,781 $53,986 1.9%

Towanda 293 1.3% $18,702 $41,705 $51,875 5.3%

McLean County 85,994 2.8% $22,227 $47,021 $61,073 9.7%

Source: United States Census, 2000

pared favorably with LeRoy,Chenoa and Towanda.

FFUUTTUURREE EECCOONNOOMMYY

A number of factorssuggest a bright economicfuture for the City. It isimportant for Lexington toretain its existing economicbase and to attract new busi-nesses. This will help diversi-fy the local economy andexpand the local employmentbase.

The community hasand will continue to workwith area economic develop-ment officials in activelyreviewing needs of existingbusinesses. Often, potentialbusiness partnerships can bediscovered that lead to newbusinesses coming to a com-munity when local businessesare actively engaged.

Opportunities aboundfor Lexington to further buildits local economy. The pres-ence of the Illinois StateUniversity Farm providesmany possible agriculturalresearch opportunities thatcould and will be exploredthat could be based in or nearLexington. Community lead-ers will work with the localarea economic developmentcouncil and university offi-cials to explore such opportu-nities.

Lexington can expandits appeal as a “bedroomcommunity.” This philosophyhas served the City well forseveral years and will contin-ue to do so when appropriate-ly pursued. Potential growth

in population usually meanspotential growth for moregoods and services, whichmeans a steady growth inlocal business.

Young families look-ing for rural quality of lifeoptions and retirees arepotential new residents of thearea. These groups usuallyhave the means and/or lifeexperiences to bring addedvalue to the community.

As the computer agecontinues to develop, manyentrepreneurial computer-based businesses that nolonger depend on large ormid-sized city locations arelooking for rural locations.They are finding that rurallocations provide a growthfriendly atmosphere and thatthe cost of doing business ismore reasonable. Many ofthese companies are combin-ing offices with residencesthat allow these companies tooperate on attractive andappealing “flex schedules”for their owners and employ-ees. They are finding anattractive quality of lifeappeal in rural communities.

There will likely befuture opportunities to addbusinesses on or near the I-55Corridor. Such opportunitiesare reflected in the Land UsePlan presented in Chapter 7of this report.


Consideration of pop-ulation trends and projectionsis fundamental to planning forthe long-range needs of acommunity. Population pro-jections provide the basis for,and have a direct effect ondetermining future land useand service requirements andfor providing physicalimprovements to streets,parks, water and sewer sys-tems and other communityfacilities and services.Reliable estimates of futurepopulation levels are there-fore essential for purposes ofplanning and capital improve-ments programming.

Lexington's population willlikely increase in the futuredue to a number of factors,including the probable addi-tion of a City sewer system.

Formulating reason-able estimates of future popu-lation levels requires consid-eration of past growth trends,existing demographic charac-teristics and current develop-ment trends. All of these fac-tors have an impact on futurepopulation growth and wereconsidered in the develop-ment of population projec-tions for the City. This chap-ter summarizes the City's his-torical population growth and

existing characteristics of itspopulation as well as the pop-ulation projections developedfor the City.

HHIISSTTOORRIICCAALLPPOOPPUULLAATTIIOONN GGRROOWWTTHH

Following manydecades of stable or decliningpopulation, Lexington begana period of moderate but sus-tained growth beginning in1960. The City ofLexington's populationdecreased an average of 3.5percent each decade from1900 to 1950. From 1960 to


Population

C H A P T E R

55

TTaabbllee 55..11PPooppuullaatt iioonn 11886600-22000000

CCii ttyy ooff LLeexxiinngg ttoonn,, MMccLLeeaann CCoouunnttyy,, SSttaattee ooff IIll ll iinnoo iiss

CCii ttyy ooff LLeexxiinngg ttoonn MMccLLeeaann CCoouunnttyy SSttaattee ooff IIll ll iinnoo iiss

YYeeaarr PPooppuullaa tt iioonnAAccttuuaall

IInnccrreeaasseeRRaattee ooffIInnccrreeaassee PPooppuullaa tt iioonn

RRaattee ooffIInnccrreeaassee PPooppuullaa tt iioonn

RRaattee ooffIInnccrreeaassee

1860 948 28,772 1,711.9511870 53,988 87.6% 2,539,891 32.6%1880 1,254 60,100 11.3% 3,077,871 17.5%1890 1,187 -67 -5.3% 63,036 4.9% 3,826.352 19.6%1900 1,415 228 19.2% 67,843 7.6% 4,821,550 20.6%1910 1,318 -97 -6.9% 68,008 0.2% 5,638,591 14.5%1920 1,301 -17 -1.3% 70,107 3.1% 6,485,280 13.1%1930 1,292 -9 -0.7% 73,117 4.3% 7,630.654 15.0%1940 1,284 -8 -0.6% 73,930 1.1% 7,897,241 3.4%1950 1,181 -103 -8.0% 76,577 3.6% 8,712,176 9.4%1960 1,244 63 5.3% 83,877 9.5% 10,081,158 13.6%1970 1,615 371 29.8% 104,389 24.5% 11,113,976 9.3%1980 1,806 191 11.8% 119,149 14.1% 11,426,518 2.7%1990 1,809 3 0.2% 129,180 8.4% 11,430,602 0.0%2000 1,912 103 5.7% 150,433 16.5% 11,883,546 3.8%

Source: U.S. Census of Population

2000, however, the City'spopulation increased by anaverage of 10.6 percent perdecade (see Table 5.1 andExhibit 5-A). Lexington's2000 population of 1,912 rep-resents an increase of 5.7percent over the 1990 popula-tion of 1,809. The recentincrease in growth rate can beattributed to the City's smalltown amenities in proximityto the employment and busi-ness centers of theBloomington-Normal urbanarea, accessible by a shortcommute on Interstate 55. Itis likely Lexington will con-tinue to be positively influ-enced by the population andeconomic growth of theBloomington-Normal urbanarea and the small townatmosphere and high qualityof life offered in Lexington.

EEXXIISSTTIINNGG PPOOPPUULLAATTIIOONNCCHHAARRAACCTTEERRIISSTTIICCSS

This section summa-rizes selected demographiccharacteristics of the City.Characteristics consideredinclude age-sex distribution,size of household, incomeand education.

AAggee-SSeexx DDiissttrriibbuuttiioonn

An assessment of acommunity's age distributionis important when planningfor future needs. As a popu-lation changes and ages, sodoes the diversity of theneeds of the citizens and theservices the City provides.

The average age inLexington is considerablyhigher than that of McLeanCounty, but only slightlyhigher than most of the small-er communities compared. In2000, the median age inLexington was 36.7 years. InMcLean County, the medianage was 30.5 as compared to37 in Towanda (see Table5.2).

Lexington andMcLean County parallel theIllinois age distributions withthe exception of the 15 to 24-year-old group in the county.This higher county-wide fig-ure is likely due to the loca-tion of four colleges (IllinoisState University, IllinoisWesleyan University,Heartland CommunityCollege and Lincoln College)in Bloomington-Normal.

In 2000, forty-threepercent of the residents of

Lexington were between theages of twenty-five and fifty-four, a growth of one percentover the past decade. Thisgroup typically represents thecore population of the full-time labor force for the com-munity. Approximately twen-ty-nine percent of the resi-dents were between the agesof twenty-five and forty-four,considered the primary childbearing age group. This agegroup and those sixty-fiveyears and older showed slightdeclines over the past decade.This trend has not had anadverse impact on the "underfive years" age group, as thisdemographic has increasedsix percent from 1990 to2000.

Thirty-four percent ofLexington's residents wereunder twenty-four years ofage in 2000. The populationin the age group of sixty-five


0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Year

Popu

latio

n

Source: U.S. Census of Population

EExxhhiibbiitt 55-AAPPooppuullaattiioonn CChhaannggee,, 11990000-22000000

CCiittyy ooff LLeexxiinnggttoonn

and over declined four per-cent for the same period. Adecline in the aging popula-tion of rural communities isnot typical. However, thosesixty-five years and olderrepresent thirteen percent ofthe total population ofLexington and reflects thestatewide average as well.

Of 156 families withchildren under six years ofage, sixty percent have bothparents working fulltime inthe labor force. Currently,the City of Lexington doesnot have a daycare facility.This suggests a potential needwhich will increase as thepopulation continues to grow.

In 1950, 52.2 percentof Lexington's populationwas female and 47.8 percentwas male. The 2000 Censusreports the ratio of female tomale has become more evenlydistributed with 50.9 percentof the population female and

49.1 percent male (see Table5.3).

SSiizzee ooff HHoouusseehhoolldd

The average numberof persons per household hasbeen declining statewide andnationwide in recent decadesresulting in a greater demandfor housing. Smaller house-holds result from lowerbirthrates, delays in marriageand an increasing number of

households with no children(empty nesters). Some of thishas been caused by the agingof the "Baby Boom" genera-tion.

Despite this, the aver-age number of persons perhousehold in Lexington hasremained stable over the pastforty years. The 2000 Censusreported an average of 2.52persons per household inLexington as compared to2.55 in 1990 (see Table 5.4).The City's average population


Table 5 .3Lexing ton Populat ion Dist ribu t ion By Sex

YearPercentFemale

PercentMale

1950 52.2% 47.8%

1960 51.7% 48.3%

1990 52.5% 47.5%

2000 50.9% 49.1%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census

TTaabb llee 55 ..22

PPeerrcceenn ttaaggee AAggee DDiissttrriibbuu ttiioonn aanndd CCoommppaarriissoonn

LLeexx iinngg ttoonn aanndd SSeelleecctteedd PPllaacceess,, 22000000

AAggee GGrroouupp LLeexx iinngg ttoonn DDaannvveerrss DDoowwnnss HHeeyywwoorrtthh HHuudd ssoonn LLeeRRooyy TToowwaannddaaMMccLLeeaannCCoouunn tt yy II llll iinnoo iiss

under 5 6.0 8.4 6.7 9.7 9.7 6.9 8.1 6.5 7.1

5 to 9 7.7 9.6 9.8 9.2 10.1 7.6 6.3 6.7 7.5

10 to 14 7.9 8.8 8.2 8.1 8.3 7.8 5.7 6.5 7.3

15 to 19 8.1 8.0 8.0 6.3 7.2 6.9 5.7 9.2 7.2

20 to 24 4.7 4.1 5.0 3.9 3.0 4.4 4.1 13.2 6.9

25 to 34 12.7 15.2 15.2 16.0 17.2 15.2 18.5 14.2 14.6

35 to 44 16.3 19.2 20.2 16.9 19.9 16.0 15.2 15.0 16.0

45 to 54 14.4 11.2 10.6 11.8 12.9 10.9 15.2 12.2 13.1

55 to 59 6.6 3.0 4.5 4.2 3.6 4.1 4.1 3.9 4.7

60 to 64 3.2 3.6 4.3 3.2 2.0 4.7 4.5 2.9 3.7

65 to 74 5.8 5.3 5.4 5.8 3.5 7.2 6.5 5.0 6.2

75 to 84 4.8 2.5 1.8 3.4 1.8 5.8 5.3 3.4 4.3

85 plus 1.7 0.9 0.3 1.4 0.8 2.5 1.0 1.3 1.5

Tot. Pop. 1,912 1,183 776 2,431 1,510 3,332 493 150,433 12,419,293

Med. Age 36.7 32.2 32.8 33.3 32.5 35.6 37 30.5 34.7

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000

per household is expected tolevel off at approximately 2.5throughout the planning peri-od. This figure was selectedfor use in calculating futurehousing demand.

IInnccoommee

Income is an indicatorof the relative wealth of acommunity and its needs for,and ability to finance housing

and community facilities andservices. This section com-pares Lexington incomes withthose of other selected places.

The median house-hold income (MHI) forLexington according to the2000 Census was $46,146(see Table 5.5). Twenty-sixpercent of households inLexington (198) earnedbetween $50,000 to $74,999,while nearly twenty-three

percent (184) earned less than$35,000 a year.

The MHI forLexington was below theIllinois average of $46,590and the McLean County aver-age of $47,021. The McLeanCounty average was influ-enced somewhat by commu-nities such as Danvers,Downs, Heyworth andHudson which greatlyexceeded the state average


Table 5.5Comparison of Median Household Incomes

Lexington and Selected Places, 2000

IInnccoommeess LL ee xx ii nn gg tt oo nn DDaannvveerr ss DDoowwnnss HHeeyywwoorr tt hh HHuudd ss oonn LLeeRRooyy TToowwaannddaaMMccLLeeaannCC oo uu nn tt yy II ll ll ii nn oo ii ss

<$10,000 23 21 3 31 4 55 8 4,195 383,299<$15,000 63 16 7 50 11 51 8 3,014 252,485<$25,000 98 47 33 96 33 191 21 6,838 517,812<$35,000 88 47 25 79 37 188 34 6,766 545,962<$50,000 141 54 61 161 58 272 48 9,169 745,180<$75,000 198 145 88 249 177 325 54 12,493 952,940<$100,000 79 64 37 164 99 148 18 6,623 531,760<$150,000 65 34 14 42 67 80 10 5,427 415,348<$200,000 7 0 2 7 2 21 0 1,243 119,056>$200,000 4 2 6 9 6 5 0 1,024 128,898

Households 766 430 276 888 494 1,336 201 56,792 4,592,740

Median $ $46,146 $52,647 $53,750 $53,043 $62,632 $45,781 $41,705 $47,021 $46,590

Source: Census 2000

TTaabbllee 55..44SSiizzee ooff HHoouusseehhoolldd bbyy TTeennuurree

CCii ttyy ooff LLeexxiinngg ttoonn

OOccccuuppiieedd UUnnii tt ss PPeerrssoonnss ppeerr UUnnii ttTTyyppee ooff

OOccccuuppiieeddUUnnii ttss

PPooppuullaatt iioonniinn UUnniittss TToottaall

%% CChhaannggeeoovveerr 11999900 22000000 11999900

Owner 1,650 630 18.9 2.62 2.62Renter 262 130 -20.2 2.02 2.31

Total 1,912 760 9.7 2.52 2.55

* The average number of persons per occupied unit statewide in 1990 was 2.54

Source: U.S. Census Bureau-1990, 2000

MHI. This also indicatesthere is a movement ofwealth into the rural areas ofMcLean County. Incomecomparisons with otherMcLean County communitiesare presented in Table 5.5.

EEdduuccaattiioonn

Educational attain-ment for Lexington residentshas been on the rise over thelast twenty years. Accordingto the 2000 Census, the per-centage of Lexington resi-dents age twenty-five andolder who are college gradu-ates or hold advanced degreesrose from 13.2 to 19.5 per-cent from 1980 to 2000 (seeTable 5.6). Close to thirtypercent of residents overtwenty-five has some collegeor an associate degree, anincrease of 18.5 percent over1980. The percentage ofLexington residents whograduated from high schoolincreased steadily from 70.2percent in 1980 to 89.4 per-cent in 2000. Of the 19.5percent of Lexington resi-

dents who hold a bachelor'sdegree or higher, approxi-mately fifty-two percent arewomen.

Overall, 39.9 percentof Lexington's population hasobtained a high school diplo-ma but has not pursued anypost-secondary education.Close to ninety percent of thepopulation has obtained ahigh school diploma or highereducational attainmentaccording to 2000 Census fig-ures. This is comparable tothe rest of McLean Countyand exceeded that of the Stateof Illinois.

FFUUTTUURREE PPOOPPUULLAATTIIOONNGGRROOWWTTHH

Population projectionswere developed for the Cityfor five-year incrementsthrough the 2025 planningperiod, and for ten yearincrements for the period2030 through 2050. The pro-jections for the latter periodwere developed to facilitatethe design of future water andsewer facilities. Commission

staff worked in close cooper-ation with the City and TheFarnsworth Group throughoutthe process of developingLexington's population pro-jections. The projections arebased on the followingassumptions:

• Lexington will maintainits high quality of life andcontinue to be viewed asa desirable community inwhich to live and rear afamily, thus attractingresidents who wish tocommute to Bloomington-Normal or other sur-rounding communities foremployment.

• The City will receivefunding assistance todevelop a sanitary sewersystem.

• There will be pent-updemand for growth anddevelopment that will bemet by construction of asewer system.

• City leaders will advocateresponsible community


TTaabbllee 55..66PPeerrcceenn ttaaggee ooff PPooppuullaatt iioonn AAtt ttaaiinn iinngg SSppeeccii ffiieedd LLeevveell ooff EEdduuccaatt iioonn

LLeexxiinngg ttoonn aanndd SSeelleecctteedd PPllaacceess,, 22000000

LLeevveell LLeexx iinngg ttoonn DDaannvveerrss DDoowwnnss HHuudd ssoonn LLeeRRooyy TToowwaannddaaMMccLLeeaannCCoouunn tt yy II llll iinnoo iiss

< 9th grade 4.0% 9.0% 1.1% 2.6% 3.1% 0.6% 3.0% 7.5%9-12 grade (no diploma) 6.6% 4.4% 11.4% 5.0% 9.3% 9.9% 6.3% 11.1%High school graduate (includes GED) 39.9% 43.9% 45.4% 32.0% 43.1% 43.3% 28.2% 27.7%Some college, no degree 24.6% 23.1% 17.3% 21.5% 22.0% 22.1% 20.5% 21.6%Associate degree 5.4% 5.7% 3.7% 8.7% 5.8% 5.8% 5.8% 6.1%Bachelor's degree 14.3% 16.7% 16.9% 23.5% 12.7% 16.0% 25.2% 16.5%Graduate or professional degree 5.2% 5.0% 4.2% 6.7% 4.0% 2.3% 11.0% 9.5%

High school graduates or higher 89.4% 94.3% 87.5% 92.5% 87.7% 89.5% 90.7% 81.4%Bachelor's degree or higher 19.5% 21.7% 21.1% 30.4% 16.7% 18.3% 36.2% 26.1%

Source: Census 2000

growth and expansion.

• Adjacent land resourceswill be made available fordevelopment.

• Community facilities andservices will be extendedto developing areas in atimely manner to supportorderly growth and helppreserve and enhance the

local quality of life.

• Access to Interstate 55will continue to stimulatebusiness and economicdevelopment and there-fore the population.

The resulting projec-tions are presented in Table5.7 and are illustrated graphi-cally in Exhibit 5-B. The

2025 projection of 2,900 resi-dents represents an increaseof over fifty percent, and isused in this plan to predictfuture housing, land require-ments and service needs. Ofthis projection total, 2,530are projected to reside inowner units, and 370 inrenter units (see Table 5.8).While such growth would notbe possible without the con-


1,181 1,244

1,6151,806 1,809 1,912

2,250

2,650

3,100

3,700

4,350

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

Year

Popu

lati

on

EExxhhiibbiitt 55-BBPPooppuullaattiioonn PPrroojjeeccttiioonnss,, 11995500-22005500

CCiittyy ooff LLeexxiinnggttoonn

Source: McLean County Regional Planning Commission, 2003

TTaabbllee 55..77MMccLLeeaann CCoouunnttyy AArreeaa PPooppuullaatt iioonn PPrroo jjeecctt iioonnss

YYeeaarr LLeexx iinngg ttoonn BBlloooommiinngg ttoonn CChheennooaa DDaannvveerrss DDoowwnnss HHeeyywwoorrtthh HHuudd ssoonn LLeeRRooyy NNoorrmmaall TToowwaannddaa CCoouunn ttyy

2005 2,100 67,800 1,810 1,220 1,550 2,850 1,550 3,400 47,700 535 156,5602010 2,250 70,800 1,780 1,250 2,300 3,300 1,600 3,500 50,100 575 162,5102015 2,450 74,900 1,755 1,300 3,100 3,750 1,700 3,650 52,500 580 170,0202020 2,650 79,000 1,765 1,350 3,900 4,150 1,850 3,750 54,900 590 177,6102025 2,900 83,100 1,755 1,400 4,050 4,350 1,950 3,900 57,400 595 185,1802030 3,100 87,200 1,750 1,450 4250 4,600 2,050 4,000 59,800 600 192,4702040 3,700 95,500 1,750 1,600 4,600 5,200 2,150 4,300 64,600 610 208,6402050 4,350 103,700 1,700 1,700 5,000 5,450 2,500 4,550 69,500 620 227,650

Source: McLean County Regional Planning Commission, 2003

struction of a sewer system,the availability of sewers isexpected to bring about asubstantial period of growth,which could possibly exceedthe projections presented.Therefore, the City's growthwill be closely monitoredwith adjustments made to theplan and population projec-tions as may be needed overtime.


Providing adequateamounts of suitable housingat reasonable prices is a chal-lenge for many communities.This chapter examines thecharacteristics of Lexington'sexisting housing stock andprojects future housingdemand, based on the popula-tion projections presented inthe previous chapters.

EEXXIISSTTIINNGGCCHHAARRAACCTTEERRIISSTTIICCSS

OOccccuuppaannccyy aanndd TTeennuurree

According to the2000 Census, Lexington hada total of 760 occupied hous-ing units in 1999 out of 804total units. Of the 760 occu-pied units, 630 were owner-occupied housing units and130 were renter-occupied.The average population perhousehold in Lexingtonaccording to the 2000 Censuswas 2.5. Of Lexington's 130renter-occupied housing units,sixty-seven units were esti-mated to be apartments. Theremaining sixty-three unitswere either single-familyhomes that were being rentedor were duplexes. Presently,the City does not have anyapartment or townhouse com-plexes over eight units.Restricted age or elderlyhousing is limited to eightunits. Most of the multi-fami-

ly units were built before1969. Since 1970, thirty-onemulti-family housing unitshave been built, eight ofthose since 1980.

Of those renting inLexington, 73.6 percent spentless than thirty percent oftheir income on housing. Onthe average, multi-family res-idents spent approximatelyeighteen percent of their totalhousehold incomes on rent.Average residential monthlyrents in Lexington areapproximately $448 (seeTable 6.1).

DDiissttrriibbuuttiioonn aanndd DDeennssiittyy

Most of Lexington'shousing is concentrated in ornear the central city with afew pockets having beendeveloped on the southwest

side and around the fringe.Higher density conserves landand supports affordable hous-ing accessibility. Like mostcommunities, densities inLexington have been decreas-ing for several decades as lotsizes and setbacks haveincreased.

HHoouussiinngg aanndd NNeeiigghhbboorrhhooooddDDeessiiggnn

Lexington featureshousing set in both traditionaland contemporary neighbor-hoods. There are advantagesto both designs. Traditionalneighborhoods provide resi-dents with greater pedestrianaccessibility and make effi-cient use of land. Physicalfeatures of a traditionalneighborhood include mixedland uses and a variety of


Housing

C H A P T E R

66

Exhibit 6-A. A well-maintained older home in Lexington

housing types, a grid streetpattern, denser housing, frontporches, sidewalks andalleys. Most of these homeswere built before the 1950'swhen neighborhoods weredesigned to take advantage ofthe Central Business District.Contemporary neighborhoodsfeature newer homes withwider streets, larger set backsand lot sizes, and sometimeslack sidewalks. There is morefocus on backyards withdecks instead of traditionalfront porches. These neigh-borhoods are normallydesigned to provide a highdegree of personal privacyand do not foster social andeconomic interaction withinneighborhoods.

AAggee ooff HHoouussiinngg SSttoocckk

The City has farmhouses on its outskirts and

older residences built in thefirst half of the 1900's in theCity's inner core.Suburbanization brought withit a demand for more modernhomes on the City's periph-ery. Over the past decade,there has been a demand forlarger homes and lots due tothe influence of residents whowork in Bloomington-Normal. During the period1970 to 2000, 328 singlefamily homes were built inLexington, or nearly elevenper year. However, a majori-ty of existing single familyhomes (476), were builtbefore this period. Of these,295 are sixty years of age orolder (see Table 6.2).

QQuuaalliittyy ooff HHoouussiinngg SSttoocckk

The overall conditionof housing in Lexington isgenerally sound. As in anyCity, there are pockets ofolder homes that are in needof upgrading, but by andlarge, even older homes in

Lexington appear to be in rel-atively good shape. There is alimited number of homes indeteriorated conditions, butthere is not one block or areain the City where this is, orshould be, a major concern.However, these residenceswill be monitored and ownersinformed if the housing con-ditions are not up to code.Newer construction has alsoadded to the quality of hous-ing in Lexington around theCity's periphery.


Exhibit 6-B. An example of newer construction

TTaabbllee 66..22RReessiiddeenn tt iiaall CCoonnsstt rruucctt iioonn


YYeeaarr BBuuii ll tt NNuummbbeerr PPeerrcceenn tt

1990 to March 2000 13 1.61995 to 1998 38 4.71990 to 1994 63 7.81980 to 1989 46 5.71970 to 1979 168 20.91960 to 1969 66 8.21940 to 1959 115 14.31939 or before 295 36.7

TOTALS 804 100

Source: Census 2000

Table 6 .1Gross Ren t & Percen tage o f Income

City o f Lex ing ton

Gross Ren t Number Percen t

Less than $200 14 11.2Less than $300 5 4Less than $500 60 48Less than $750 32 25.6Less than $1,000 2 1.6Less than $1,500 2 1.6More than $1,500 0 0No montetary rent 10 8

AVERAGE GROSS RENT $448.00

Gross Ren t As Percen tage Of Income

Less than 15 percent 39 31.2Less than 20 percent 30 24Less than 25 percent 13 10.4Less than 30 percent 10 8Less than 35 percent 7 5.6More than 35 percent 14 11.2Not Tabulated 12 9.6

RENT AS PERCENT OF INCOME 17.1

Source: U.S. Census, 2000

AAffffoorrddaabbiilliittyy

Single-Family

Since 1970,Lexington has experiencednew owners in 576 of its sin-gle family residences. Thisindicates for many years, res-idents in the area have beenable to make the transitionfrom renting, or are movingto Lexington already beingable to purchase single familyhousing.

According to U.S.Census figures, the averagemedian monthly mortgage inLexington is $882. Of thosestill paying a mortgage, 188households spent less thantwenty percent of their house-hold income per year onhousing. Another eighty-twohouseholds spent less thanthirty-five percent of theirtotal household income onhousing. Out of all homeown-ers in Lexington, only fifty-one households spent thirty-five percent or more of theirincome on housing (see Table6.3).

When taking intoconsideration the regionalhousing market in McLeanCounty, the average price perhome (average new and exist-ing) in Lexington can be con-sidered quite reasonable at$100,100. This is one of thereasons why Lexington andother surrounding rural areasare being considered as alter-natives to Bloomington-Normal where the averageprice per home in recentyears has been between

$150,000 and $160,000. Thelarge majority of the single-family housing stock inLexington fluctuates in valuebetween $50,000 and$150,000. According to the

2000 Census, 235 single fam-ily homes in Lexington werevalued between $50,000 and$99,999. Another 196 homeswere valued between$100,000 and $150,000.


Table 6.3

MORTGAGE STATUS & SELECTEDMONTHLY OWNER COSTS (WITH

MORTGAGE)

With MortgageLess than $250 1Less than $500 31Less than $750 113Less than $1,000 100More than $1,000 135

Median Monthly Mortgage $882

Without MortgageLess than $250 42Less than $500 93More than $500 22

Median Monthly Payment $314

MORTGAGE STATUS ASPERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD

INCOME

With MortgageLess than 20 percent 18820 to 24 percent 8225 to 29 percent 3530 to 34 percent 2435 percent or more 51Not computed 0Median percent 20.1

Without Mortgageless than 20 percent 12520 to 24 percent 1125 to 29 percent 430 to 34 percent 235 percent or more 15Not computed 0Median percent 10

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000

Seventy-three of the City'ssingle family residences werevalued at more than $150,000(see Table 6.4). OfLexington's total population,1,652 people live in single-family housing.

Also, there areapproximately 60 mobilehomes in Lexington. Mostare located in the mobilehome park on the west side

of the City.

FFUUTTUURREE HHOOUUSSIINNGGDDEEMMAANNDD

Lexington’s projectedpopulation increase willrequire an estimated 423additional housing units,resulting in a total of 1,227housing units in the City by

the year 2025 (see Table6.5). Of this total, 1,158(94%) are projected to beowner occupied units and 185(6%) renter occupied. Thesefigures reflect an assumedoverall vacancy rate of 6 per-cent. The City’s projectedhousing demand is a majorconsideration in the develop-ment of the land use plan inthe following chapter of thisreport.


TTaabbllee 66..44VVaalluuee OOff OOwwnneerr-OOccccuuppiieedd HHoouussiinngg

EEsstt iimmaatteedd VVaalluuee NNuummbbeerr PPeerrcceenn ttaaggee

Less than $50,000 33 6.1Less than $200,000 235 43.8Less than $150,000 196 36.5Less than $200,000 53 9.9Less than $300,000 16 3Less than $500,000 4 0.7Less than $1,000,000 0 0More than $1,000,000 0 0

Median Home Value $100,100

Source: U. S. Census, 2000

TTaabbllee 66..55PPrroo jjeecctteedd HHoouussiinngg DDeemmaanndd,, 22000000-22002255


YYeeaarr22000000 22001100 22002200 22002255

Total Units 804 944 1,121 1,227Vacancy Rate % 5.5% 5.7% 5.9% 6.0%

Occupied Units 760 890 1,059 1,158Population/Unit 2.51 2.51 2.51 2.51

Owner 630 745 888 973Population/Unit 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6

Renter 130 145 171 185Population/Unit 2.08 2 2 2

Source: U.S. Census, 2000; McLean County Regional Planning Commission

The land use plan is aprimary feature of a compre-hensive community plan. Itindicates what the physicalform, and to a large degree,what the function of the com-munity is to be. In essence,the land use plan is a guidefor making the best use of theland to serve the needs of thecommunity. If the plan is tobe effective, it must reflectthe goals of the communityand be based on sound designprinciples. Moreover, it musttake into consideration exist-ing land use patterns and pro-jected growth trends. Theland use plan, therefore,begins with a discussion ofdesign principles and includesa description of existing landuse conditions.

DDEESSIIGGNN PPRRIINNCCIIPPLLEESS

Land use design prin-ciples are used as a guide toevaluate existing conditionsand plan for future needs.They set forth in generalterms the ingredients consid-ered necessary to achieve adesirable land use pattern. Inreference to the overall devel-opment pattern, three basicprinciples will be followed.First, in order to strengthenthe cohesiveness of the com-munity, the land use patternwill be balanced around acommon center or centers.

Secondly, in order to facili-tate the orderly and economicprovision of public utilitiesand other services, futuredevelopments will be locatedadjacent to presently devel-oped areas, and within theexisting community whenappropriately sized tracts ofvacant land are available.And thirdly, in order to pro-tect the character of residen-tial, commercial, and indus-trial areas, reduce traffic haz-ards, and conserve the tax-able value of land and build-ings, the mixing of incompat-ible land uses will be avoid-ed. Additional design princi-ples which apply to specificland use categories are pre-sented below.

RReessiiddeennttiiaall AArreeaass

Residential areas willprovide a sufficient variety ofhousing types to serve all res-idents of the community. Thisusually requires that residen-tial areas be developed toaccommodate a range of den-sities. Low density areas,generally containing fromthree to five dwelling unitsper acre, will normally com-prise the greatest portion ofresidential land. These areasconsist primarily of singlefamily units, but may includea limited number of duplexes,apartments, or cluster devel-

opments. Mediumdensity residential areas gen-erally contain an average ofsix to fourteen dwelling unitsper acre and may exhibit awide variety of housing typesincluding duplexes, town-houses, condominiums, apart-ments, and single familyunits. Medium density areasmay be accommodatedthrough specific design proj-ects such as planned unit ortraditional neighborhooddevelopments (TND). Highdensity areas generally con-tain an average of over four-teen dwelling units per acreand consist primarily ofapartment complexes andsimilar multiple family units.

Residential areas willbe conducive to a safe andpedestrian-friendly livingenvironment. They will bescreened from incompatibleuses such as major commer-cial areas, industrial areas,and similar uses which couldadversely affect the livingenvironment. Areas of highand medium density, becauseof their greater traffic vol-umes, will be restricted tolocations easily accessible toactivity centers, shoppingareas, and employment cen-ters to serve as a bufferbetween these uses and sur-rounding areas of lower den-sity residences. This usuallyrequires that higher densityareas be located near a major


Land Use

C H A P T E R

77

street or highway, or near thecenter of town.

CCoommmmeerrcciiaall AArreeaass

Commercial areasgenerally consist of the cen-tral business district (CBD)or downtown, the neighbor-hood shopping area, and thehighway commercial area. Acommunity's central businessdistrict will contain the majorshopping facilities and profes-sional services and will servethe entire community. Theneighborhood commercialarea will provide items suchas groceries, pharmaceuticals,and similar convenience itemsto nearby residential areas.The shopping facilities ofneighborhood commercialareas will be grouped togeth-er at major street intersec-tions and interfere as little aspossible with adjacent resi-dential areas. Both the down-town and neighborhood shop-ping areas will be designed toaccommodate pedestrians andautomobiles. In smaller com-munities, the downtown orCBD often fulfills the role ofneighborhood shopping areaas well.

The highway com-mercial area will serve auto-mobile oriented needs andwill include such establish-ments as motels, restaurants,automobile dealerships, andservice stations. These areaswill be located near the inter-section of major highways.Access to businesses in high-way commercial areas will becarefully managed to reduce

conflict points and avoidpotential traffic hazards.

IInndduussttrriiaall AArreeaass

Because it providesemployment and strengthensthe tax base, some industry isusually considered desirablewithin a community.Industrial sites will be ade-quate in area, be separatedfrom incompatible uses, andhave convenient access andpleasant surroundings.Although noise and smokeare less of a problem todaythan was once the case, it isoften desirable to locateindustries in outlying areas toreduce potential conflicts,enhance access and provideroom for expansion. Industryneed not be limited to theheavy manufacturing variety.Light industry, such as ware-housing, distributing andresearch are often desirablecomponents of a community'sindustrial sector.

PPuubblliicc aanndd SSeemmii-PPuubblliicc AArreeaass

Public and semi-pub-lic areas consist of land usedto serve all or significant por-tions of the community's resi-dents. Public lands includegovernmental buildings, insti-tutions such as schools andhospitals, libraries, and simi-lar uses serving the generalpopulation. Semi-public landsinclude parochial schools,scout camps, churches, orother organizations which aregenerally privately owned and

serve a defined segment ofthe population. It is oftendesirable to group certainpublic and semi-public areastogether forming a nucleus ofcommunity activity. Thisnucleus is strengthened whendeveloped in conjunction withthe central business district.

A component of pub-lic and semi-public areas isrecreation areas. Recreationareas include public parks,playgrounds, and similarleisure-time facilities as wellas scenic natural areas withinthe community. Like publicand semi-public areas, recre-ation areas can be used tostrengthen the nucleus of thecommunity and can be advan-tageously placed in conjunc-tion with certain public andsemi-public areas. It is alsodesirable, however, to pro-vide smaller recreationalareas to serve individualneighborhoods within thecommunity. More specificdesign criteria for parks andrelated other public facilitiesare addressed in Chapter 9 ofthis report.

EEXXIISSTTIINNGG LLAANNDD UUSSEE

The spatial distribu-tion of existing land uses inthe City is graphically illus-trated in Figure 4. The pres-ent land use pattern withinLexington is relatively wellbalanced with an exceptional-ly clean demarcation betweenurban and rural on the eastside of the City. This areaconsists primarily of singlefamily residences along with


the downtown, schools,parks, and industrial develop-ment along the railroadtracks. On the west side, theCity has extended outwardtoward Interstate 55, and tothe southwest, where somerecent single family resi-dences have developed. TheCity has become less compactas it has extended westward.While this is typical of con-temporary growth and devel-opment, efforts will be madeto provide pedestrian ameni-ties and accessibility to serv-ices in developing neighbor-hoods.

The City's composi-tion of existing land use issummarized in Table 7.1. Asin most communities, devel-

opment in Lexington is char-acterized by a high propor-tion of land devoted to resi-dential uses and streets, and arelatively small proportiondevoted to other uses. Byusing the “land per 100 per-sons ratio” it is possible tocompare Lexington's land usecharacteristics with those con-sidered to be the average ofsimilar communities in theMidwest. In some respects,Lexington's land use charac-teristics are similar to thoseof the average city. However,there are some notable varia-tions as well.

Residential landaccounts for nearly one-halfof Lexington's developedarea and nearly fifteen acres

per 100 persons. This propor-tion is above that of the aver-age city, due in part to thelack of a central sewer sys-tem and to the local trend inrecent years for the construc-tion of single family homeson larger lots. This is particu-larly evident in the southwest-ern part of the City. Withregard to multiple-family res-idences, Lexington is abovethe average city figure aswell in terms of land per 100persons.

The second majorland use—streets, railroads,and alleyways—comprisesnearly a third of Lexington'sdeveloped area and 10.1acres per 100 persons. Thisratio is well above that of the


TTaabbllee 77..11SSuummmmaarryy ooff EExxiisstt iinngg LLaanndd UUssee DDaattaa


DDeevveellooppeedd LLaanndd ppeerr110000

CCaatteeggoorryy AAccrreess%% ooff TToottaall

AArreeaa

%% ooffDDeevveellooppeedd

AArreeaa LLeexxiinnggttoonnAAvveerraaggee

CCii ttyy

Residential 285.2 42.6 47.5 14.9 9.5Single Family 273.7 40.9 45.6 14.3 9.3Multi-Family 11.5 1.7 1.9 0.6 0.2

Commercial 52.1 7.8 8.7 2.7 0.6Industrial 14.5 2.2 2.4 0.7 1.1Public & Semi-public 54.4 8.1 9.1 2.8 3.1

Schools 13.2 2.0 2.2 0.7Public 2.6 0.4 0.4 0.1Semi-Public 6.4 1.0 1.1 0.3Parks (City) 32.3 4.8 5.4 1.7

Streets, ROW, RR 193.7 29.0 32.3 10.1 3.2

Total Developed Area 599.9 89.7 100.0 31.4 17.5Agricultural 23.5 3.5Vacant 45.5 6.8TOTAL 668.9 100.0

Source: McLean County Geographic Information System database, 2002, for "Existing Land Use" data; MCRPC compilation of Midwestern Comprehensive Plans for "Average City" data.

average city. This can beattributed to the linear devel-opment extending to Interstate55 and to the grid system ofstreets which is prevalentthroughout most of the city.In addition, alleyways in theolder portion of the Cityoccupy a large amount ofland, as do rail lines.

Commercial acreageis over four times that of theaverage city. Lexington con-tains a number of fairly largecommercial tracts that are notintensively developed, mostnotably around the I-55 inter-change. As a result, the com-mercial ratio for the City issomewhat inflated.Commercial uses are ofcourse also prevalent withinthe central business districtand west on Main Street, aswell as along Route 66.

Industrial land use inLexington is somewhat belowthat of the average city, butnevertheless is an importantcomponent of the City'sdeveloped area. The greatestconcentration of industrialland use is well situated alongthe railroad tracks in the nearwest portion of the City andthe extreme southwesternportion, with the latter con-taining most of the City’slarger industries, includingAnvil Brand Shoes.

Public and semi-pub-lic land uses, including publicbuildings, schools, churchesand similar uses, are compa-rable to that of the averagecity. Selected public facilitiesare examined in somewhatmore detail in Chapter 9 ofthis report.

The present land useoutside of the incorporatedboundaries of Lexington isbeginning to change.Agricultural uses still domi-nate the landscape, but morenew homes and businesseswill undoubtedly developwhen a sewer system isdeveloped. Areas adjacent tothe city proper will have ahigh potential for residentialdevelopment, while areas far-ther west will have greaterpotential for business devel-opment. The rural areasaround Lexington, along withthe other small communitiesin McLean County, arebecoming increasingly popu-lar building sites for peoplewho work in theBloomington-Normal area butwho wish to reside in a morerural setting. Demand for res-idences will undoubtedlyaccelerate when sewersbecome available, and longrange plans will take this andthe possible implications forthe City into consideration.

FFUUTTUURREE LLAANNDD UUSSEE

OObbjjeeccttiivveess

The objectives presentedherein are based on an analy-sis of existing conditions andtrends and form the basicframework for the land useplan. The overall goal is toachieve the most desirableuse of the land at the mostappropriate locations withinand adjacent to the communi-ty in order to enrich the qual-ity of life for residents. The

objectives are as follows:

• Abundant open space tomeet ecological and recre-ational needs;

• Preservation of environ-mentally sensitive areassuch as flood plains andareas of steep slope;

• Development of suitablevacant land within thecommunity;

• Delineation of growthareas contiguous to exist-ing developed areas of thecommunity that are of suf-ficient size and intensity toaccommodate projectedpopulation and economicgrowth and supportingservices;

• A wide range of housingtypes and costs to serve allincome levels and agegroups within the commu-nity;

• A strong and clearlydefined central businessdistrict and a sufficientamount of highway com-mercial areas;

• Expansion of commercialand light industrial activityto strengthen the localeconomy and provideexpanded employmentopportunities; and

• A sufficient amount ofrecreation areas to servethe needs of the communi-ty.

LLaanndd UUssee PPllaann

The land use plan isdesigned to support the statedobjectives and policies. Itdesignates sufficient land to



Figure 4Existing Land Use


back of 4

meet anticipated future needsfor open space, residential,commercial, industrial andpublic uses that will be gener-ated by the projected 2025population of 2,900. In desig-nating future land uses, theplan takes into considerationthe design principles and thecurrent land use characteris-tics and trends as well as theobjectives and policies forfuture land use developmentpresented earlier. The basicprovisions of the land useplan are described in this sec-tion and presented graphicallyin Figure 5. In order to pro-vide flexibility and avoididentifying specific tracts fordevelopment, approximately20 percent more land is illus-trated on the map for futureresidential development thanis expected to be needed toaccommodate the projectedpopulation.

Open Space

The plan for openspace is aimed at ensuringsufficient land is set aside tomeet future needs for bothactive and passive recreation,and at preserving environ-mentally sensitive areas andpreventing the needlessencroachment of urban devel-opment onto productive farm-land. To reduce the loss offarmland, the land use plandesignates growth areas thatare contiguous to existingdevelopment and identifiesland to be left as vacant oragricultural (see Figure 5).The plan also promotes com-pact development of sufficientdensities to support the eco-nomic provision of sewersand other urban services, andto minimize land consump-tion.

Environmentally sen-sitive areas are defined asstreams, floodplains anddrainageways, and are desig-

nated as conservation/recre-ation on the land use plan(see Figure 5). These areasinclude the floodplains of theMackinaw River and TurkeyCreek as well as a number ofsmaller streams and drainage-ways. Environmentally sensi-tive areas offer opportunitiesfor passive recreation andcould eventually provide ascenic break from a growingurban landscape. They couldalso offer opportunities forcertain forms of more activerecreation such as bike orwalking trails and parks.Such forms of recreation areaddressed in more detail inChapter 9 of this report.

Residential Areas

Approximately 120acres of the more than 360total additional acres requiredto meet the City's projected2025 development needs willbe required for residential use(see Table 7.2). All but sev-enteen acres of this amountare designated for low tomedium density with anassumed average density ofthree dwelling units. Thelargest areas of future low tomedium density are proposedto the immediate south of theCity, although some signifi-cant tracts are also identifiedfor the west and southwest(see Figure 5). An area ofmedium to high density resi-dential development, whichcould include apartments,townhouses and smaller lotsingle-family detached units,is designated on the near


Exhibit 7-A. Prairie Central Co-op Elevator

northwest side, adjacent to2480 East near the intersec-tion with P. J. KellerHighway. The downtownarea would also be appropri-ate for multi-family develop-ment, particularly aboveretail.

Mixed Use Town Center

The downtown areahas been designated as amixed use town center (seeFigure 5). This means a vari-ety of uses are appropriateand desirable to maintain theviability and vibrance of thedowntown area. These mayinclude retail, office andsome more intensive residen-tial such as apartments,duplexes and smaller singlefamily units on smaller lots.

Residences above businessesare also desirable here.Government buildings andfacilities, including City Hall,library and community centerwill continue to be locatedhere, along with smallerareas of public open space,such as the town square.Space may be limited for cer-tain types of public facilitiessuch as public water supplywells and treatment facilities,and alternative sites may needto be considered as the Citygrows.

A number of meas-ures can be taken to enhancethe City’s downtown area.The existing shorter setbacksand placement of buildingsrelatively close to the streetwith on-street and rear park-ing will be maintained to pre-serve the character and

appearance of the street andthe pedestrian friendly natureof the existing downtown.The replacement of olderbuildings with parking lots,as is sometimes done indowntowns, will generally beavoided, as this disrupts thecontinuity of the streetscapeand detracts from the pedes-trian friendly nature of down-towns. If and when it is nec-essary to replace buildingswith parking lots, care willbe taken to provide adequatelandscaping and screening toenhance appearances.

As funds becomeavailable, certain otherimprovements will be consid-ered to further enhance thedowntown. Curb and gutterand sidewalk improvementswould enhance appearance, aswould additional landscaping,


TTaabbllee 77..22PPrroo jjeecctteedd CChhaannggee iinn LLaanndd UUssee CCoommppoossii tt iioonn:: 22000044-22002255


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PPeerrssoonnssResidential 285.2 119.8 405.0 42.2 14.0 Low to Medium Density 273.7 114.3 a/ 388.0 40.4 13.4 Medium to High Density 11.5 5.5 b/ 17.0 1.8 0.6

Commercial 52.1 83.6 c/ 135.7 14.1 4.7

Industrial 14.5 51.8 66.3 6.9 2.3

Public & Semi Public (including parks) 54.4 20.0 74.4 d/ 7.7 2.6

Streets, Alleys & Railroads 193.7 85.5 279.2 29.1 9.6

Total Developed Area 599.9 360.7 960.6 100.0 33.1

a/ 4 dwelling units per acreb/ 10 dwelling units per acrec/ Includes mixed use town centerd/ Excludes greenways and future trails

Source: 2004: Table 7.1; 2025: Table 6.5, Figure 4.

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thematical street lighting,benches and receptacles.These and other enhance-ments to the downtown willbe considered as part of thecapital improvements pro-gramming process, especiallyas expected economic growthis realized and produces addi-tional revenues for the City.

Commercial Areas

Land used for com-mercial development isplanned to increase by nearlytwo-thirds (see Table 7.2).Most commercial develop-ment is planned along the P.J. Keller Highway corridorextending to and includingthe interchange with Interstate55 (see Figure 5). This pro-posed area of commercialdevelopment is the highwayvariety and is thus automobileoriented, with only limitedpedestrian accessibility. Highstandards for design and land-scaping will be adopted toenhance the appearance ofcommercial developmentalong this important gatewayto the community.

Some commercialexpansion is also envisionedfor the downtown, along withthe other enhancementsdescribed above. The down-town offers both automobileand pedestrian accessibilityfrom adjacent residentialareas.

Industrial Areas

Considerably more

industrial land is also pro-posed for future development(see Table 7.2). Principalareas of industrial develop-ment include the south side ofthe Interstate 55 interchangeand adjacent to the existingindustrial area located in thesouthwest part of the Cityalong Route 66 (see Figure5). Light industrial uses, suchas warehousing, are envi-sioned for near Interstate 55,while some additional manu-facturing would be appropri-ate in the southwest industrialarea.

Public and Semi-Public

Additional land willalso be needed for additionalparks, trails, public facilities,churches and similar uses asthe City grows (see Table7.2). The additional acreageallocated for this category onTable 7.2 provides for theaddition of a neighborhoodpark to serve planned resi-dential growth on the westside of the community in oradjacent to areas designatedas “conservation or recreationon Figure 5. Chapter 9 iden-tifies potential areas formajor new public facilitiessuch as parks.

Residential Reserve

These areas representlogical areas for long rangecommunity expansion (seeFigure 5). Such areas offerlong range developmentpotential, primarily to accom-

modate residential develop-ment beyond the 2025 plan-ning period or “spill-over”development which couldresult if the projected residen-tial land requirements pre-sented in Table 7.2 areexceeded. Identification ofreserve growth areas is par-ticularly important when itmay not be practical to fre-quently update comprehensiveplans or when the specificimpacts of events, such as theconstruction of a sewer sys-tem, are difficult to assess. Itis important to note that con-tiguous areas designated forresidential growth will bedeveloped first to achieve thegreatest efficiencies in termsof land utilization and publicinfrastructure costs.


The location of trans-portation facilities has a pro-found effect on land usedevelopment. The transporta-tion plan will therefore com-pliment and reinforce a com-munity's land use plan. It willalso provide for the safe andconvenient movement of per-sons and vehicles to, fromand within the community.Alternative modes of travelwill also be considered inorder to provide for the needsof all residents includingpedestrians and bicyclists.The needs of these personsare particularly important in asmaller community whereshort distances between desti-nations and the lack of largevolumes of motorized trafficmake non-motorized travelmore attractive.

SSTTRREEEETTSS AANNDDHHIIGGHHWWAAYYSS

DDeessiiggnn PPrriinncciipplleess

For the purposes ofthis plan, the street systemhas been classified into threegroups according to function.These classifications aremajor streets, collector streetsand local streets. Majorstreets will be designed toprovide continuity and con-nect the community withnearby highways and otherpopulation centers. Collector

streets will be designed tocollect traffic from the localstreet system and distribute itto the major streets. Collectorstreets will not function asalternative "through" streets,and this can be accomplishedby limiting the length of seg-ments that comprise the sys-tem and by spacing collectorstreets so as not to be locatedclose to major streets. Localstreets will carry low vol-

umes of traffic and serve asaccess to abutting properties.Local streets usually comprisethe majority of street mileagein a community. These streetswill be designed to discour-age through traffic by limit-ing continuity or by providingstop signs or other trafficcalming methods.

EExxiissttiinngg SSttrreeeett aanndd HHiigghhwwaayySSyysstteemm

Lexington's existingstreet system generally pro-vides efficient access topoints in and around the City.The street and highway sys-tem with respective trafficvolumes is presented inFigure 6.

The primary access toLexington and other areas is

provided by Interstate 55 andRoute 66, which connect theCity to Bloomington-Normaland Pontiac, as well as otherarea locations. P. J. KellerHighway on the City's westside and Spencer Street pro-vide access from the inter-state into Lexington. NorthOrange Street is a streetwhere City access can be


Transportation

C H A P T E R

88

Exhibit 8-A. Route 66 Walkway/Bike Path

obtained from CountyHighway 2500 and Route 66to the north. The City canalso be accessed from thesouth by Grove Street fromRoute 66.

Lexington streets areprimarily laid out in atraditional grid system thatprovides for ease of accessonce in the City. West Mainis a major east and weststreet, while Pine Street is themajor north/south street.These facilities comprise theexisting major street andhighway system that servesthe needs of the communityand provides excellent accessto the City from all areas ofMcLean County and beyond.

The City does nothave a well defined collectorstreet system that has beendesignated to perform thefunction of distributing trafficto the major streets and high-ways. It does, however, havea number of major streets

designated as truck routes toenhance traffic flow byreducing conflicts with localtraffic (see Figure 6).

The local or minorstreet system located east ofRoute 66 is based on thetraditional grid pattern. Thelocal street pattern in thesouth and southwest has beendesigned to more contempo-rary standards, which providefor long blocks, curvalinearstreets and cul-de-sacs. Theprimary access street fornewer residential develop-ment on the southwest side isSpencer Street. Most streetsleading in and out of thesesubdivisions do not providethe degree of continuity andease of access afforded by thetraditional grid system in theolder parts of town. Thereare presently five cul-de-sacspresent on the southwest sidealone.

FFuuttuurree MMaajjoorr SSttrreeeettss

A major focus of thetransportation plan is on pre-serving the existing street net-work and on providing direc-tion for the extension ofmajor streets that will beneeded to maintain continuityand effectively serve futuredevelopment. The transporta-tion plan provides for pre-serving the existing system ofmajor streets and truck routesas shown on Figure 7. It alsoidentifies a number of streetextensions to serve areas ofplanned development andlikely future areas of growthand development.

The most significantstreet addition is the looparound the southern edge ofthe City created by the pro-posed southern extension ofLee and Vermillion Streetsand a connecting linkbetween them. This wouldextend the City’s street net-


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Facility Direction Local Truck Route

P. J. Keller Hwy East-West NAMain Street East-West Between 2480 E. and West St.Chatham Street East-West YesWalnut Street East-West Between West and PineSouth Street East-West Between West and east City LimitsInterstate 55 North-South NA2480 East Road North-South YesRoute 66 North-South NAWest Street North-South Between Walnut and SouthPine Street North-South Between Walnut and ChathamOrange Street North-South Between Route 66 and Chatham

Source: MCRPC and City of Lexington Revised Ordinances Sec. 5.28.

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work to serve the City’slargest area of planned resi-dential development.

Other important streetadditions provided for in theplan include the westerlyextension of Peine Drive andthe northerly extension ofMeadowland Drive to thesouth side of P. J. KellerHighway. Both extensions arein the paths of plannedgrowth, and both offer poten-tial for future extensions aslong range growth to thesoutheast of the Interstate 55interchange warrants. Theplan also identifies a numberof other potential long rangestreet extensions on the east-ern and southern edges of theCity’s planned growth areas(see Figure 7).

PPEEDDEESSTTRRIIAANN AANNDDBBIICCYYCCLLEETTRRAANNSSPPOORRTTAATTIIOONN

Trails, streets andsidewalks that provide for thesafe movement of pedestriansand bicyclists represent adesirable form of alternativetransportation that can alsomeet local recreation needs.It is important that these sys-tems be well planned to com-plement other communityfacilities and not conflict withthe street and highway sys-tem. This section addressesthe provision of pedestrianand bicycle transportationfacilities in the Lexingtonarea.


A bicycle-pedestriantransportation system will beestablished according to thefollowing design principles.

1. Trails for non-motorizedtravel will connect theCity with other communi-ties and major recreationsites in the region.

2. Trails will also connectlocal recreation sites,schools, and other com-munity facilities or activitycenters with existing andplanned residential neigh-borhoods.

3. Trails will be designed forthe safe use by residentsaccording to the followingpriorities:

a. completely separatedfrom streets and high-ways;

b. located adjacent tostreets or highways butnot utilizing the samepaved surface;

c. located on the samepaved surface but pro-vided with a dedicatedlane or widened shoul-der; and

d. located on a marked“bike route” utilizingthe same paved surfaceas other traffic onminor streets.

4. Adequate sidewalks will

be provided in virtually alldeveloped areas.

TTrraaiillss PPllaann

This plan incorporates therecommendations for trailspresented in the McLeanCounty RegionalComprehensive Plan and theMcLean County RegionalGreenways Plan as a startingpoint for the City’s trailsplan. These plans proposedthat a trail system be estab-lished throughout the County.This regional system willserve Lexington via the pro-posed Historic Route 66Bikeway with connections toTowanda and the ConstitutionTrail system of Bloomington-Normal and points south, andconnections to Chenoa andpoints north. Phase I designof the segment from Towandato McLean is nearing comple-tion, and will eventually befollowed by Phase I designfor the segment fromTowanda through Lexingtonto Chenoa. The Route 66Bikeway is ultimately envi-sioned as a statewide ornationwide bikeway thatcould bring potentially signif-icant economic benefits tocommunities it serves.

The proposed Route 66Bikeway would also serve asa spine for an extended localtrail system. Currently, theonly separated trails are inthe park adjacent to the highschool grounds. The trailsplan for Lexington providesfor the development of a biketrail loop from Route 66


along “Memory Lane” andanother loop from theMemory Lane/Route 66 con-nection via the proposedTurkey Creek and MackinawRiver Greenways (see Figure7). These trail loops will pro-vide an interconnected systemthat takes advantage of theHistoric Route 66 Bikewayand creates exciting recre-ational opportunities for bothresidents and tourists. Thebicycle-pedestrian trail initia-tive is partially being madepossible through a jurisdic-tional transfer of a four-milestretch of the south-boundlane of Old Route 66 fromthe Illinois Department ofTransportation (IDOT) to theCity. Approximately 2.2miles of this section hasalready been paved for use asa bike and pedestrian trail.

In order to implement thetrails plan, the City willdetermine the specific loca-tion and design of each trailsegment. Based on thedesign, costs estimates foreach segment will be obtainedso that priorities and fundingsources can be identified. TheCity will then be prepared topromote the acquisition,development, and mainte-nance of both on-road andoff-road trails to expandopportunities for recreation,tourism, and alternativemodes of transportation. TheCity will also continue toencourage the construction ofsidewalks throughout thecommunity and especially inthose areas that attract signifi-cant numbers of pedestrians,such as schools, parks and

other public facilities. Theconstruction of sidewalks isalso of special importance incongested commercial areasand along major and collectorstreets where safety is a con-cern.


Community facilitiesinclude public buildings,parks, schools, utilities andsimilar facilities essential toeveryday community life.These facilities have a directeffect on the appearance andlivability of a community,and greatly affect the commu-nity’s ability to attract andguide future growth. Theywill, therefore, be developedwithin the framework of theland use and major street planand will reflect the goals andobjectives of the community.Since community facilityimprovements often requireconsiderable capital expendi-tures, it is important thatplanning be done well inadvance so that appropriatecapital improvements pro-gramming can be completed.

DDEESSIIGGNN PPRRIINNCCIIPPLLEESS

The overall goal ofthe community facilities planis to provide adequate publicutilities and community serv-ices at a level which willguide and promote compacturban development. Toachieve this, certain designprinciples and objectives willbe kept in mind. First, certaincommunity facilities such aspublic buildings and parkswill be grouped together atappropriate locations to formactivity centers easily accessi-

ble to and from all parts ofthe community. The groupingof these facilities in thedowntown can enhance theviability of the downtownarea. Care will also be takento ensure that adequateschools and park and recre-ation facilities are available tomeet the present and antici-pated future needs of the

community, in terms of bothsize and location of facilities.Cost effective water supplyand waste water disposal sys-tems will be developed toadequately serve existing andfuture populations of thecommunity. More specificdesign principles for commu-nity facilities are presentedlater in this chapter by typeof facility.

PPUUBBLLIICC BBUUIILLDDIINNGGSS

Public buildingsinclude such structures as thecity hall, post office and firestation, which generally pro-vide community-wide servic-es. They will therefore be sit-uated in areas convenientlyaccessible to and from allparts of the community. This

usually requires that publicbuildings be grouped near thecenter of town in a locationof major traffic flow. Sincethe construction of publicbuildings requires consider-able public expenditures, theywill also be situated in anarea which allows for futureexpansion whenever possible.


Community Facilities

C H A P T E R

99

Exhibit 9-A. Lexington Community Building

EExxiissttiinngg BBuuiillddiinnggss

Public buildings dis-cussed here include the CityHall, community center,library, and fire station. Thelocations of these structuresare shown in Figure 8. TheCity’s existing public build-ings are described in the fol-lowing paragraphs.

City Hall

The City Hall serves as thecenter of municipal govern-ment and is located down-town on Main Street at Vine.It contains the City Councilmeeting room, police depart-ment, zoning, public worksand ESDA, as well as theadministrative offices for theCity. This structure was con-structed in 1949 and upgrad-ed in 1994. The structure’sdowntown location is well sit-uated near the center of thecommunity. The parking lotto the east of the facilitycould provide space forexpansion if conditions war-rant. This structure will beadequate for the foreseeablefuture, but expansion mayeventually need to be consid-ered if the City’s anticipatedgrowth is realized.

Community Center

The LexingtonCommunity Center was builtin 1991 and is located onMain Street at Pine in thedowntown. Although used bythe public, the center is pri-

vately owned. Its primaryfunction is to host communityand private events for the cit-izens of Lexington. It is thedowntown’s newest construc-tion and a focal point of com-munity pride and a gatheringplace for city residents. Thefacility is available for rentand has banquet seating for300. It is equipped with a fullkitchen. Other amenitiesinclude state-of-the-art soundsystem, bar and cateringservice, portable dance floor,and private conference room.Peace Meal, the locally basedcommunity lunch program,utilizes the kitchen on week-days. It is likely this newfacility will be able to ade-quately serve Lexington forthe life of this planning peri-od without significant alter-ations.

Fire Station

The City ofLexington has a volunteer firedepartment and ambulanceservice. It is located onParkway Street across fromthe downtown city Park. Onaverage, the facility answers110 calls per year and has avolunteer staff of 42. Thestaff has at its disposal fourfire trucks and one ambu-lance. As the City grows, thefacility may need to beexpanded.

A somewhat morewestward location would bet-ter serve developing areas tothe west while maintainingadequate service capabilitiesto the older eastern part of

the City. Although a centrallocation is sometimes advan-tageous, the most critical fac-tors determining specific fireprotection needs include pop-ulation density, travel time,and the type and intensity ofcommunity development. Thefollowing criteria are fre-quently used as a guide fordetermining fire protectionrequirements: (1) one enginecompany should be locatedwithin ¾ to 1 mile of a high-value district; (2) one enginecompany should be locatedwith 1½ to 2 miles of adensely-developed residentialdistrict; and (3) one enginecompany should be locatedwithin 3 to 4 miles of asparsely developed residentialdistrict. Thus, a future firestation site located slightlyfurther to the west couldmore effectively serve bothexisting and future areas ofdevelopment.

Public Library

The Lexington PublicLibrary is located at the cor-ner of Cedar and SouthStreets. It was originallyestablished as a reading roomin 1895. In 1951, the librarydistrict was formed and thename was changed from theSmith Library to theLexington Public Library.Present programmingincludes public internetaccess, youth summer readingprograms, children’s storyhour and book discussions.The building has a smallauditorium on the third floor


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that was previously used formeetings and is no longerused for this service. Thecurrent facility and the serv-ices it provides are adequatefor the population it serves.Library services and viabilityof the structure will need tobe periodically re-evaluatedas the City grows. Accordingto library officials, an expan-sion of library space may benecessary in the future. Thiscould involve an expansion ofthe current facility or merit anew location or new con-struction.

FFuuttuurree BBuuiillddiinnggss

The objective forfuture public buildings is topreserve and enhance existingstructures and provide addi-tional structures as needed toserve anticipated growth. Thepublic buildings plan recom-mends the construction of anew fire station and thepreservation of other publicbuildings within the City (seeFigure 8). The recommendedlocation of the fire station isthe downtown area approxi-mately six blocks west of thecurrent station as is presentlyunder consideration. This siteoffers a more central locationand a slightly faster responsetime to the developing westside. While priority will begiven to the fire station, thecondition of other publicbuildings will be monitoredand improvements made asconditions warrant.

SSCCHHOOOOLLSS

The importance ofadequate schools in a commu-nity cannot be overempha-sized. Adequate schools mustbe available if a community isto continue to grow and pros-per. In addition to the pri-mary function as an educa-tional facility, the moderncommunity school oftenserves as a common neigh-borhood activity center byproviding a variety of recre-ational facilities. Therefore,the continued provisions ofadequate schools is essential.

Local comprehensiveplans provide an importantframework for considerationby school districts in develop-ing detailed plans and projec-tions of individual districtneeds. School districts shouldconsider how the maintenanceand development of schoolfacilities will impact the over-all community. Schools canfunction as a neighborhoodcenter depending on its loca-tion and its availability to thecommunity when school isnot in session. Districts mustalso continue to maintain highstandards of public educationfor increasing student num-bers. Districts in stable ordeclining population areas canalso be faced with a stagnantor declining tax base to sup-port public education.


Schools should bedesigned within the frame-work of certain basic princi-

ples, and according to localneeds and conditions. It isoften desirable to locate aschool as closely as possibleto the center of its servicearea. The school should also,where feasible, be developedadjacent to a neighborhoodpark or playground, thusallowing the two facilities tofunction together as a neigh-borhood center. In order toreduce safety hazards, ele-mentary schools should notbe located adjacent to majorstreets.

The State of IllinoisDepartment of Education rec-ommends that elementaryschool enrollments should notexceed 1,200 students at anyone building. According tothe department, average ele-mentary enrollment perschool building should aver-age 800 students to providefor appropriate teacher/stu-dent ratios. An acceptableclass size is thirty students,although there appears to bean effort among educators tolower these numbers.

EExxiissttiinngg SScchhoooollss

The City ofLexington’s school systemhas been a long-standingsource of pride for the com-munity. As many ruralschools are forced to consoli-date, the LexingtonCommunity District #7remains relatively strong. In2003, Lexington had approxi-mately 160 students enrolledin its high school and 438students enrolled in classes


kindergarten through juniorhigh. Due to its strong histo-ry, the Lexington SchoolDistrict has been contacted inthe past about consolidatingwith other rural districts inthe area. Up to this point, theDistrict has expressed adesire not to absorb any addi-tional students or districtsinto its system.

Average class size forthe high school is thirty-eightand for the elementaryschool, twenty-three. Thehigh school has fifteen classrooms and the elementaryschool has twenty-five. Thehigh school and elementaryschool are located on thesame campus.

The current elemen-tary and high school struc-tures seem to comfortablyaccommodate the studentpopulation. In the spring of2003, the high school suf-fered structural damage froma fire that damaged severalareas of its building.However, those areas havebeen repaired without displac-ing students. At present, theLexington School Districtdoes not have any contin-gency plans for brick andmortar additions to its struc-tures. However, any futuregrowth in the area could putpressure on the elementaryand high school’s currentspace. If merited, school offi-cials are confident an expan-sion could be done on itspresent campus site.

FFuuttuurree SScchhoooollss

The objective is tocontinue to provide schoolsthat are well equipped, prop-erly staffed, and effectivelylocated to function jointly ascenters of education, recre-ation and community activity.Because of the growth pro-jected in the community,school enrollments and pro-jections will need to be close-ly monitored. A growingpopulation in the southernand western portions of theCity could put a strain onexisting school facilities,especially the grade schooland its ability to convenientlyserve new development.School administrators seemcomfortable that any expan-sion of facilities can beaccommodated on its presentcampus.

PPAARRKKSS AANNDDRREECCRREEAATTIIOONNAALLFFAACCIILLIITTIIEESS

The importance forlocal governments to provideadequate park and recreation-al space for residents hasbecome increasingly apparentin recent years. Park andrecreation considerations havebecome not only a quality oflife issue but a mental andphysical health issue formany communities.Recreation has become anintegral and necessary ele-ment in daily life. The Cityof Lexington, LexingtonCommunity Unit SchoolDistrict #7, and the

Lexington Park District sharethe responsibility of providingthese facilities for residents ofthe City.


National standardssuggest a community shouldhave ten acres of parkland orother public open space foreach 1,000 persons in a com-munity. It is suggested atleast 25 percent of any newdevelopment be dedicated torecreational use of some type.Parks and recreational areas(including natural areas)should be located within ahalf mile of residential areaswhen possible and be accessi-ble to all community resi-dents. The NationalRecreation and ParkAssociation recommends that“mini-parks” should be locat-ed within a quarter mile ofevery dwelling in a communi-ty and that these parks shouldcontain at least one acre ofland. These mini-parksshould have a picnic area,playground equipment and anall-purpose play area.Neighborhood parks, whichare now becoming part ofmany new residential devel-opments, should be locatedwithin a half mile of eachresidential dwelling and con-tain approximately fifteenacres. Youth ball fields, ten-nis courts, basketball courtsand picnic areas are some ofthe amenities suggested forneighborhood parks.


EExxiissttiinngg PPaarrkkss

Currently, Lexingtonhas approximately twenty-oneacres of parkland. The P. J.Keller Park is a well main-tained facility on the City’snortheast side and accountsfor the majority of this (seeFigure 8). This park containsa wide range of facilitiesincluding a swimming pool,playground, ball fields andwalking trails, two lightedtennis courts, basketballcourts, volleyball pit, largepicnic shelters, the PattonCabin, batting cage, golfcage, and concessions, all ofwhich complement the adja-cent school athletic and playfields. A small city park neardowntown accounts for aboutone acre and a small picnicarea on the City’s north sideat the entrance to “MemoryLane” accounts for the bal-ance of the community’sparkland. With a 2000 popu-lation of 1,912, the City’stwenty-one acres of parklandslightly exceeded the ten acreper thousand people nationalstandard for parkland. Inaddition, the high school ath-letic fields are sometimesused by community residents,thus providing additionalrecreation opportunities andopen space in excess of thestandard. However, none ofthe City’s existing parkland isin the vicinity of existing andplanned growth areas in thewestern part of the communi-ty.

The Lexington ParkDistrict has done an

admirable job in providingand encouraging local recre-ational opportunities. It hasorganized many youth recre-ational activities and will con-tinue its efforts in that direc-tion. It is likely that the needfor these types of activitieswill only increase as the Cityattracts younger families withchildren.

FFuuttuurree PPaarrkkss

The objective forfuture parks is to ensure theprovision of properly sizedand adequately equipped localparks to meet future as wellas present needs. Projectedgrowth suggests the need foran additional ten to twentyacre park in the western partof the City. The projected2025 population of 2,900 res-idents will require an addi-tional eight to nine acresabove current park acreagesin order to maintain the stan-dard of the ten acres perthousand population. An ade-quately sized new park facili-ty located on the westernedge of existing and projecteddevelopment could not onlymeet this standard and servethe western part of the com-munity, but could also servethe long range growth areasdesignated as “residentialreserve” on the land use plan.The general location of sucha facility is identified onFigure 8, adjacent to thepotential school site, pro-posed new street, and pro-posed Turkey CreekGreenway. A connection to

the proposed Turkey CreekTrail is also illustrated.

WWAATTEERR AANNDD SSEEWWEERRSSYYSSTTEEMMSS

Water and sewer sys-tems are essential componentsof a community’s infrastruc-ture. The water system main-tains the purity of the drink-ing water and supplies it tothe community, while a sewersystem disposes of sanitaryand industrial wastes. Sincethe availability of these serv-ices often generates develop-ment, well-planned water andsewer systems can contributeto orderly growth. The fol-lowing discussions are basedon studies carried out by theCity’s consulting engineering,the Farnsworth Group.

EExxiissttiinngg WWaatteerr SSyysstteemm

The existing watertreatment plant was construct-ed in 1950 and upgraded in1978. Water softening, pre-cipitation and filtrationdevices were refurbished in2001. The plant operates at150 or 300 gallons perminute (GPM) depending oncommunity water usagerequirements. The treatmentplant, components and elevat-ed storage tank are locatednear the center of the City atthe corner of Center andChestnut Streets. The originaltreatment plant is aged. Theplant is operating at approxi-mately 60 percent of its maxi-mum capacity. It is capable


of serving an additional 600persons before major expan-sion would be needed. A200,000 gallon above groundstorage tank was installed in1970. The tank is in goodcondition and was cleanedand repainted in 2003. Theabove ground tank will beable to store a day’s watersupply. The water distributionsystem has been upgraded toinclude fire loops and fireflows to serve the entire com-munity. Other recentupgrades include a 2002water distribution extensionsystem to serve the TimberRidge subdivision and a 10-inch water main to serveHighpoint Hill commercialsubdivision near the I-55interchange.

FFuuttuurree WWaatteerr SSyysstteemm

The objective forfuture water service is thetimely provision of safe, reli-able and efficient service toexisting and future residentsof the community. Whenadditional water treatmentcapacity becomes necessary,a new water plant will needto be constructed and theexisting plant retired fromservice. The replacementcould be located just west ofthe existing plant, space per-mitting, or more likely south-east of the City near Well #6as illustrated on Figure 8.Engineers have determinedthat a new storage tank willbe needed when average dailywater usage for the Cityapproaches 300,000 gallons,

or if additional fire protectionis needed. Plans are for thenew water tank to be locatednear the Interstate 55Interchange. A regional waterneeds assessment study doneby Farnsworth and WylieEngineers (The FarnsworthGroup) in 1994 indicated thatLexington should considerconnecting to the LakeBloomington water treatmentplant if and when a regionalwater supply system is devel-oped.

EExxiissttiinngg WWaasstteewwaatteerrTTrreeaattmmeenntt

Currently, the City ofLexington does not have asewage collection system andwastewater treatment plant.Wastewater generated inhomes and businesses is dis-charged into individual septictanks. Wastewater then drainsinto a drain tile system thatcarries the wastewater out ofthe City and into local water-ways. The individual septictanks, with sand filters, areinstalled in accordance withMcLean County HealthDepartment regulations.However, the lack of a cen-tral sewer system has beenand remains a major con-straint on the City’s growthand development

FFuuttuurree SSeewweerr SSyysstteemm

The City recognizesthe need to provide waste-water collection and treatmentfacilities in accordance with

the federal and IllinoisEnvironmental Protectionagency requirements.Planning is underway to builda separate sanitary sewer col-lection system and a sewagetreatment facility.

The objective is theprovision of safe and cost-effective sewer service forexisting residents and to sup-port planned growth anddevelopment. Thus, the sewersystem will be designed toserve the existing developedarea of the City as well as theareas identified for futuredevelopment in the land useplan.

The new sanitarysewer collection system willinclude seven pumping sta-tions and provide replacementsanitary sewer service con-nections to each residenceand commercial establish-ment. Present septic tank,seepage bed/or sand filtersystems will be disconnectedand abandoned. After the newfacilities are made availableto all City residents and busi-nesses, the need for sewagesystem permits from theMcLean County HealthDepartment will be eliminat-ed. Plans are for the existingdrain tile system to remainand serve the City as a stormwater discharge system there-after. Provisions have beenmade for wastewater to betreated at a new treatmentplant to be constructed to theimmediate northeast of theCity.


This study addressesthe problem of sensiblyaccommodating growth that islikely to occur as a result ofthe anticipated developmentof a central sewer system toserve the community. Its pur-pose is to provide an advisoryguide for public and privateactions regarding the futuredevelopment of the communi-ty. The study begins with asurvey and analysis of rele-vant background data to iden-tify local issues and concerns.It then identifies objectivesand presents recommenda-tions to address those devel-opment related issues. To ful-fill its purpose, the study con-cludes with a discussion ofthe methods, responsibilities,and policies for carrying outplan recommendations andultimately meeting planobjectives.

MMEETTHHOODDSS OOFFIIMMPPLLEEMMEENNTTAATTIIOONN

There are a numberof methods available to localgovernments for the achieve-ment of plan objectives.These methods include a vari-ety of special programs and acombination of legal, finan-cial and administrative tools.Following is a brief descrip-tion of the various methodswhich can be used to carryout the plan. These methods

are summarized on Table10.1.

LLeeggaall TToooollss

Legal tools includesuch regulatory measures aszoning ordinances, subdivi-sion regulations, and the offi-cial map. Because it controlsthe use of land, the zoningordinance is probably the sin-gle most effective means ofimplementing a community’sland use plan. The City ofLexington currently has azoning ordinance. The exist-ing zoning ordinance will bereviewed and updated asneeded to reflect current con-ditions and effectively supportthe recommendations of thiscomprehensive plan.

Subdivision regula-tions are another effectivetool. These regulationsrequire coordination of newstreets and other physicalimprovements to land with anexisting or planned street sys-tem, provide standards for lotlayout and street design,require adequate street rights-of-way and alignment of col-lector streets in conformancewith the transportation plan,require drainage facilities andeasements where necessary,and may require the installa-tion of utilities, sidewalks,trails, parks, and schools toserve new areas of develop-

ment. The City’s existingsubdivision ordinance will bereviewed to help ensure itsrequirements are up-to-dateand will adequately supportthe comprehensive plan andthe projected growth pre-scribed in the plan.

The official map andcodes represent other meansfor meeting plan objectives.Codes provide sound stan-dards for the construction,use and occupancy of build-ings. The City has adoptedthe Building Officials andCode Administrators (BOCA)Building Code to help assureproper construction practices.The official map provides themunicipality with a means toreserve land designated forpublic purposes for a oneyear period from the time theland is subdivided. The mapidentifies the location offuture public facilities andstreets and, in effect, servesnotice that the municipalityintends to acquire the desig-nated land through purchase,dedication or donation. Theadoption of the official mapmeans the City may delayany action by a land ownerthat would preclude theextension of a street or thedevelopment of other publicfacilities. An official mapwas prepared to reflect thespecific public projects identi-fied in the comprehensiveplan (see Figure 9).


Implementation

C H A P T E R

1010


Table 10.1Summary of Frequently Used Tools for Implementing the Comprehensive Plan

Legal Tools

Zoning OrdinanceA zoning ordinance controls the use of land and is an effective means of supplementing a community's land use plan. Zoning decisions can be more defensible if based on the land use plan.

Subdivision Regulations

These regulations require coordination of new street and other physical improvements to land with an existing or planned street system and provide standards for a lot layout and street design. Subdivision regulations also require adequate street rights of way and alignment of collector streets in conformance with the transportation plan. They also require drainage facilities and easements where necessary and the installation of utilities to serve new areas of development. Also included in subdivision ordinances may be provisions for planned unit developments and for dedication for community facilities.

CodesCodes provide sound standards for the construction, use and occupancy of buildings.

Official MapThe official map provides the municipality with a means to reserve land designated for public purposes for a one-year period from the time that such land is subdivided. The map pinpoints the location of future public facilities and can serve notice that a city intends to acquire the designated land.

Financial Tools

Capital Improvement Programs

The capital improvements program includes a list of capital projects on a priority basis scheduled for a defined period of time (usually about six years). These programs usually include an estimate of the costs and funding sources for each project.

Federal/State Aid ProgramsThese programs provide technical and financial assistance for communities to help solve physical, economic and social problems. Competition for these monies are keen.

Tax Increment FinancingTax Increment Financing (TIF) is a strategy that allows improvements to be financed by bonds to be retired from revenue-generated from the increase in property taxes that result from the improvements made within the TIF district.

Administrative Tools

Annexation

This allows for control over outward growth and growth that should not be impeded. Annexation policies should depend on the extent to which the municipality is prepared to extend streets and utilities and other urban services. These policies should be established by what type of capital improvement program is in place. Pre-annexation agreements are standard requirements for zoning approval and utility extension in most developing areas.

Intergovernmental Coordination

Improvement programs or land development proposals should be reviewed for consistency with the McLean County Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan. When possible, land development proposals should mirror guidelines of neighboring communities and townships, government taxing bodies, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Commerce Commission. This ensures order and mutual compatibility and efficiency in resource allocations.

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FFiinnaanncciiaall TToooollss

Financial tools forcarrying out the plan includethe capital improvements pro-gram, federal and state aidprograms and tax incrementfinancing. The capitalimprovements program is atool for public decision mak-ing that consists of a list ofcapital improvement projectson a priority basis scheduledfor a defined period of time(usually about six years),along with an estimate of thecosts of each project. Thecapital improvements pro-gram schedules the timing ofpublic improvements and pro-vides a clear picture of thecommunity’s financial obliga-tions at any point in time.The City will consider thedevelopment of a capitalimprovements program toreflect the recommendationsof the plan. Federal and stateaid programs provide techni-cal and financial assistancefor communities to help solvecertain physical, economicand social problems. Thiswould be the likely source offunding for developing asewer system to serve theCity. Although there is usual-ly stiff competition, thesepotential resources will beinvestigated and applicationssubmitted as appropriate.

Tax increment financ-ing is another financial tool.It comes under the heading ofthe “public/private partner-ship.” As such, it requirescooperation between a privatedeveloper or developers and

the municipality. The legisla-tion is written to enable themunicipality to assist a pri-vate developer in projects thatwould not have been econom-ically feasible were it not forthis participation.Furthermore, the municipalityis allowed to recover all or aportion of its costs for publicimprovements out of theincrease in property taxes thatresults from the new activity.The City has benefited from atax increment financing dis-trict established around the I-55 interchange and extendingto include the downtown area(see Figure 10). Caution willbe exercised when consider-ing this technique for residen-tial development due to thepotential for insufficient rev-enues, particularly for theschool district, to meetincreased demands.

AAddmmiinniissttrraattiivvee TToooollss

Administrative toolsinclude such measures asannexation, street and utilityextensions, and intergovern-mental coordination.Annexation is an importantstep toward meeting planobjectives. To maintain con-trol over developing territoryand to insure that outwardgrowth and development willnot be impeded, annexationwill be necessary. Theaggressiveness of annexationpolicies will depend, in part,on the extent to which theCity is prepared to extendstreets and utilities and pro-vide other urban services as

determined from the capitalimprovements program. Withrespect to intergovernmentalcoordination, the City willrelate its proposals andimprovement programs tothose of other governmentalagencies such as the schooldistrict, the township, thecounty, and the IllinoisDepartment ofTransportation, so that coor-dinated efforts can be madeto use mutual resources tosolve common problems andto achieve common objec-tives.

PPrrooggrraammss ffoorr PPuubblliiccUUnnddeerrssttaannddiinngg

Public understandingand support are essential forthe successful implementationof the plan. The public mustbe aware of the problems andopportunities facing the City,and of how the plan can assistin solving the problems andin taking advantage of theopportunities for the benefitof all citizens. There are avariety of programs whichcan be utilized to helpachieve public understandingand support. Among these areplanning publicity programswhich publicize elements ofthe plan, programs for thepreparation of yearly progressreports outlining whatimprovements have been andare scheduled to be madeaccording to the plan, andprograms for the preparationand community-wide distribu-tion of summary reports out-lining the important parts of


the plan. These and similarprograms are effective meth-ods for achieving publicunderstanding and support ofthe plan.

RREESSPPOONNSSIIBBIILLIITTYY FFOORRIIMMPPLLEEMMEENNTTAATTIIOONN

To meet communitygoals and objectives willrequire decisive actions. Theresponsibility for taking theseactions must be assumed byboth public and privategroups. These groups includethe City government, the CityPlanning Commission, andprivate citizen groups.

MMuunniicciippaall GGoovveerrnnmmeenntt

The City Council, asthe legislative body, has themajor responsibility for car-rying out the plan. Therefore,for the plan to be effective,the City Council must pursuean active implementation pro-gram. Such a program shouldbegin with the official accept-ance of the plan. Followingadoption by the City Council,the plan represents an officialstatement of communitydevelopment goals, objec-tives, proposals, and policiesreflecting the combined think-ing of municipal officials andinterested citizens. The nextstep in the process is to initi-ate improvements. Once thecapital improvements pro-gram has been developed,refined and approved, theCity Council will initiate theimprovements specified there-

in beginning with the top pri-orities. The implementationprogram will proceed withthe enactment or revision ofregulatory measures as appro-priate.

PPllaannnniinngg CCoommmmiissssiioonn

A duly appointedPlanning Commission canserve as the communityaction coordinator and havethe specific responsibility formaintaining a current commu-nity plan, capital improve-ments program and regulatorymeasures, and can undertakespecial projects as directed bythe City Council. In addition,the Planning Commission canmake recommendations to theCity Council concerning eachof these matters and can carrythe plan and related ordi-nances to the public throughthe scheduling of appropriatepublic hearings and the devel-opment of programs for pub-lic understanding. The CityPlanning Commission canalso provide valuable assis-tance in the review of specificdevelopment projects for con-sistency with the comprehen-sive plan. The City PlanningCommission can assume theseresponsibilities and more toassist City officials in carry-ing out the plan.

PPrriivvaattee CCiittiizzeenn GGrroouuppss

Although the need forpublic understanding and sup-port has already been pointedout, it should be emphasized

that private citizens have adirect responsibility for carry-ing out the plan and workingtoward the betterment of thecommunity. Citizen actioncommittees can be formed toprovide many useful services.They can serve as fact findingbodies in studies of specificproblems and can offer alter-native solutions to those prob-lems. Such committees can beextremely helpful in a varietyof civic projects includingneighborhood improvementcampaigns, beautificationprograms and bond issue sup-port programs. Private citi-zens can also be a valuableaid in supporting the plan andkeeping the general publicinformed of its proposals.

PPOOLLIICCIIEESS FFOORRIIMMPPLLEEMMEENNTTAATTIIOONN

Policies are guide-lines for actions needed tomeet plan objectives. Actionis an essential component ofthe planning process, and theneed for action has beenemphasized previously in thisreport. This chapter hasdescribed the methods andresponsibilities for implemen-tation and now concludes thecomprehensive plan reportwith an identification of thepolicies designed to assist incarrying out the plan. Thesepolicies are outlined on thefollowing pages.

NNaattuurraall EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt

• Encourage the preservation


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of natural drainage sys-tems and waterways inorder to reduce runoffrates, reduce flooding andimprove water quality

• Encourage the sizing ofstormwater detention/retention areas to be largeenough for dual use asparks

HHiissttoorriicc PPrreesseerrvvaattiioonn

• Encourage the develop-ment and/or updating of abrochure to highlight thehistorical, cultural, andarchitectural sites andstructures the City has tooffer both to residents andvisitors

• Coordinate with theMcLean County HistoricalSociety to investigate thepossibility of nominatingspecific historic sites andstructures to be placed onthe National Register ofHistoric Places

EEccoonnoommiicc DDeevveellooppmmeenntt

• Promote planning andcode enforcement that willmaintain high standardsfor development in orderto enhance the quality oflife in the community

• Actively promote the com-munity as a favorable areafor the location of busi-ness and industry by car-rying out a program fordeveloping promotional

literature and providingcontact with outside busi-ness leaders

PPooppuullaattiioonn GGrroowwtthh

• Support planning andfacilities design that isconsistent with the adoptedpopulation projections

HHoouussiinngg

• Encourage a wide range ofhousing types, styles, den-sities and costs to meet theneeds of all income levelsand age groups

LLaanndd UUssee

• Encourage innovativeapproaches to developmentsuch as Planned UnitDevelopment and neo-traditional planning whichprovide for open space,mixed and multiple uses,and pedestrian orientation

• Encourage compact devel-opment of land contiguousto existing developmentand services, and discour-age “leap frog” develop-ment

• Provide for the extensionof public improvementssuch as streets, watermains, and sanitary sewerlines when available tosupport growth that is con-sistent with the plan

• Adopt a zone district map

that places a majority ofthe land in proposedgrowth areas in a “hold-ing” district, such as anagricultural district, andonly make changes to thezoning map when specificdevelopments are pro-posed and found to becompatible with the plan

• Encourage the preserva-tion and rehabilitation ofthe downtown commercialdistrict by seeking partici-pation in the Main StreetProgram and by promot-ing high density residentialdevelopment in and nearthe downtown

• Encourage the establish-ment of industrial parks,designed attractively andefficiently with adequatefacilities, service roads,and other necessary sup-porting facilities to attractindustry and centralize thelocation of industrialdevelopment

• Encourage the planningand construction of newcommercial developmentin attractive well-designedclusters to curtail sprawl-ing strip commercialdevelopment along majorstreets

• Conduct a thorough designreview of proposed com-mercial and industrialdevelopments, so as tocreate positive impacts inthe areas of attractiveness,safety, compatibility andtraffic flows


• Discourage the occurrenceof obnoxious and offensivefumes, odors, noises,effluent by-products andemissions in the city

TTrraannssppoorrttaattiioonn

• Require the dedication ofright-of-way for majorstreets as a prerequisitefor the approval of thesubdivision of land

• Promote the acquisition,development, and mainte-nance of both on-road andoff-road trails to expandopportunities for recre-ation, tourism, and alter-native modes of trans-portation

CCoommmmuunniittyy FFaacciilliittiieess

• Begin the process ofacquiring sites that areneeded for future commu-nity facilities, includingparks, greenways andtrails

• Coordinate the planningand capital improvementsprogramming for park andrecreational facilities withthose of the LexingtonPark District and theMcLean County ParksDepartment

• Provide water and sewerservice to City residentsonly and require annexa-tion to the City as a pre-requisite for providing

service outside the corpo-rate limits

AAddmmiinniissttrraattiioonn

• Develop a formalized cap-ital improvements programto reflect the recommenda-tions of the plan and iden-tify funding for plannedimprovements

• Develop a plan for annex-ation to help control thedevelopment of land adja-cent to the present corpo-rate boundaries

• Encourage the adoption ofan official map so thatland designated for publicpurposes can be reserved

• Encourage intergovern-mental coordination bymeeting with appropriategovernmental agencies todiscuss common problemsand alternative solutions

• Revise existing zoning andsubdivision regulations toconform with the plan,permit neo-traditional andplanned unit development,and provide for the dedi-cation of land for parks,greenways, trails andschools

• Encourage the develop-ment of programs toexpand public understand-ing and support of theplan and to increase citi-zen participation in carry-ing out the plan

• Encourage the develop-ment of special projectsand studies addressingparticular communityproblems

• Periodically review andupdate the comprehensiveplan

• Support continuing plan-ning programs that mayinclude a park master planencompassing recreationalfacilities and programmingas well as historic and nat-ural resource preservation


Paul Russell, AICPExecutive Director

Rick NolanCommunity Planner

Jennifer SicksLand Use/Transportation Planner

William JacksonG.I.S. Coordinator

Nicholas LindekugelG.I.S. Specialist

Teresa CasselmanOffice Manager

Staff of the McL

ean County R

egional Planning Com

mission

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