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Comprehensive Plan Update
The Village of Lake Zurich is updating its Comprehensive Plan, which will address key community issues and guide future development for the next 10 to 15 years. These issues include development and growth, land use, community character, economic development, and environmental conservation.
The Comp Plan is advisory only and does not have the binding authority of an Ordinance or the Village Code. It is consulted when the Village takes specific action on new development, storm water management, exterior appearance reviews on new buildings, and other factors that impact Lake Zurich’s quality of life.
2019 Comprehensive Plan Draft - Pending
The above 2019 draft is pending. At its 8.15.2022 meeting, the Village Board approved funding for an independent outside consultant to complete the Comprehensive Plan update.
1-Minute Video
In updating the Comprehensive Plan, the Village of Lake Zurich produced ten 1-minute videos to explain the Comprehensive Plan in shorter, manageable pieces. The videos illustrate key elements of various processes, strategies and the developments that encompass the Comprehensive Plan.
1 - Comprehensive Plan Overview
3 - Development Review Process
5 - Demographics
7 - Planning Unit Development (PUD)
9 - Designated Land Use Map
2 - Zoning
4 - Downtown Main Street Development
6 - Downtown Main Street Strategies
8 - Perimeter Growth and Infill
10 - Next Steps
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
The comprehensive plan is an aspirational document designed to guide the future actions of a community. It presents a vision for the future, with long-range goals and objectives for all land use policies and activities undertaken by local government.
This includes guidance on how to make decisions on public and private land development proposals, priority expenditures of public funds, availability of tax incentives, cooperative efforts, and issues of pressing concern such as rehabilitation and preservation efforts. Plans should be written to provide direction for future activities over a 10-20 year period.
Why do Comprehensive Plans need updating?
Updates are necessary to reflect the changing needs and desires of a community, the changing economic climate, the changing environment, and changing development trends.
Updating the plan allows communities to reassess their values and reflect on how the community can work towards developing policies and practices that better reflect those values in future land use decisions.
How is Lake Zurich updating its plan?
Over the next year, Lake Zurich will be undergoing a variety of activities to update the Comprehensive Plan.
- Staff will provide information on numerous topics to the Planning and Zoning Commission at several upcoming meetings (3rd Wednesday each month).
- The Village will shift the emphasis of future development from growth and expansion to infill and redevelopment of particular sites.
- Intergovernmental agreements with neighboring towns will be analyzed and renegotiated to best benefit the future of Lake Zurich.
- Detailed sub-area plans will be identified based on discussions with the advisory boards and public outreach efforts.
- Resident feedback will be incorporated with staff recommendations to produce an updated Comprehensive Plan document.
How Can I Participate in Updating the Plan?
Residents will be asked to participate in numerous ways throughout the Comprehensive Plan update. Resident participation is crucial because the updated Comprehensive Plan should directly reflect the opinions, values, and desires of the residents and help the Village act to make those a reality.
- Residents are encouraged to watch the Planning and Zoning commission meetings where background information on specific sections of the Comprehensive Plan will be provided.
- Following Community Development presentations at the Planning and Zoning commission meetings, videos and background information will be disseminated through Facebook, the website, and Benchmarks - the Village e-newsletter.
- Residents will be asked to provide input through brief online surveys.
- Results of the surveys will then be made publicly available and incorporated into the final comprehensive plan update.
What People are Saying...
The Village has collected feedback on Lake Zurich quality of life to provide the citizen engagement framework for the comprehensive plan update.
Describe Lake Zurich in one word
We asked the residents of Lake Zurich: in one word, what does Lake Zurich mean to you?
Below is a word cloud that visually represents the feedback received.
What do you consider to be the Village's Best Assets?
We asked the residents of Lake Zurich: what do you consider to be Lake Zurich's best assets? Below is a chart that shows what the community said.
Background on Lake Zurich Comprehensive Plan
Lake Zurich last updated its comprehensive plan in 2003 and is working on developing a new comprehensive plan. Check back here to see updates on the comp plan and opportunities for residents to provide input. See below for the last version of the Lake Zurich comprehensive plan which was updated in 2003.