2040 Master Plan defines future for O’Fallon development, growth
What should O’Fallon look like in 20 years? Figuring out future development and redevelopment as they go was not an option for city officials as they looked ahead to shape its path forward in a 2040 Master Plan.
A final draft on community goals and vision could be approved sometime in February.
The process of mapping out long-term strategy for the next 20 years has taken 18 months, with more than 1,700 residents giving input on housing, parks, transportation and other services and amenities.
The in-depth analysis includes future land use policies, what type of businesses should be developed, what neighborhoods should look like, and how much green space the city should have. Quality of life was a major component.
The final draft, uploaded on Dec. 15, is available for viewing at: https://www.ofallon.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif1031/f/uploads/ofallonil_mp_finaldraft_interactive_2021_1209.pdf.
City Administrator Walter Denton said the completed document would start going through the city channels for approval, beginning with the Planning Commission on Jan. 11, an opportunity for residents at a public hearing, “just like a zoning amendment,” then a Community Development Committee meeting Jan. 24, and possibly moving to the city council action Feb. 7, then back to committee and perhaps approval Feb. 21, if the process goes smoothly.
Intended to build on the community’s success for future generations, Mayor Herb Roach said the focus included the city’s objectives and policies.
The last Master Plan update was in 2006, and much has changed since then. After the recession in 2008-09, the city largely recovered and experienced tremendous growth in public and private investment during the past 15 years, Roach said.
Denton said the addition of the HSHS-St. Elizabeth’s medical campus and the growth of Scott Air Force Base helped galvanize O’Fallon’s future. The city’s marketing has brought in operations and interest from businesses that have never been in the St. Louis market and/or Illinois, he said.
Community Development Director Justin Randall was the go-to person on the planning project.
The project team researched data and trends to develop an understanding of the town’s history and current environment, then engaged the community to shape the plan.
Smart Growth Is Key
Smart growth in both residential and commercial development was very important, Roach said, as they looked beyond 2022.
“It is an exciting time to live and work in O’Fallon. We’ve created a dynamic plan to build upon O’Fallon’s success and position our community as the best in Illinois and one of the nation’s best places to call home,” he said.
Currently, O’Fallon is known for its welcoming atmosphere, resurgent downtown and sports and recreational opportunities, Roach said.
“We are again in a point in time of evolution. Over the past years, O’Fallon has turned from a bedroom community into a hub of economic activity, jobs, and family friendly amenities,” he said.
Founded in 1854, O’Fallon started as a railroad stop and coal mining community and has transformed over the years. By 1870, its population was 1,117. One hundred years later, it had grown to 7,868.
O’Fallon experienced rapid growth in the 1980s — with its westward expansion — and had 12,173 people at the start of the decade. In 1990, the population grew to 16,073. With Interstate 64’s expansion, the city counted 21,910 people by 2000.
‘You need a general plan to work from’
Based on the 2020 U.S. census, O’Fallon is now the fastest growing city in southern Illinois with a new population of 32,289, which is a 14.1% increase.
“When you have hundreds of new homes and millions of dollars of new commercial growth each year, you do not want things to happen by chance. You need a general plan to work from,” Roach said.
Roach said a city wants to have as much stability as possible with designations for different types of new developments. To accomplish this, Roach said making sure infrastructure is maintained and present to support growth and existing development is critical.
“We have just completed three years of growth that rank in the top-10 in the 30+ years that the city has been keeping records of the new developments,” he said.
O’Fallon was the leader in new home construction in Madison and St. Clair counties. This year, the city was about 26% ahead of overall building permits compared to last year and the year before, and about 25% up in new residential construction.
“For the first time in the city’s history of keeping records on building permits, O’Fallon issued over 700 permits this year and it was the fourth year in a row that we have issued over 480 permits in a year,” Roach said.
Smart growth also includes marketing, diversification of the local economy, identifying locations that can be redeveloped for future growth, building upon existing assets that are already in place, long-term planning of land usage, and attracting businesses or industry that compliments other businesses or fills a need.
The Process Began Summer of 2020
Randall said the city and its consulting firm, Shockey, began extensive public outreach efforts.
In an early statement seeking input, the mayor had explained:
“We’re creating a 20-year Master Plan that will build a better O’Fallon for you, your children, and future generations. Think everything from housing and jobs to parks and bike trails. We know our future will be impacted by changing demographic, economic, societal, and industrial trends. This is our chance to plan ahead and make O’Fallon the best it can be for all our residents and businesses,” Roach said previously.
Randall said the city council also wanted to have input and met over the course of the project several times.
The council had previously been surveyed on their priorities, which included: Maintaining major employers, keeping small businesses open and viable, addressing infrastructure, crime and the perception of public safety, improving traffic flow, attracting visitors and broadening the tax base.
During a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting Aug. 31, 2020, the city encouraged residents to get involved and aldermen to provide input. Because of the coronavirus public health restrictions, virtual activities and meeting attendance by Zoom happened.
‘Small town feel’
The council participated in a visioning session to build a framework with discussion centering around what makes a great place to live and what elements are required to make that a reality.
Much has been said about maintaining a “small town feel” where residents feel safe to raise their families and walk or bicycle around town, Randall said.
People want a safe community that provides diversity, quality housing options, and social opportunities, including such amenities as great parks, trails, recreation, and community events, he said.
“We talked about a ‘15-minute City,’ creating neighborhoods with access to that type of feeling, where residents — when they were kids — would ride their bikes to places. They could walk, get a cup of coffee, sit down with neighbors. That was the biggest concept — to have a sense of comfort,” Randall said.
Council priority
The mayor said offering housing for people beginning families to those ready for retirement was also important.
A council priority was maintaining the growth O’Fallon has enjoyed over the past 20 years. In particular, the council identified small business growth, downtown development, and creating high-paying jobs for O’Fallon residents.
Randall said many businesses have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aldermen were insistent about providing a business-friendly environment for economic growth and job creation.
Roach said basic infrastructure is a prerequisite for all the other priorities to happen, and it is crucial for the city’s water and sewer systems to work and for the parks and streets to be well maintained.
Residents and businesses provided input at a website, www.buildofallon.com, and this online platform made community participation convenient and accessible for people to participate. They could participate in discussion forums.
Community feedback, staff goals
The city presented a draft of the Master Plan at a town hall meeting in August.
The feedback and insight of the online community was invaluable, Randall said. They addressed needs, and then they were refined in ongoing discussions on community identity, safety and health, natural environment, the economy and more.
The staff’s goals were also included, and managed growth, creating good-paying jobs, and attracting and retaining a quality work force were among those cited. Expanded recreational opportunities and property maintenance were also listed.
There is also a separate Parks and Recreation Master Plan update, and the Capital Improvement Plan addresses projects the city would like to see implemented from 2023-27, addressing economic development.
Future items to be addressed include what will happen to the Auffenberg Auto Mall, Southview Plaza development and Reider Road’s Mid-America Commerce Center.