The intent
of the Comprehensive Plan is to provide direction for decisions related
to the future growth and development of the City of Ottawa. The Plan provides
the basis for rational decision-making, but does not replace the decision-making
process nor does it take the place of the City’s Zoning and Subdivision
Ordinances and other ordinances regulating the use and development of land
in Ottawa. It establishes a vision for development within the community
and describes policies, programs and projects that will enable the vision
to be realized. The Comprehensive Plan helps local officials coordinate
their decisions so they can anticipate how one decision may impact another.
The Plan is also a key reference point and basis for establishing, amending
and interpreting regulatory tools.
The Ottawa Comprehensive Plan encompasses not only the geographic area included
within the corporate limits, but unincorporated areas within the City’s
one and one-half mile extra-territorial zoning jurisdiction. The Plan is
also specific in that it refers to land use patterns and development policies
and strategies which will serve the community’s future needs. After the
concepts set forth in the Plan are approved, the City will need to take
steps to begin implementing the Plan. Specific regulations and programs
will need to be developed and adopted to achieve the vision. |
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As do most communities, Ottawa has its own strengths and areas for improvement.
Among the strengths that define the City of Ottawa are its rich history,
its location in LaSalle County, and specifically the downtown area located
at the confluence of the Illinois and Fox Rivers, which provide scenic views
and recreational opportunities. Additional strengths of Ottawa are found
in the existing central business district which includes a very intact inventory
of Victorian era architecture with a diverse mixture of retail and office
space, numerous financial institutions, city, county, state and federal
governmental institutions, as well as a number of churches, civic clubs
and several schools adjacent to the downtown area.
A truly unique dynamic of the location of this diverse downtown area is
the fact that the south and east boundaries are defined by the confluence
of the Illinois and Fox Rivers. This not only has created a physical boundary
which continues to keep the historic central business district intact, but
has created an opportunity for downtown businesses to remain immediately
adjacent to not one, but two substantial recreation and scenic corridors.
A second volume, “Volume II, is dedicated to the downtown and is part of
the Comprehensive Plan. Volume II, Downtown Ottawa, describes Sub-Area number
five in greater detail.
Throughout
Ottawa there is a rich and diverse housing inventory with a mixture of old
and modern developments. The more dominant historic neighborhoods are located
immediately adjacent to the downtown, on the east side of the downtown and
also across the Fox River on the east side south of Illinois Route 71 in
the area of the Ottawa High School. There is also a large historic neighborhood
on the south bluffs of the Illinois River. In each of these neighborhoods
there are a large variety of styles that represent the history of Ottawa.
There are also modern neighborhoods that have their own unique characteristics
scattered around Ottawa. The homes in these modern neighborhoods vary in
size and style.
Many opportunities exist to enhance and restore historic residential structures,
provide new and diverse housing within the general boundaries of the downtown
area, and to create new neighborhoods that will build on the existing community.
One such neighborhood is proposed for the southeast corner of Ottawa south
of the Illinois River. More details of this area are found in Chapter 6
“Sub-Areas”, Sub-Area Illinois Route 23 and Proposed Fosse Road extension.
As a foundation for planning, goals for the community were formulated to
guide the preparation of the Plan. Community goals are general statements
that indicate the type of community that is desired. The development of
goals and the implementation of policies are the keys to the success of
the Comprehensive Plan. Goals and objectives were formulated using recommendations
for the future and information gathered from the community. These objectives
and recommendations for future actions have been used to form each element
of the plan.
It should be mentioned that in order to achieve some of the goals specified
in the Comprehensive Plan, more detailed studies will be needed. These additional
studies will provide the necessary detail and direction needed to meet those
goals and should be adopted as amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. Goals
have been formulated to guide the preparation of this comprehensive planning
document. |
