R95-14 AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT - Laserfiche WebLink

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, `�f•Dfr7� DECATUR, ILLINOIS c v A Lake Shore Driue Relocation Study � ��«�� � � CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION � Background The 1991 comprehensive plan for the City suggested that Lake Decatur was an under-utilized and � under-developed resource for the City. In response to that observation, the City Department of Community Development prepared the Lake Decatur Sangamon River Corridor Concept Plan in 1992. The concept plan identified several segments around the lake which possessed the potential � for development opportunities. A major redevelopment potential was seen to exist in the Mueller Park area. The potential of that redevelopment was considered limited,however,by the location of Lake Shore Drive (Illinois Route � 105). The concept plan suggested that the segment of Lake Shore Drive adjacent to Mueller Park could possibly be relocated to open additional Lake Shore property for other development purposes in lieu of highway use. � The Lake Decatur Area Development Study conducted in 1993 amplified the original concept plan and added additional detail on how redevelopment around the lake might occur. This study ' identified several liabilities associated with Lake Shore Drive, including the US 51 interchange, heavy traffic,and its barrier effect between the lake and adjacent land. The study suggested that the impacts of Lake Shore Drive should be minimized through modifications of function and design. � This would include redesignation of Illinois Route 105 to another street,change in function of Lake Shore Drive from an arterial to a local parkway, and modification of the alignment to create developable sites at the water's edge. � Early in 1995 the City entered into an agreement with Bucher,Willis&Ratliff to study the feasibility of physically relocating Lake Shore Drive in the vicinity of Mueller Park and functionally � redesignating Illinois Route 105 to another street,as a second step in assessing the redevelopment potential along the lake shore adjacent to Mueller Park. A Technical Advisory Committee(TAC) composed of City staff, representatives from the Decatur Parks District, and from the Illinois � Department of Transportation (IDOT) was formed to provide a forum for interagency communication and concensus building. A series of alternatives were developed which allowed for various levels of redevelopment,traffic reassignment, and infrastructure investment. The TAC reached a consensus that the emphasis of the study should be primarily directed toward the traffic � impacts resulting from the relocation of Lake Shore Drive and the infrastructure costs, with less emphasis placed on redevelopment of the additional shore line at this time. � � � � Bucher, Willis£�Ratliff-1 r�YssvrnnwmuroamuroxT wrc