Share Your Vision for Blue Island - Public Visioning Workshop 10/19
The next public meeting for the Blue Island comprehensive plan will be a visioning workshop, and it is open to all stakeholders in the community.
Public Visioning Workshop
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (sign-in begins at 6:00 p.m.)
MetroSouth Medical Center, Conference Rooms B & C, 12935 Gregory Street, Blue Island, IL 60406
The public had 2opportunities in June, 2011 to contribute during the first phase of the comprehensive plan by attending one of two kick-off meetings to discuss issues that the plan should address.
How is this different from past public workshops?
Unlike the Blue Island Plan, the Comprehensive Plan will cover all of Blue Island (not just downtown & TOD areas) and address additional issues like public health, food access and heritage/culture/arts.
Why should I care about the Comprehensive Plan?
Potential for Increased State Funding: IL communities are not required to adopt comprehensive plans. However, if we do, the Local Planning Technical Assistance Act (20 ILCS 662) provides that we may obtain preference for state funding for state economic development, transportation, planning, and natural resource and agriculture programs.
Traditionally, a comprehensive plan is advisory, but the Local Planning Technical Assistance Act states that any municipality or county receiving state assistance to write or revise a comprehensive plan should ensure that land development regulations, including zoning map amendments and any other land use actions, be consistent with the new or revised comprehensive plan.
City of Blue Island Comprehensive Plan - Schedule & Process
CMAP Local Technical Assistance Program
1st video in a series highlighting CMAP’s Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program - includes great footage of Blue Island.
Stay tuned - in the next year, CMAP will be producing a video that offers an in-depth view of planning in Blue Island.
Stay connected for updates and news on Twitter @GOTO2040 or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GOTO2040.
Public Meetings for Comprehensive Plan
As a part of our 2011-2012 comprehensive planning effort, the Community Development Department invites local residents, business owners, community leaders and other stakeholders to share their ideas about what the future of Blue Island should look like.
The public will have 2 opportunities in June to contribute to the comprehensive plan by attending a special community planning event. These events will be held in the evening, and are open to all members of the Blue Island community.
For more details, please contact Jessica Simoncelli via email or call (312) 386-8631.
Workshop #1
Date: Monday, June 20th, 2011
Time: Registration - 6p; Program 6:30-8p
Location: Salvation Army, 2900 W. Burr Oak
Workshop #2
Date: Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
Time: Registration - 6p; Program 6:30-8p
Location: Blue Island Recreation Center, 2805 141st St
Thinking Outside the Loop: The Blue Island Community Health Monitoring Project
The Community Development Department and its partners in Blue Island’s Community Health Monitoring Project (CHM) are pleased to announce that the City of Blue Island will be represented at 2 exciting upcoming conferences.
3rd Annual Minority Health in the Midwest Conference
The 3rd Annual Minority Health in the Midwest Conference will be held at the UIC School of Public Health on Friday, February 25, 2011. Gita Rampersad, BICDD’s Outreach and Communications Coordinator and Dr. Laurel Berman of the ATSDR were selected to present on the topic, Thinking Outside the Loop: The Blue Island Community Health Monitoring Project.
This year’s conference theme is entitled, The Promise of Health Equity: Advancing the Discussion to Eliminate Disparities in the 21st Century. Submissions that focus on issues pertinent to Midwestern communities and minority, underserved and special needs populations were selected.
2011 National Brownfields Conference
In April, BICDD staff will attend the 2011 National Brownfields Conference in Philadelphia, PA, sponsored by the US EPA. Brownfields 2011 will include a roster of plenary speakers, including Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, US EPA, who will challenge perceptions of redevelopment and discuss the priorities of the current administration. BICDD staff will present elements of Blue Island’s CHM project at 2 Environmental Justice (EJ) and Public Health education sessions:
- Environmental Justice Initiatives: Your Voice Counts. A roundtable that will review the multiple resources available to communities regarding environmental justice; Blue Island, among others will share their experiences and lessons learned on environmental justice issues;
- Taking Action: Community Health and Brownfields. Blue Island, and othersusing the action model, will describe how it has been used to address environmental justice, exposures to contaminated sites, and other issues in their communities
