Our mission is to foster cooperation and strategies to address regional challenges and support the Comprehensive Plan.
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The BACOG area encompasses a section of approximately 90 square miles northwest of Chicago. It includes the Villages of Barrington, Barrington Hills, Deer Park, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, South Barrington, and Tower Lakes. A number of characteristics, both human and physical, natural and manmade, make the area unique. These characteristics have combined to give local residents a strong sense of community, and sense of place, and have resulted in an ongoing area-wide planning program focused on maintaining the quality of the overall environment.
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The Comprehensive Plan (updated 1998) is a product pf the continuing area-wide planning program. It is a synthesis of previously prepared planning work including earlier consultant studies and recommendations, citizen committee and staff research, and input from public hearings. It reflects some additudinal changes in several fundamental areas such as transportation, new development pressures, fiscal imperatives, sewering, and commercial development that now affect our subregion. It reflects the BACOG community's sustained commitment to preserve the quality of its environment and its way of life through cooperative area?wide planning, while responding to the evolving needs of the area.
The Comprehensive Plan is focused on preserving and enhancing the distinct qualities of the BACOG area community. It is characterized by a dual emphasis: preservation of unique natural resources and management of the type, location, quality and extent of new growth and development.
The Comprehensive Plan is based on an overall goal for the BACOG area, which provides general direction for the various components of the planning program.
OVERALL GOALA balance between conservation, preservation. and development which responds to the needs and desires of BACOG area residents, and is supportive of the unique qualities of the BACOG environment.
STRATEGY OF MUTUAL SUPPORTThe comprehensive plan is also related to a strategy of mutual support, which links BACOG plans to those of the region as a whole. In terms of growth, the BACOG area focuses on a concept of managed development. This entails a limited rate of growth consistent with area goals and uses, sub?regional planning policies for preserving the area's environment, and for guiding the location, timing, and quality of new development.
GROWTHIt is recommended that growth in the countryside should be restricted 1) in those areas unsuitable for septic systems, 2) where public utilities are not cost effective in relationship to the Barrington FPA, 3) where agriculture continues to be productive, and 4) where the open space character is desirable.
Population forecasts and changes must be monitored as a measure of growth management, as an indicator of service and special district needs, and as the health of the economic development base. The character of future development will likely be residential infill.
PLANNING POLICIESTwo distinct but integrally related sets of basic planning policies will be required to achieve area wide goals. These reflect the dual emphasis of the overall planning program:
1) Environmental Policies are focused upon preserving and enhancing the area's natural environment. They include standards and guidelines for protecting critical natural resources, managing key ecosystem units, and preserving those landscape features most important to the area's overall countryside character.
2) Land Use Policies are focused upon managing the location, timing, and quality of new growth and development. They include standards and guidelines for open space, housing and residential areas, business and commercial development, community services, and transportation.
Although the two sets of policies deal with different aspects of the BACOG community, both are essential. Increasingly, policies on intergovernmental agreement, transportation, legislatives on disconnection, school funding, taxation, and the like will influence area planning goals.
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