Virgil development newsVirgil development newsDaily Herald
November 3, 2005
Tiny village's proposed land plan centers on controlled growth, quality-of-life issues
By Mark Foster
Daily Herald Correspondent
Mark Marion has a vision for the village of Virgil.
The village president sees a growing, vibrant community, but one without the strip malls and cookie-cutter subdivisions that have typified so much of the development east of Virgil.
"We want Virgil to model Mayberry," Marion said.
The vision Marion and many others in the community have for Virgil is embodied in a proposed comprehensive land-use plan that aims to maintain and to improve the existing town center, provide generous amounts of open space and capitalize on agricultural surroundings by attracting agribusiness, plant nurseries and horse farms.
Village leaders presented their vision Wednesday to members of the Kane County Regional Planning Commission, who liked what they saw.
Centered at Route 64, Meredith Road and the Great Western Trail in western Kane County, Virgil is a community of about 300 people that has changed little since its incorporation in 1992, but is now the focus of interest by developers.
Jim Sauber, a member of the task force that created the comprehensive plan, said controlling the pace of development will be critical.
"A key point is the velocity of development," Sauber said. "We don't want it to explode."
Marion said the village is expected to reach a population of 5,700 by 2020 and a population of 8,000 by 2030.
Paul Bednar, an Elgin planning consultant and landscape architect who has been working with the village on the plan, told the county commission that open space, parks and recreational amenities would be a strength for the village.
"That's how Virgil is going to attract business," Bednar said. "It's quality-of-life issues."
Keys to the land-use plan include two large park sites, zones for agribusiness and manufacturing on the west side of the village, a mixed-use town center and traditional neighborhoods that have easy connections to the rest of the community.
A public hearing on the comprehensive plan will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at St. Peter and Paul Community Parish, 5N939 Meredith Road.