Politics & Government
You're Invited to Environmental Open House
Do you travel around Niles or outside it? Water your lawn? Ride a bike? Recycle? Want to lower your electric bill? A planning agency is working with Niles on a huge environmental plan. Take a look Tuesday, 4:30 to 7 p.m.; give feedback.
If you want to prevent your home from flooding, improve transportation in the Niles area, conserve water, recycle or otherwise are concerned about the environment, help is on the way.
The village of Niles is working with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) on an Environmental Action Plan. It will address such topics and others with the goal of creating a community which meets residents' needs while also being environmentally friendly.
Find out what's happening in Niles-Morton Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
It will guide the village's growth and decision-making for future years.
All are welcome to attend an Open House to take a look at the Environmental Action Plan. It will take place Tuesday, Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Niles Public Library, 6960 W. Oakton St., Niles, and is sponsored by The Village of Niles and CMAP.
Find out what's happening in Niles-Morton Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Like Niles-Morton Grove Patch on Facebook for news, conversation
At the Open House, visitors can view posters featuring goals and strategies for addressing topics like land development, transportation options, waste and recycling, water resources, and energy efficiency.
Preliminary recommendations drafted based on community input from the last six months will be available for public review and comment.
The entire draft Environmental Action Plan can be viewed here; CMAP has provided a summary of some information below:
§ The Niles Environmental Action Plan makes recommendations related to 8 key topic areas, which were chosen in conjunction with the Village: Land Use & Development, Transportation & Mobility, Open Space, Waste, Water, Energy, Greenhouse Gases, and Education. The plan is one of only a handful of “sustainability” plans in our region.
§ Each chapter (chapters correspond to the topic areas above) include “priority” recommendations, which should be pursued in the short-term, as well as other recommendations to be pursued in the longer-term when resources are available. This is to help the village focus its efforts. Some priority recommendations include:
o Create a village-wide bicycle and pedestrian plan (this project is actually being funded through the second round of LTA projects we announced in October)
o Update development regulations to allow and even encourage sustainable buildings and developments
o Work with Pace to improve alternative transportation options and implement Arterial Rapid Transit routes
o Adopt a series of sustainable “municipal policies” to lead by example (such as a sustainable purchasing policy, designing new municipal facilities to green building standards, etc)
o Encourage higher recycling rates by improving recycling facilities/bins and increasing public awareness
o Launch an energy efficiency campaign to effect changes in behavior and reduce energy consumption and associated costs
o Link community members with resources and educational opportunities
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
