The 2030 Land Resource Management Plan - Camiros

2030 Land Resource 

Management Plan 

For 

Winnebago County, 

Illinois 

Adopted May 28, 2009 by County Board, inclusive of the 

amendments made on May 28, 2009 & August 13, 2009

Acknowledgments 

Winnebago County gratefully acknowledges the following people for the time, energy and 

resources given to create the 2030 Land Resource Management Plan. 

Winnebago County Board 

Scott H. Christiansen, Chair 

Douglas R. Aurand 

Ted Biondo 

George Anne Duckett 

John Ekberg 

Karen Elyea 

Dave Fiduccia 

Frank M. Gambino 

Angie Gorai 

Paul Gorski 

John H. Harmon 

Bob Hastings 

Pearl Hawks 

Karen Hoffman 

Phillip Johnson 

Bob Kinnison 

Kyle Logan 

Peter Mackay 

Kay Mullins 

Randal Olson 

Tom Owens 

Melvin Paris 

Dianne Parvin 

Rick Pollack 

Dorothy Redd 

Steve Schultz 

John F. Sweeney 

Dave Tassoni 

Kelly Vecchio 

Jim Webster 

Fred Wescott 

L.C. Wilson 

Dave Yeske 

2030 Land Resource Management Plan Steering Committee 

Judy Barnard, Grants Coordinator 

Chris Johnson, resident and former County Board Member 

Tom Kalousek, Forest Preserve Director 

Gary Kovanda, 1st Deputy State’s Attorney 

Sue Mroz, Director of Economic Development 

Joe Vanderwerff, County Engineer 

David Yeske, Zoning Committee Chairman and County Board Member 

i

2030 Land Resource Management Plan Community Focus Group Members 

Agriculture Focus Group 

Dennis Anthony 

Richard Bueth 

Mike Crandall 

Mark Johnson 

Edward Johnston 

Greg Vassmer 

Economic Development Focus Group 

Don Balsam 

Penny Billman 

Mark Crosby 

Jim Ditsworth 

Emmett Gray 

Scott Perian 

Mark Podemski 

Frank Wehrstein 

Environment Focus Group 

Jack Armstrong 

Lew Crampton 

Cece Dahlgren 

Mark Dahlgren 

Jamie Johanssen 

Chad Miller 

Jerry Paulson 

Ruth Roth 

Rick Strader 

Nancy Williamson 

County Growth Focus Group 

Mary Ann Allen 

Todd Cagnoni 

Tom Jencius 

Katherine Kliebe 

Steve Schultz 

John Scott 

ii

Housing Focus Group 

Ken Christiansen 

John Cressman 

Ann Dempsey 

Mike Hakanson 

Mary Kiefer 

Tim McDonell 

Gary Oehlberg 

Dennis Sweeney 

Tonya Thayer 

Public Facilities Focus Group 

Steve Graceffa 

Jean Harezlak 

Bob Lauber 

Ted Rehl 

David Rundquist 

Rick Strader 

Transportation Focus Group 

Marge Burton Beve 

Bradley Englin 

Jim Johnson 

Gary Mclntyre 

Mike Reinders 

Bob Soltau 

Additional Community Focus Group Members 

Charlene DeBrock 

Valeri Decastris 

Bill Faller 

Kathie Gummow 

Roger Jansen 

Sylvia Pagel 

Gerard Prendergast 

David Reyes 

Mark Robinson 

Olive Samuels 

iii

Winnebago County Staff 

Troy Krup, Planning and Zoning Officer, Long-Range Planner 

Reginald Arkell, Long-Range Planner 

Regional Planning and Economic Development Office Staff 

Consultants 

Camiros, Ltd. 

Jacques A. Gourguechon, AICP 

Arista Strungys, AICP 

Nikolas Davis 

Denise Jensen, AICP 

Nicolosi & Associates 

Thank you to Judy Barnard for photographs. 

iv

INTRODUCTION. 

PLANNING PROCESS & 

ORGANIZATION 

The 2030 Land Resource Management Plan 

Planning Process 

As Northern Illinois faces increasing development 

pressures, it is crucial that Winnebago County seize 

this opportunity to direct its future growth and update 

its land use plan to address this trend. The 2030 Land 

Resource Management Plan offers a vision of how the 

unincorporated areas of the County will grow and 

develop over the next 20 years. The goals, objectives 

and policies of this Plan will be further implemented 

through three complementary planning efforts. First, 

the drafting of a Unified Development Ordinance 

(UDO) will follow the adoption of this Plan and 

update the County’s land development regulations to 

implement these land use policies. Second, the creation 

of a Comprehensive Financial Plan (CFP) will provide 

a framework for financing public infrastructure, 

informing future developers of expectations and costs, 

and protecting the County from unnecessary legal 

challenges. Finally, land use decisions will be further 

informed by the Natural Resources Inventory (NRI), 

recently completed by the County, which catalogues 

environmentally sensitive areas within the County. 

The 2030 Land Resource Management Plan ensures that 

change in the region occurs pursuant to the consensus 

of area stakeholders, such as civic and business leaders, 

various interest groups, citizens, and the County’s 

municipalities and townships. Winnebago County has 

worked towards a plan that coordinates a vision for the 

future of the region as a whole, which seeks to achieve 

balanced growth in the most rational and efficient 

manner possible. The Plan looks to accommodate an 

increased population with proportional economic 

development, preserve and enhance both the urban 

and rural characters of the County, and minimize the 

impact of future development on natural resources, 

agriculture and the environment. 

This process began on July 19, 2006 with a kick-off 

meeting of the Long-Range Plan Steering Committee 

and the consultants – the team of Camiros, Ltd. 

and Nicolosi & Associates. The Steering Committee 

consisted of representatives from various County 

departments and entities, including the Regional 

Planning and Economic Development Department, 

Introduction 

Highway Department, Forest Preserve District, County 

Board and Zoning Committee. 

Phase one of this process began with a background 

analysis to document demographic trends and 

characteristics related to population, housing, 

employment, education, transportation and 

agriculture. A series of key person interviews were 

held to identify the issues, concerns and perceptions 

of County stakeholders. These interviews consisted 

of 12 meetings held in November 2006, with the staff 

and elected officials of the County’s municipalities 

and persons representing the following interests: 

environment, agriculture, economic development, real 

estate, transportation, schools and infrastructure. In 

addition, from August through December, the County 

gave presentations to other governmental and interest 

groups including the townships, the League of Women 

Voters, the Sierra Club, the Rockford Area Association 

of Realtors, the Lady Landowners, and various building 

and development interests. 

The final component of phase one was an analysis of 

previous planning efforts to identify established land 

use policies of different municipalities and various 

planning interest groups within Winnebago County. 

These policies were catalogued to illustrate the 

relationships between past and future policy decisions. 

The results of the demographic and planning policy 

analyses, key person interviews and presentations 

were compiled in a Findings Report, which provides 

a snapshot of the existing and established conditions 

within Winnebago County. In February 2007, a public 

workshop was held to present an overview of the 

Findings Report. 

Phase two of the process established the framework 

for the Plan. This phase developed goals, objectives 

and policies for future land use and development. 

In November 2006, Community Focus Groups were 

convened, consisting of more than 40 individuals who 

represented a cross-section of the County. Individuals 

were divided into seven different Community Focus 

Groups and charged with determining goals, objectives 

and policies for the different elements of the land 

use plan: agriculture, residential land use, economic 

development, growth and annexation, natural resources, 

public utilities and facilities, and transportation. 

The groups submitted their recommendations to the 

County in March 2007. The consultants analyzed the 

results and presented a memorandum that condensed 

the reports into the core goals, objectives and policies 


1

Introduction 

that make up the framework of this Plan. The results 

of the CommunityFocus Groups efforts were presented 

at two public workshops in May and June 2007. 

Phase three of the planning process consisted of the 

creation and adoption of the final document and future 

land use map. These maps were presented to the 

Community Focus Groups and the public in a series of 

workshops conducted in February and March of 2008. 

In October 2008, the Community Focus Groups and 

the public reviewed the Plan, finally culminating with 

public comments on November 6, 2008 and adoption 

by the County Board on May 28, 2009. 

2030 Land Resource Management Plan Organization 

This Plan is organized according to the requirements of 

the State of Illinois Local Planning Technical Assistance 

Act, which encourages local governments to engage 

in planning, regulatory and development approaches 

that promote and encourage comprehensive planning, 

and the supporting planning efforts of various units of 

local government working together. Plans developed 

in accordance with these guidelines may be eligible 

for additional funding preferences under various state 

programs. 

This Plan is organized as follows: 

■ Chapter 1: History & Existing Land Use 

■ Chapter 2: Future Land Use Map 

■ Chapter 3: Agriculture 

■ Chapter 4: Residential Land Use 

■ Chapter 5: Economic Development 

■ Chapter 6: Growth 

■ Chapter 7: Natural Resources 

■ Chapter 8: Public Utilities & Facilities 

■ Chapter 9: Transportation 

■ Chapter 10: Telecommunications & Technology 

Because this Plan covers the unincorporated land within 

the County, presenting the future land use information 

on a single map within this document lacks sufficient 

detail. Therefore the future land use map (Chapter 2) 

is broken down into township maps after presentation 

of the full County map. The location of each township 

within the County is indicated in Figure 1: Township 

2 

Winnebago County, Illinois 

Map, as well as in a location key on each individual 

township map. Other Plan maps are not broken down 

by township. 

A Living Document 

Keeping the 2030 Land Resource Management Plan 

current and ensuring that it maintains a central place 

in the County’s public decision-making process is an 

ongoing education process. Involving residents in 

the development of the Plan was the first step in the 

public education strategy. Making the Plan available to 

residents is the second. However, the most important 

strategy will be for elected and appointed officials to 

refer to the Plan, and make a conscious effort to use 

its policies and recommendations, in their decisionmaking. 

It is further recommended that the County undertake 

a review of the Plan every five years. The intent of 

this review is to make sure that the Plan addresses 

changed conditions and that the objectives, policies and 

official Future Land Use Plan map remain an effective 

community planning tool, both mechanically and 

legally. Winnebago County is not a static community; 

similarly, the County’s Plan for the future must provide 

opportunities for periodic adjustment, as new trends and 

opportunities emerge, and to address new challenges 

as they arise. Continuing to be proactive in planning for 

the future will help improve the chances for success in 

achieving Winnebago County’s objectives.

Legend 

Laona 

Durand 

Pecatonica 

Seward 

Winnebago County 

Townships 

Airport Property 

Incorporated Boundary 

Harrison 

Burritt 

Winnebago 

Figure 1: Townships Map 

2030 Land Resource Management Plan 


Shirland 

Rockton 

Owen 

®q 

Rockford 

Roscoe 

Harlem 

Cherry Valley 

*Data Source Courtesy of WinGIS 

0 1 2 

Miles 

4 

°

Introduction 

4 

Winnebago County, Illinois

Chapter 1 History & Existing Land Use 

The 2030 Land Resource Management Plan 5


History of Winnebago County 

Winnebago County was established in January 1836. The 

County was named after the Winnebago/Ho-Chunk 

Tribe of Native Americans that once occupied large parts 

of what is now Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, stretching 

from Green Bay, Wisconsin south through the Rock 

River Valley, along a tributary of the Mississippi River. 

After the Black Hawk War of 1832, the area was settled 

on the banks of the Rock River in what is now the City 

of Rockford. Located halfway between Chicago and 

Galena, this early settlement was known as “Midway 

Village” but was soon changed to Rockford, after the 

ford that existed across the Rock River. The river played 

a major role in the development of the region, serving 

as a major source of power while the rich soils of the 

area helped the area grow rapidly. 

Transportation was the main catalyst for the growth 

of Winnebago County. In 1836, the state granted a 

charter to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad for 

construction of a railroad from Chicago west to Galena. 

It was not until 1852 that the line finally reached the 

Rock River. During this period, large numbers of Irish 

and Swedish immigrants flooded into Chicago and 

found work on the railroad. Chicago was in the midst of 

a cholera epidemic, and immigrants were encouraged 

to leave the city by taking the railroad to the end of the 

line at Rockford. When the bridge across the Rock River 

was finished the following year, many immigrants and 

their families nonetheless remained in the area. 

The railroad continued to encourage economic growth 

over the next several decades, including manufacturing 

and agriculture. By 1900, the area had over 80 furniture 

factories and Swedish immigrants had established 72 

companies and owned numerous banks. By the 1920s 

development was well underway in the County, and 

increased further in the postwar boom of the late 1940s 

and early 1950s. 

Today, Winnebago County covers a total of 519 square 

miles, and is located just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin 

state line. The City of Rockford is the County Seat, and 

other cities include Loves Park and South Beloit. There 

are eight villages in Winnebago County: Cherry Valley, 

Durand, Machesney Park, New Milford, Pecatonica, 

Roscoe, Rockton and Winnebago. There are fourteen 

townships: Burritt, Cherry Valley, Durand, Harlem, 

Harrison, Laona, Owen, Pecatonica, Rockford, Rockton, 

Roscoe, Seward, Shirland and Winnebago. There are 

approximately 275,000 people living in Winnebago 

County today. 

6 


There are three cities and eight villages within Winnebago County. The largest 

is the City of Rockford, pictured above, which is also the County Seat. 

Land Use Inventory of Winnebago County 

Figure 2: Existing Land Use Map illustrates the different 

land uses within Winnebago County today. Urban 

development is concentrated along the eastern boundary, 

which includes the municipalities of Rockford, Roscoe, 

Rockton, Loves Park and Machesney Park, with rural 

development (agriculture and natural areas) to the 

west. Approximately 22% of all land within the County 

is incorporated. The Existing Land Use Map categories 

shown in Figure 2 can be described as follows: 

■ Agriculture. This category refers to the use of land for 

agricultural purposes including, but not limited to, 

farming, farmsteads, dairying, pasturage, agriculture, 

horticulture, floriculture, viticulture, and animal and 

poultry husbandry, as well as the accessory uses that 

are typically part of these activities. Single-family 

homes on 40 acre, quarter-quarter section lots are also 

part of this land use category. 

■ Agriculture – Rural Residential. This land 

use is indicated on the Existing Land Use Map 

only. It refers to very low density single-family 

developments, either as a single lot development 

or within small clusters, generally located far 

from municipal boundaries. These lots are more 

agricultural in nature than a typical single-family 

residence. Often, they are referred to as “hobby 

farms.” They are shown on the Existing Land Use 

Map to illustrate how residential development has 

spread throughout the rural areas of the County 

and the potential impact on agricultural uses. 

In the Future Land Use Map, the agriculture - 

rural residential category is absorbed into either 

agricultural land use, especially within the more 

remote areas of the County, or into a non-

agricultural land use, such as low or medium 

density residential, within planned growth areas. 

■ Residential - Low Density. The low density 

residential land use consists of single-family 

residential developments of a density of 1.5 

dwelling units per acre or less. 

■ Residential - Medium Density. The medium 

density residential land use consists of single-family 

residential developments of a density of more than 

1.5 dwelling units per acre. The distinction between 

medium density and low density residential uses 

was based upon an analysis of the predominant size 

of residential subdivision lots. 

■ Residential - High Density. High density residential 

land uses are multi-family developments. 

■ Residential - Mobile Home Park. Mobile home 

parks are those parcels of land improved for the 

placement of mobile homes or similar (i.e. park 

models) for residential use on single or multiple 

lots, either privately-owned or leased. 

■ Commercial. Commercial uses are those businesses 

that provide goods and/or services directly to 

the consumer, where those goods are available 

for immediate purchase. This category includes a 

variety of commercial uses of various intensities, 

from retail stores and restaurants, to home 

improvement centers and motor vehicle dealerships, 

and commercial recreational uses, such as bowling 

alleys and go-kart tracks. 

■ Industrial. On the Existing Land Use Map, this 

category includes all types of industrial users, 

including light, medium and heavy industrial land 

uses. This includes wholesale, distribution, storage, 

and research and development facilities, as well as 

users engaged in the processing and manufacturing 

of materials or products, predominately from 

extracted or raw materials, and storage or 

manufacturing processes that potentially involve 

hazardous conditions. 

■ Open Space or Forest Preserve. This category 

includes areas that are used for active and passive 

recreation as well as natural resource conservation 

land. It includes a significant amount of forest 

preserve-owned land within the County. 

History & Existing Land Use 

Chapter 1 

■ Public Facility. Public facility land uses provide 

services to the County, such as a police, fire, schools, etc. 

■ Place of Worship. Existing places of worship are 

designated in this category. These are indicated 

in the Existing Land Use Map only. On the Future 

Land Use Map, these parcels are specifically 

identified as another land use compatible with 

the surrounding land uses in the event that they 

were to redevelop. It is not the intent of this Plan to 

encourage the redevelopment of places of worship 

or to determine specific locations for places of 

worship in the future. The location of a place of 

worship is controlled by zoning and other land use 

controls, not this Plan. 

■ Incorporated Area. The incorporated area includes 

the following municipalities: Cherry Valley, 

Durand, Loves Park, Machesney Park, New Milford, 

Pecatonica, Rockford, Roscoe, Rockton, South Beloit, 

and Winnebago. 

The single largest land use in the County is agriculture. 

63% of the entire County is in agricultural use. Land 

uses surrounding the incorporated municipalities, 

especially those on the eastern half of the County, are 

predominantly single-family residential, with limited 

commercial and industrial development. It is assumed 

that, over time, many of these areas will be annexed 

into the various municipalities, which would extend 

the municipal boundaries further into the central 

portion of the County and increase the percentage of 

incorporated land. Currently, single-family residential 

development constitutes approximately 13% of all 

unincorporated land area. With population growth, it 

is expected that residential development will continue 

in the unincorporated County. Commercial and 

industrial uses make up 0.4% and 1.0%, respectively, of 

all unincorporated land area. 

Table 1: Existing Land Use Analysis by Township 

describes existing land use patterns by township. 

Figures 3A and 3B: Existing Land Use Breakdown 

provide a breakdown of the different land uses in the 

County by percentage, both for the entire County, 

both including and excluding incorporated and 

unincorporated land. 


7

N Hartman Rd 

NGoekeRd 

SKlingerRd 

Yale Bridge Rd 

E Rock Grove Rd 

E Pieper Rd 

Avy School Rd 

Norris Rd 

Sumner Rd 

Comly Rd 

Kelley Rd 

Edwardsville Rd 

Murphy Rd 

20 

Pecatonica Rd. 

Best Rd 

Farm School Rd 

W Campbell Rd 

SSpielmanRd 

Blair Rd 

Edwardsville 

NSpielmanRd 

Goodrich Rd 

W Montague Rd 

29 28 

Seward 

Best Rd 

Anderson Rd 

Anderson Rd 

Durand Rd 

SPecatonicaRd 

N Pecatonica Rd 

Laube Rd 

Eicks Rd 

Trask Bridge Rd 

Brick School Rd 

C.C. &P. 

Seward 

SPecatonicaRd 

21 

Holverson Rd 

Sarver Rd 

C.C. &P. Spur 

Existing Land Use 

Waller Rd 

Rock Grove Rd 

Patterson Rd 

Durand 


Barningham Rd 

Lundgren Rd 

Markham Rd 

Hagerty Rd 

Pecatonica 

Miles 

0 0.15 0.3 


Townships 

Murphy Rd 

Center Rd 

Durand 

Pecatonica 

Seward 

Markham Rd. 

Rd. 


Lakes and Waterways 


Laona 

Berglund Rd 

Cunningham Rd 


Crowley Rd 

Judd Rd 

N Conger Rd 

Comly Rd 

S Conger Rd 

Rowley Rd 

Baker Rd 

Tallackson Rd 

IL Route 75 

U.S. Highway 20 

E Montague Rd 

Leech Rd 

N Hoisington Rd 

Berglund Rd 

S Hoisington Rd 

Ahrens Rd 

Fritz Rd 



Winslow 

Rd. 

Shirland 

Harrison Rd. 

Agriculture 

Boswell Rd. 

Theodoroff Rd 

Wheeler Rd 

11 

Shirland Rd. 

Pecatonica 

Kendall Rd 


Smith Rd 

River 

Baker Rd 

Fritz Rd 

Osborne Rd 

Moate Rd 


N Keith Rd 

Anders Rd 

Saunders Rd 

SKeithRd 

Bailey Rd 

Miles 

0 0.125 0.25 

Mc Mahon Rd 

Agriculture - Rural Residential 

Low Density Residential 

Medium Density Residential 

Fish Hatchery Rd 

N Winnebago Rd 

Winnebago 

Bridgeland Rd 

Alworth Rd 

NWinslow Rd 

Haas Rd 

Winnebago 

Cemetery Rd 

Dickenson Rd 

Auburn St 

Westfield Rd 

Hauley Rd 

W Winslow Rd 

Eddie Rd 

Hauley Rd 

Harrison 

75 

IL Route 70 

Burritt 

Harrison Rd. 

Harrison 

Oliver Rd 


Pomeroy Rd 

Forest Preserve Rd 

Telegraph Rd 

Bridgeland Rd 

14 

Harrison Rd. 

Cannell Rd 

Wempletown Rd 

Boswell Rd 

Shirland 

W Oliver Rd 

Severson Rd 

Shirland 

Knapp Rd 

Freeport Rd. 

Harrison 

Harrison Rd 

Kelley Rd 

S Weldon Rd 

Miles 

0 0.125 0.25 

High Density Residential 

Figure 2: Existing Land Use Map 

N Weldon Rd 

Wishop Rd 

Stephens Rd 

Harrison Rd 

Montague Rd 

Zahm Rd 

U.S. Highway 20 (Bus) 

Shirland Rd 

NMeridian Rd 

Cunningham Rd 

Kelley Rd 

SMeridian Rd 

N Meridian Rd 

Sharp Rd 

IL Route 75 

Bates Rd 

Favor Rd 

Latham Rd 

Blacklaws Rd 

Porter Rd 

Kishwaukee Rd 

Steward Rd 

Tate Rd 

Safford Rd 

Tipple Rd 

Fitzgerald Rd 

Centerville Rd 

Condon Rd 

Stillman Valley Rd 

Mobile Home Public Facility 

Commercial 

Industrial 

FiskAve 

Clark Rd 

Moody Rd 

Halley Rd 

Elmwood Rd 

Daisyfield Rd 

Springfield Ave 

School St 

Simpson Rd 

Dailette Rd 

Rothwell Rd 


Prairie Rd 

Rockton 

Clover Rd 

Owen 

Clikeman Rd 

SPierpontAve 

Gummow Rd 

Blodgett Rd 

WRockton Rd 

Airport Dr 

Owen Center Rd 

W Riverside Blvd 

Pelley Rd 

Kilburn Ave 

W State St 

Michigan Ave 

Hansberry Rd 

Morgan St 

Beltline Rd 

South Bend Rd 

EEdson Rd 

Moffett Rd 

W Harrison Ave 

Open Space or Forest Preserve 

Places of Worship 

C.C. & P. 

Montague St 

Beltline Rd 

Friday Rd 

Prairie Rd 

RocktonAve 

Roscoe Rd 

N Rockton Ave 

Whitman St 

Gleasman Rd 

15thAve 

®q 

Rockton Rd 

E State St 

Rockford 

Harrison Ave 

I.R. 

Kishwaukee St 

SBluff Rd 

5th Ave 

Falcon Dr 

7th St 

N Main Rd Wagon Wheel Rd 

Wittwer Rd 

8th St 

N Main St 

Fischer Rd 

Rockton 

W Union St 

IL Route 2 

NLongwood St 

Railroad Ave 

Broadway 

New Milford School Rd 

New Milford 

IL Route 251 

11th St 

E Main St 

Russell St 

N 2nd St 

Samuelson Rd 

Rydberg Rd 

IL Route 2 

Old River Rd 

Parkview Ave 

S RockfordAve 

20th St 

Lindenwood Rd 

Shirland Ave 

IL Route 75 

Rockton Rd 

I.C.E. 

Ralston Rd 

Harlem Rd 

IL Route 2 

South Beloit 

Dorr Rd 

N 2nd St 

Rural St 

Charles St 

35th St 

Rotary Rd 

Harrisville Rd 

ERockton Rd 

Hononegah Rd 

Machesney Park 

N Alpine Rd 

S Alpine Rd 

Gardner St 

Burden Rd 

IL Route 251 

Bridge St 

W Lane Rd 

Forest Hills Rd 

Rockford 

§¨¦ I-39 

Nimtz Rd 

Baxter Rd 

Mc Curry Rd 

Roscoe 

Hart Rd 

Spring Creek Rd 

Sandy Hollow Rd 

Blackhawk Rd 

EEdson Rd 

NPerryville Rd 

Main St 

Manchester St 

Willow Brook Rd 

Roscoe 

Swanson Rd 


NMulford Rd 

HarrisonAve 

S Mulford Rd 

S Mulford Rd 

Mc Donald Rd 

Loves Park 

Love Rd 

Harlem 

Newburg Rd 

Linden Rd 

Middle Rd 

ERiverside Blvd 

Reid Farm Rd 

Guilford Rd 

Charles St 

Pleasant Valley Rd 

McFarland Rd 

Blomberg Rd 

S Perryville Rd 

Hamborg Rd 

Spring Brook Rd 

Hamborg Rd 

Mill Rd 

Burr Oak Rd 

N Bell School Rd 

SBell SchoolRd 

Cherry Valley 

C.C. & P. 

White School Rd 

Prairie Hill Rd 

Elevator Rd 

IL Route 173 

§¨¦ I-90 

Lyford Rd 

Atwood Rd 

Shirley Rd N Lyford Rd 

Rote Rd 

Mill Rd 

Rockton Rd 

Crockett Rd 

Paulson Rd 

Belvidere Rd 



Edson Rd 

0 5,000 10,000 

Feet 

20,000 

Mc Michael Rd 

U.P. 

Lovesee Rd 

Brown Rd 

Orth Rd 


Cherry Valley 

Genoa St 

Burton Rd 

Argyle Rd 

Sweeney Rd 

River Rd 

* Townships labeled in red 

Hamlets, Villages & 

Municipalities labeled in black 

Data Source Courtesy of WinGIS 

Fairdale Rd 

°


TABLE 1: EXISTING LAND USE ANALYSIS BY TOWNSHIP 

(SEE FIGURE 1 FOR TOWNSHIP LOCATIONS) 

Township Existing Land Use 

Laona 

Durand 

Pecatonica 

Seward 

Shirland 

Harrison 

Burritt 

Winnebago 

Chapter 1 

→ Primarily rural with scattered agriculture-rural residential development and existing forest 

preserves 

→ There is also a large residential subdivision – Lake Summerset – that extends into Stephenson 

County and Durand Township (Winnebago County), in the southwest corner (Lake Summerset has 

its own wastewater treatment facility and water system) 

→ There are no incorporated areas within the township 

→ Durand Township includes the incorporated municipality of Durand (population 1,081) 

→ Outside the incorporated area, primarily rural with scattered agriculture-rural residential 

development and existing parkland 

→ The Lake Summerset subdivision located in Laona Township also extends partially into Durand 

Township 

→ There are small commercial developments both within the Lake Summerset development and at the 

intersection of IL Rte. 75 and Best Road 

→ Pecatonica Township includes the Village of Pecatonica (population 1,997) 

→ There is some residential development, and commercial and industrial development adjacent to 

Pecatonica’s boundaries 

→ Outside the incorporated area, primarily rural with scattered agriculture-rural residential 

development and existing forest preserve 

→ Westlake Village, a medium density residential subdivision is located in Pecatonica Township 

(Westlake Village has its own wastewater treatment facility and water system) 

→ Primarily rural with scattered agriculture-rural residential 

→ Significant forest preserve land is located in the northwest corner of the township 

→ Residential development, public facilities, a manufactured housing park and some retail and heavy 

commercial are located along Highway 20 

→ The unincorporated Town of Seward is located within the township, which contains medium 

density residential development and significant industrial land uses along the Canadian National 

railroad spur 

→ Primarily rural with a significant amount of scattered agriculture-rural residential 

→ Significant forest preserve land is located along the Sugar River that forms the western boundary of 

the township 

→ The unincorporated Town of Shirland is located within the township, which contains medium and 

low density residential development, as well as some light industrial along Shirland Road 


→ The unincorporated Town of Harrison is located within the township along the Sugar River 

→ The Town of Harrison contains primarily medium density residential development with some 

commercial and light industrial 

→ There is a small medium industrial development along IL Rte. 75 


→ A portion of the City of Rockford is located within the township 

→ Winnebago Township includes the incorporated municipality of Winnebago (population 2,958) 

→ Outside the incorporated area, the western portion of the township is primarily rural and the eastern 

portion of the township has significant development, both residential and non-residential, as it 

approaches Rockford 

→ Currently, open space and agricultural uses separate the Village of Winnebago from Rockford 


9




Township Existing Land Use 

Rockton 

Owen 

Rockford 

Cherry Valley 

Roscoe 

Harlem 

10 

→ Rockton Township includes the incorporated City of Rockton (population 5,296) and the City of 

South Beloit (population 5,397) 

→ The western portion of the township is primarily rural with scattered agriculture-rural residential 

→ The eastern portion of the township contains the City of Rockton with significant development 

along the municipal boundaries 

→ Along the Rock River, there is significant open space and a number of low density residential 

developments 

→ Along the northern boundary of the township there is some industrial development near South 

Beloit and the large commercial development is the Blackhawk Racetrack 

→ Owen Township includes portions of the incorporated municipalities of Machesney Park 

(population 19,990) and Loves Park (population 20,044) along its eastern and southern boundaries 

→ Low density residential development is concentrated along the municipal borders and the Rock 

River 

→ Outside the municipalities and the adjacent areas to their borders, the township is primarily rural 

with scattered agriculture-rural residential 

→ The township also contains open space uses, including Camp Winnebago YMCA, and some 

industrial uses along IL Rte. 2 

→ Rockford Township includes the incorporated City of Rockford (population 150,115) and New 

Milford (population 541) 

→ The majority of the township is incorporated and the City of Rockford comprises the majority of 

incorporated land area 

→ There is significant development surrounding the City’s boundaries, including low and medium 

density residential, commercial and industrial development 

→ Cherry Valley Township includes the incorporated municipality of Cherry Valley (population 

2,191) and portions of the City of Rockford 

→ Along the northern and western boundaries the majority of the township is incorporated 

→ The developed areas surrounding the municipal boundaries in the township are medium density 

residential development 

→ The township also contains significant forest preserve land along the Kishwaukee River 

→ The land area along the eastern and southern boundaries is primarily agricultural with scattered 

agriculture-rural residential 

→ Roscoe Township includes the incorporated Village of Roscoe (population 6,244) and a portion of 

Rockton and South Beloit 

→ A large portion of the township is incorporated 

→ Along the Union Pacific railroad spur, there is significant industrial land use 

→ In the southern portion of the township, there is significant unincorporated medium and low 

density residential development 

→ Harlem Township includes the incorporated municipalities of Machesney Park (population 

19,990), Loves Park (population 20,044) and the City of Roscoe 

→ The majority of the township is incorporated 

→ The eastern portion of the township contains scattered residential development 



FIGURE 3A: EXISTING LAND USE BREAKDOWN – 

COUNTY: ENTIRE LAND AREA 

Agricultural 63.33% 

Agriculture - Rural Residential 3.54% 

Residential - Low Density 2.82% 

Residential - Medium Density 3.56% 

Residential - High Density 0.05% 

Residential - Manufactured Housing 0.05% 

Commercial 0.33% 

Industrial 0.78% 

Open Space & Forest Preserves 3.23% 

Public Facilities 0.12% 

Places of Worship 0.05% 

Incorporated Area 22.14% 

Agricultural 

Chapter 1 

Agriculture-Rural 

Residential 

Residential 

- Low 

Residential 

- Medium 

Residential 

- High 

Manufactured 

Commercial 

Industrial 

Places 

of 

Worship 

Public 

Facilities 

Open 

Space 

Incorporated 

Area 

Housing 


11


12 


FIGURE 3B: EXISTING LAND USE BREAKDOWN – 

COUNTY: UNINCORPORATED AREA ONLY 

Agricultural 81.35% 

Agriculture - Rural Residential 4.54% 

Residential - Low Density 3.63% 

Residential - Medium Density 4.58% 

Residential - High Density 0.06% 

Residential - Manufactured Housing 0.06% 

Commercial 0.42% 

Industrial 1.00% 

Open Space & Forest Preserves 4.15% 

Public Facilities 0.15% 

Places of Worship 0.07% 

Agricultural 

Agriculture-Rural 

Residential 

Residential 

- Low 

Residential 

- Medium 

Residential 

- High 

Manufactured 

Commercial 

Industrial 

Places 

of 

Worship 

Public 

Facilities 

Open 

Space 

Housing

Chapter 2 Future Land Use 



Winnebago County’s Vision 

Winnebago County has adopted this 2030 Land Resource 

Management Plan to implement its vision for the future 

of the County. The land use decisions and growth 

management strategies found in this Plan will preserve 

Winnebago County’s unique quality of life, which 

results from its ability to balance the rural and urban 

characters that make up the County. 

Over the next 20 years, Winnebago County will 

preserve its prime agricultural land and protect it from 

incompatible development, ensuring that it is both a key 

part of both the County’s character and economy. New 

residential development will take advantage of areas 

where infrastructure and services are readily available, 

resulting in new development primarily adjacent to 

municipal boundaries as well as infill development 

within the municipalities. New residential development 

will be sustainable, walkable and of the highest quality 

design, utilizing state-of-the-art development tools 

like conservation design and traditional neighborhood 

development, while continuing to meet the housing 

needs of all County residents. Key transportation 

routes will be home to thriving new industry, supported 

by a highly qualified local workforce. The County 

will continue to plan for and take advantage of new 

economic development opportunities. All development 

will proceed in an organized manner to maintain the 

quality of the County’s infrastructure, including 

schools, roads, sewer and water. The County will 

preserve its green infrastructure through conservation, 

restoration and proper management. Expansion of 

forest preserve land and other types of open space will 

protect sensitive areas, including river corridors, and 

create green corridors that connect across the County. 

All residents will benefit from the ability to interact 

with the County’s rural character through both active 

and passive recreation opportunities. 

Goals, Objectives and Policies 

Goals, objectives and policies are a system of 

recommendations that are refined at each level. Goals 

are the broadest recommendation; each of the nine topic 

areas has one goal that guides the recommendations at 

the subsequent level. Objectives expand the goal into a 

series of broad statements that highlight distinct aspects 

of the overall goal. Policies are even more specific and 

intended to guide the County’s decision-making policies 

and implementation strategies. Finally, implementation 

strategies are specific actions the County, or various players 

within the County, can take to implement the policies. 

14 


The goals and objectives of each topic area are 

summarized below. Each chapter contains detailed 

policies and implementation strategies that will realize 

these goals and objectives. 

I. Agriculture 

Preserve prime agricultural land. 

Objectives: 

1. Firmly establish agriculture’s role as a key part 

of the County’s economy and identity. 

2. Protect farmland from the encroachment of 

incompatible development. 

3. Allow limited new development that would be 

a good neighbor to existing agricultural uses. 

4. Continue to assess and, where feasible, 

implement farmland preservation and 

conservation techniques. 

Future residential growth has been planned primarily for areas surrounding 

municipalities, where infrastructure and access to services 

are available. 

II. Residential Land Use 

Provide a variety of quality housing stock to meet 

the needs of county residents, while establishing an 

efficient land development pattern. 

Objectives 

1. Locate new residential development where 

infrastructure and resources are already available. 

2. Prevent conflicts between incompatible land 

uses, such as new residential development and 

agricultural or industrial uses, through site 

design standards on the micro-level and, on a 

macro-level, by following this Plan in land use

decision-making. 

3. Direct residential development into 

municipalities. Encourage residential infill 

and redevelopment, as well as mixed-use 

development in urban areas, to make efficient 

use of land, and preserve natural resources. 

4. Require high-quality new residential development. 

5. Preserve the existing range of housing opportunities. 

III. Economic Development 

Promote economic development throughout the county 

that balances the needs of the current and future 

economy with a high quality of life standard. 

Economic development strategies include reserving significant 

areas of the County for commercial, office and industrial land uses in 

advance of development. 

Objectives 

1. Support the existing industrial base. 

2. Attract new industrial and commercial 

development, and wealth-building employment 

to the County. 

3. Preserve prime farm land as agriculture is a key 

part of the County’s economy. 

4. Promote a well-educated local workforce. 

IV. Growth 

Growth must be focused on supporting the principals of 

balanced growth by preserving open space and natural 

areas, reducing traffic congestion, utilizing existing infrastructure 

and resources, and preserving the quality of life 

within our community. 

Objectives 

1. Focus growth where it provides the greatest 

benefit to the County as a whole. 

Future Land Use 

Chapter 2 

2. Anticipate the future location and timing of new 

development, so that needed infrastructure for 

such land use is planned for and available. 

3. Retain existing, and create new, employment 

opportunities when planning for growth. 

4. Support the established smart growth policies 

of the “Balanced Growth: Winnebago County 

Balanced Growth Initiative” and the “Rock 

River Valley Green Communities Initiative.” 

The County’s high quality open space network offers residents 

numerous active and passive recreational opportunities. 

V. Natural Resources 

Preserve Winnebago County’s green infrastructure by 

protecting, conserving, restoring and properly managing 

such assets. 

Objectives 

1. Preserve the County’s natural resources and 

recognize them as part of Winnebago County’s 

identity. 

2. Adopt land use policies and regulations to 

preserve and protect natural resources and 

environmentally sensitive areas, including the 

scenic beauty of the County. 

3. Continue to connect Winnebago County’s 

greenway system to the existing regional 

network as identified on the “Boone and 

Winnebago Regional Greenways Plan.” 

4. Provide a high quality active and passive 

recreation network for County residents. 

5. Implement strategies to prevent and/or 

minimize air and water pollution and soil erosion. 

6. Coordinate efforts with public and private 


15


organizations to educate County residents 

on the value of natural resources and 

environmentally sensitive lands. 

VI. Public Utilities and Facilities 

Maintain, develop and plan for public facilities and 

utilities in an economical and environmentally sound 

manner. 

Objectives 

1. Maximize investment in existing public 

infrastructure and services. 

2. Plan for growth and development primarily 

within Facility Planning Areas. Limit the use of 

septic systems. 

3. Coordinate with local governments and/or 

agencies to ensure that sufficient finances, 

including capital and operating funds, are 

available for public facilities and services to 

meet the needs of the population. 

4. Require extensions of public utilities and 

facilities to be funded, in whole or in part, by 

the entities creating the demand. 

5. Preserve water quality through proper 

stormwater management techniques. 

VII. Transportation 

Plan, construct and maintain an accessible, efficient, 

multi-modal, regional transportation system that 

meets the needs of the public and commerce, while 

minimizing risks to health, safety and the environment. 

Objectives 

1. Coordinate with federal, state, township and 

municipal agencies to promote a proactive 

balanced transportation system that is integrated 

with land use policy to enhance economic 

development, vitality and community character. 

2. Review the County’s transportation system and 

related facilities regularly to assess the levels of 

need and efficiently manage financial resources 

for upgrades. 

3. Enhance interconnectivity among air, rail, mass 

transit, highways and non-vehicular pathways, 

and encourage alternate means of transportation. 

4. Improve the safety and security of the entire 

transportation system throughout all areas of 

16 


the County, both urban and rural. 

5. Minimize the impact of transportation on the 

environment in accordance with federal, state 

and local legislation, regulations and standards. 

Consider the non-tangible factors of aesthetics 

and quality of life issues when developing, 

modifying, and maintaining the existing and 

planned transportation system. 

6. Transfer jurisdictional authority of roads to 

townships and municipalities, as appropriate, 

to reduce the number of road miles under the 

responsibility of the County. 

VIII. Telecommunications & Technology 

Plan for and install state-of-the-art telecommunication 

infrastructure, attract high-tech businesses, and 

train a local workforce that can staff such businesses. 

Objectives: 

1. Maintain high-quality telecommunications 

infrastructure that is sensitive to aesthetic and 

public safety issues. 

2. Prepare the local workforce, including students 

who will later enter the workforce, for a hightech 

economy. 

3. Maintain an on-going dialogue and working 

relationship with high-tech businesses located within 

the County and the region to assess the strengths 

and weaknesses of Winnebago County. Use this 

dialogue to pursue partnership opportunities. 

Complementary Planning Efforts 

In addition to this Plan, other planning efforts of the 

County should be consulted for guidance in land 

use decisions. Should comparable condition of such 

planning efforts differ from the 2030 Land Resource 

Management Plan, the 2030 Land Resource Management 

Plan should govern. The following adopted plans and 

studies supplement the goals, objectives and polices of 

the 2030 Land Resource Management Plan: 

→ Boone and Winnebago Regional Greenways Plan 

→ Springfield Avenue Corridor Study 

→ Natural Resources Inventory 

→ Principles of Balanced Growth: Winnebago County 

Balanced Growth Initiative 

→ Green Communities Environmental Vision 

→ Rock River Valley Green Communities Initiative

→ Industry Study on Aerospace 

→ Industry Study on Logistics/Warehousing 

→ Industry Study on Food Processing 

→ Industry Study on Call Centers 

Future Land Use Map 

Figure 3: Future Land Use Map shows the planned future 

development of the County. The Future Land Use Map 

categories shown in Figure 3 can be described as follows: 

• Agriculture. This category refers to the use of 

land for agricultural purposes including, but 

not limited to, farming, farmsteads, dairying, 

pasturage, agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, 

viticulture, and animal and poultry husbandry, 

as well as the accessory uses that are typically a 

part of these activities. Single-family homes on 

40 acre, quarter-quarter section lots are also part 

of this land use category. 

• Residential - Low Density. The low density 

residential land use consists of and/or 

encourages single-family development of a 

density of 1.5 dwelling units per acre or less. 

The designation of low density residential 

is not intended to discourage clustering 

of development sites within a residential 

subdivision. For example, while a density 

of 1.5 du/is approximately a 30,000 square 

foot lot size, residential units can be clustered 

so that the overall density is 1.5 du/a but 

the individual lot sizes can vary with the 

preservation of open space. Conservation 

design is appropriate for areas designated as 

low density residential. 

• Residential - Medium Density. The medium 

density residential land use consists of and/or 

encourages single-family and very limited and 

appropriately placed (i.e. transitional areas) two 

family developments of a density of more than 

1.5 dwelling units per acre up to 7 du/a. 

• Residential - High Density. High density 

residential land uses are reserved for multifamily 

developments. There is limited 

application of this land use designation in the 

future. The majority of areas shown as high 

density residential have been determined by the 

land use plans of the municipalities. 


Chapter 2 

• Commercial. Commercial uses are those 

businesses that provide goods and/or services 

directly to the consumer, where those goods are 

available for immediate purchase. This category 

includes a variety of commercial uses of various 

intensities, from low impact commercial 

recreational uses such as bowling alleys to 

retail stores, restaurants, home improvement 

centers and motor vehicle uses. Commercial 

uses located on high priority arterial gateways 

are encouraged to include enhanced site design 

such as additional landscaping and building 

design, especially where visible from adjacent 

arterials roads. 

• Commercial or Office. This land use indicates 

areas where both retail commercial use and office 

use is appropriate. Ideally, but not necessarily 

required, these areas will be predominantly office 

with limited retail establishments to support 

those office uses. The blending of the commercial 

and office uses is intended to buffer nearby 

residential areas from more intensive uses via 

a less intensive non-residential development. 

Commercial or office uses located on high 

priority arterial gateways are encouraged to 

include enhanced site design such as additional 

landscaping and building design, especially 

where visible from adjacent arterials roads. 

• Heavy Commercial or Light Industrial. 

These areas are appropriate for either heavy 

commercial or light industrial uses, typically 

serving as a transition from concentrations 

of industrial uses located along high traffic 

roadways. Heavy commercial and light 

industrial have been combined in this category 

because these uses have similar impacts on 

adjacent properties. Heavy commercial uses 

located directly adjacent to roadways can serve 

as a buffer use to industrial users further within 

the site. This category would permit less intense 

commercial uses as well. Examples of heavy 

commercial uses include baseball stadium 

parks, amusement parks, raceways, water parks 

and outdoor movie theaters. Commercial or 

industrial uses located on high priority arterial 

gateways are encouraged to include enhanced 

site design such as additional landscaping and 

building design, especially where visible from 

adjacent arterials roads. 


17


18 

• Industrial – Light. Light industrial land uses 

include wholesale, distribution, storage, and 

research and development facilities. Light 

industrial uses have no off-site impacts and all 

activities are conducted indoors. Large-scale 

office parks are also permitted within the light 

industrial category. This category encourages 

higher aesthetic standards than the other 

industrial categories as it is generally located at 

or near main gateway arterials (I-90, I-39, etc.) 

• Industrial – Medium. Medium intensity 

industrial uses are those industrial uses that 

cannot meet the performance standards of the 

light industrial category, primarily due to some 

off-site impacts, but still function in a relatively 

clean and quiet manner. Some outdoor storage 

is also permitted in the medium industrial 

category, though screening requirements would 

apply. The majority of industrial uses can be 

classified as medium industrial. Industrial 

uses in the light industrial category are also 

permitted in the medium industrial category. 

• Industrial – Heavy. Heavy industrial uses are 

engaged in the processing and manufacturing 

of materials or products, predominately from 

extracted or raw materials, and storage or 

manufacturing processes that potentially 

involve hazardous conditions. Heavy industrial 

uses typically have significant off-site impacts. 

The use typically produces noise, vibration, 

illumination or particulate matter that can 

be perceptible to adjacent land uses, and 

therefore requires significant buffering for 

aesthetics and careful planning for compatible 

land uses. Heavy industrial users require a 

more significant amount of land in order to 

properly accommodate buffering and screening 

requirements. Industrial uses in the light and 

medium industrial categories are also permitted 

in the heavy industrial category. 

• Open Space or Forest Preserve. This category 

encompasses areas specifically designated for 

use as active and passive recreation areas and 

natural resource preservation areas. Much of 

this land is intended to become forest preserve. 

However, not all the land in this category is 

required to be in public ownership. Private 

ownership of open space, for example, but not 

limited to, a golf course, may also be acceptable. 

(The Future Land Use Map also shows existing 


open space and forest preserve areas in order to 

illustrate the green infrastructure corridors.) 

• Public Facility. Public facility land uses provide 

services to the County, such as a police, fire, 

schools, post office, etc. 

• Encouraged Traditional Neighborhood 

Development Overlay. The Encouraged 

Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) 

Overlay is intended to encourage – but does 

not mandate – TND-type development. A TND 

District is a self-sustaining town that is mixeduse 

and mixed density in character. A TND 

requires a specific mix of land uses, generally 

three or more – residential, commercial, office, 

light industrial, civic, open space, etc. and a 

range of housing choices, creating a relatively 

dense, mixed-use environment. Residents are 

able to walk to a local shopping district as well 

as recreational and entertainment uses. 

• Critical and Sensitive Areas Overlay. This is 

an overlay designation designed to protect the 

County’s areas that have critical resources for 

flora and fauna needs and/or are sensitive to 

development or use of the land. The bounds 

of the overlay have primarily been derived 

from the “Boone and Winnebago Regional 

Greenways Plan” and floodplain information. 

Within the overlay, land uses should be 

restricted to agriculture or open space uses, 

including forest preserve. With continued 

analysis of the County’s natural areas, the 

boundaries of this overlay may change. 

• Incorporated Area. The incorporated area 

includes the following municipalities: Cherry 

Valley, Durand, Loves Park, Machesney Park, 

New Milford, Pecatonica, Rockford, Roscoe, 

Rockton, South Beloit, and Winnebago. 

• Natural Resources Inventory. The future land 

use map(s) also identifies the resulting data 

categories of Natural Areas, Significant Wildlife 

Habitat, Illinois Natural Area Inventory Site, 

Illinois Nature Preserve, Natural Land Institute 

Site, NLI Conservation Easements, Wetland 

Reserve Program Site, Forest Preserve, Park 

and State Park from the Natural Resources 

Inventory Map commissioned by the County. 

For more detailed information, refer to 

the Winnebago County Natural Resources 

Inventory Report.

NHartmanRd 

NGoekeRd 

SKlingerRd 



E Pieper Rd 

Avy School Rd 

Norris Rd 

Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 




Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Sumner Rd 





Comly Rd 

Kelley Rd 


Murphy Rd 

20 

Pecatonica Rd. 

Best Rd 


W Campbell Rd 

SSpielmanRd 

Blair Rd 

Edwardsville 

NSpielmanRd 

Goodrich Rd 

W Montague Rd 

29 28 

Seward 

Best Rd 

Anderson Rd 

Anderson Rd 

Durand Rd 

SPecatonicaRd 


Laube Rd 

Eicks Rd 



C.C. & P. 

Seward 

S Pecatonica Rd 

21 


Holverson Rd 

Sarver Rd 

C.C. &P. Spur 

Waller Rd 

Rock Grove Rd 

Patterson Rd 

Durand 


Barningham Rd 

Lundgren Rd 

Markham Rd 

Hagerty Rd 

Pecatonica 

Miles 

0 0.15 0.3 


Y 

Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

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Murphy Rd 

Center Rd 

Durand 

Pecatonica 

Seward 

Berglund Rd 

Cunningham Rd 


Townships 




Planned Road 

Encouraged Traditional 

Neighborhood Development 

Markham Rd. 

Rd. 

Laona 

Crowley Rd 

Judd Rd 

N Conger Rd 

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Wheeler Rd 

Y 





Y Y YY YY YY YY YY 

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Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY YY YY 

Y Y 

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G G G G G G G 

Comly Rd 

S Conger Rd 

Rowley Rd 

Baker Rd 

Tallackson Rd 

IL Route 75 


E Montague Rd 

Leech Rd 


Berglund Rd 

S Hoisington Rd 

Ahrens Rd 

Fritz Rd 




Kendall Rd 

Smith Rd 

Baker Rd 

Fritz Rd 

Moate Rd 


N Keith Rd 

Anders Rd 

Osborne Rd 

Saunders Rd 

SKeithRd 

Bailey Rd 

Mc Mahon Rd 



Winnebago 

Bridgeland Rd 

Alworth Rd 

NWinslow Rd 

Haas Rd 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Winnebago 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

Cemetery Rd 

Dickenson Rd 

Auburn St 

Westfield Rd 

Hauley Rd 

W Winslow Rd 

Eddie Rd 

Hauley Rd 

Harrison 

IL Route 70 

Burritt 

Oliver Rd 



Telegraph Rd 

Bridgeland Rd 

Pomeroy Rd 

Cannell Rd 

Wempletown Rd 

Boswell Rd 

Shirland 

W Oliver Rd 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Knapp Rd 

G G G G G G G G G 



S Weldon Rd 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Severson Rd 

Shirland 

Harrison 

Harrison Rd 

Kelley Rd 

G G G G GG G G G G G G G 



G G G G GG 

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Winslow 

Rd. 

Shirland 

Harrison Rd. 

Boswell Rd. 

11 

Shirland Rd. 

Pecatonica 

River 

Miles 

0 0.125 0.25 

Agriculture 




Public Facility 

Commercial 

Commercial or Office 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Harrison 

Figure 3: Future Land Use Map 

75 

Harrison Rd. 

14 

Harrison Rd. 

Freeport Rd. 

Miles 

0 0.125 0.25 

N Weldon Rd 

Wishop Rd 

Stephens Rd 

Harrison Rd 

Montague Rd 

Zahm Rd 

U.S. Highway 20(Bus) 

Shirland Rd 

N Meridian Rd 

Cunningham Rd 

Kelley Rd 

SMeridian Rd 

N Meridian Rd 

Latham Rd 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Sharp Rd 

IL Route 75 

Bates Rd 

Favor Rd 

Blacklaws Rd 

Porter Rd 

Kishwaukee Rd 

Steward Rd 

Tate Rd 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G 

Safford Rd 

Tipple Rd 

Fitzgerald Rd 


Condon Rd 


Light Industrial 

Medium Industrial 

Heavy Industrial 

Heavy Commercial or Light Industrial 

Existing - Open Space or Forest Preserve 

Future - Open Space or Forest Preserve 

Critical and Sensitive Areas 

FiskAve 

Clark Rd 


G G G G GG 

G G G G G G G G 

G G G G GG 


G G G G GG 


Moody Rd 

Halley Rd 

Elmwood Rd 

Daisyfield Rd 


School St 

Simpson Rd 

Dailette Rd 

Rothwell Rd 


Prairie Rd 

Rockton 

Clover Rd 

Owen 

Y YY 

Y 

Y YY 

Y 

Y Y 

Clikeman Rd 

SPierpont Ave 

Gummow Rd 

Blodgett Rd 

WRockton Rd 

Owen Center Rd 

W Riverside Blvd 

W State St 

Michigan Ave 

Y Y Y Y 

C.C. & P. 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY YY Y 

Roscoe Rd 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

N Rockton Ave 

Gleasman Rd 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

I.C.E. 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

Y Y Y Y 

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Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y YY YY YY 

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Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

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Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

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Y 

Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

YY YY Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y YY YY Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y YY YY Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 











®q 

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G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 

Pelley Rd 

Kilburn Ave 

Adopted May 28, 2009 by County Board, inclusive of the 

amendments made on May 28, 2009 & August 13, 2009 

Airport Dr 

Hansberry Rd 

Morgan St 

Beltline Rd 

South Bend Rd 

EEdson Rd 

Moffett Rd 


Montague St 

Beltline Rd 

Friday Rd 

Prairie Rd 

RocktonAve 

Whitman St 

Rockton Rd 

E State St 

Rockford 

15thAve 

Harrison Ave 

I.R. 

Kishwaukee St 

SBluff Rd 

5th Ave 

Falcon Dr 

7th St 

N Main Rd Wagon Wheel Rd 

Wittwer Rd 

8th St 

N Main St 

Fischer Rd 

Rockton 

W Union St 

IL Route 2 

NLongwood St 

Railroad Ave 

Broadway 

New Milford School Rd 

New Milford 

Natural Resources Inventory 

Natural Areas 

G 

Significant Wildlife Habitat 

Illinois Natural Area Inventory Site 

(INAI - Mar 08) 

Illinois Nature Preserve 

(INPC - Sept 07) 

Natural Land Institute Site (NLI) 

IL Route 251 

11th St 

E Main St 

Russell St 

N 2nd St 

Samuelson Rd 

Rydberg Rd 

IL Route 2 

Old River Rd 

Parkview Ave 

S RockfordAve 

20th St 

Lindenwood Rd 

Shirland Ave 

IL Route 75 

Rockton Rd 

Ralston Rd 

Harlem Rd 

IL Route 2 

South Beloit 

Dorr Rd 

N 2nd St 

Rural St 

Charles St 

35th St 

Rotary Rd 


ERockton Rd 

Hononegah Rd 


N Alpine Rd 

S Alpine Rd 

§¨¦ I-39 

Gardner St 

Burden Rd 

IL Route 251 

Bridge St 

W Lane Rd 


Rockford 

Nimtz Rd 

Baxter Rd 

Mc Curry Rd 

Roscoe 

Hart Rd 



Blackhawk Rd 

EEdson Rd 

NLI Conservation 

Easements 

Wetland Reserve 

Program Site (WRP) 

YY 

Y Forest Preserve 

YY 

Park 

State Park 


Main St 


Manchester St 


Roscoe 

Swanson Rd 

N Perryville Rd 

NMulford Rd 

HarrisonAve 

S Mulford Rd 

S Mulford Rd 

Mc Donald Rd 

Loves Park 

Love Rd 

Harlem 

Newburg Rd 

Linden Rd 

Middle Rd 


Reid Farm Rd 

Guilford Rd 

Charles St 


McFarland Rd 

Blomberg Rd 

S Perryville Rd 

Hamborg Rd 


Hamborg Rd 

Mill Rd 

Burr Oak Rd 


SBell SchoolRd 

Cherry Valley 

C.C. & P. 



Elevator Rd 

IL Route 173 

§¨¦ I-90 

Lyford Rd 

Atwood Rd 

Shirley Rd N Lyford Rd 

Rote Rd 

U.P. 

G G G 

G G G 

Mill Rd 

Rockton Rd 

Crockett Rd 

Paulson Rd 

Belvidere Rd 



Edson Rd 

0 5,000 10,000 

Feet 

20,000 

Lovesee Rd 

Mc Michael Rd 

Brown Rd 

Orth Rd 


Cherry Valley 

Genoa St 

Burton Rd 

Argyle Rd 

Sweeney Rd 

River Rd 

* Townships labeled in red 

Hamlets, Villages & 

Municipalities labeled in black 

Data Source Courtesy of WinGIS 

Fairdale Rd 

°

Hartman 

Goeke 

Pieper 


Yale Bridge 

Best 

Rock Grove 


Townships 







Anderson 

Y 

Anderson 

Goodrich 

Pecatonica 

Durand 

Pecatonica 

Laube 

Eicks 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Holverson 

Waller 

Patterson 

Center 

Hagerty 

Center Rd Durand 

Crowley 

Judd 

Rowley 

Baker 

Tallackson 

IL Route 75 








Figure 3a: Future Land Use - Laona 



Leech 









G GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG G 









Wheeler 

Fritz 

Yale Bridge 

Baker 

Fritz 


Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Moate 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY YY Y 

Old Yale Bridge 

Natural Areas 

G 







Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Winslow 

Haas 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

°

Goeke 


Pieper 


Townships 







Best 

Farm School 

Best 

Goodrich 

Pecatonica 

Durand 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Pecatonica 

Holverson 

Sarver 

Trask Bridge 

Patterson 

Campbell 

Barningham 

Rock Grove 

Figure 3b: Future Land Use - Durand 



Center 

Center Rd 

Farm School 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Center 

Durand 








Crowley 

Judd 

IL Route 70 

Baker 

IL Route 75 

Leech 

Farm School 

G G G G 

G G G G 

G G G G 

Fritz 



G G G G G G GG 

G G 


G G G GG GG 

G G G G 


Natural Areas 

G 







0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Wheeler 

Baker 

Fritz 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


°

Goeke 

Avy School 









Y Y Y Y Y 


Norris 


Townships 

Sumner 







Best 

Spielman 

Blair 

Pecatonica 


Agriculture 





Commercial 


Trask Bridge 

Sarver 

Brick School 

Barningham 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Pecatonica 

Lundgren 

Center 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

G G G G 

G G G G 

G G G G 

G G G G 

G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G 

Telegraph 

Berglund 








Figure 3c: Future Land Use - Pecatonica 



IL Route 70 

Conger 

Judd 



G G G G G G GG 

G G 


G GG GG GG GG GG GG GG G G 

G GG GG GG GG GG GG GG G GG 






Saunders 

Berglund 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

Hoisington 


Ahrens 

Natural Areas 

G 







Fish Hatchery 

Smith 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G G 

G G G G G 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

°

Klinger 

Klinger 






Comly 


Murphy 

Kelley 

Edwardsville 


Townships 







Spielman 

Spielman 

Montague 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Pecatonica 

Pecatonica 

Seward 

Figure 3d: Future Land Use - Seward 



Lundgren 

Markham 

Comly 

Edwardsville 

Murphy 








Conger 


C.C. & P. 

Hoisington 


Natural Areas 

G 







Cunningham 

0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Berglund 

Kendall 

G 

G 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


°













GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG G G G G G G G G G 



GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG 






G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G GG G G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G GG 







Baker 

Moate 






Y Y Y YY YY YY YY YY 

Y 


Townships 

Old YaleBridge 







Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY YY YY Y Y Y 

YY YY YY YY YY Y Y Y 








Fritz 

Winslow 

Haas 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Hauley 

Hauley 

Winslow 

Pomeroy 

IL Route 75 

Cannell 

Forest Preserve 

Figure 3e: Future Land Use - Shirland 



Yale Bridge 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Boswell 

Shirland 








Harrison 

Zahm 

Meridian 

Meridian 

Pomeroy 


Natural Areas 

G 







Sharp 

IL Route75 

Moody 

0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Shirland 

G 

G 

G 

G 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


°

GG GG G G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G GG GG GG GG G G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G GG GG GG GG 






G G G G G G G G G G G GG GG GG GG G G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G G GG 

G G G G G G G 


G G G G G G G 


G G G G G G G 


G G G G G G G 


G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G 

Fritz 

Baker 

Wheeler 

Farm School 

Moate 

Baker 

Campbell 

G G G G G G G 

G GG 

G G G G G 

G G G G G GG GG G G G G 

G G G G G GG GG G G G G 


IL Route 70 


Townships 

IL Route 75 







Y Y 

Y Y 

Fritz 

G G 

G G G G 

G G G G 

G G G G 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Winslow 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Hauley 

Y Y Y Y Y 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G 

Eddie 

Winslow 

Figure 3f: Future Land Use - Harrison 



Oliver 








Knapp 

Y 

Y 

Y 

Harrison 

Boswell 

Shirland 

Harrison 


Wishop 

Harrison 

McDougall 

Natural Areas 

G 







Shirland 

Stephens 

Meridian 

0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Favor 

Steward 

Latham 

Moody 

IL Route 75 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


°

G G G G G G G 

G GG 

G G G G G 

G G GG GG GG GG GG 

G G G G 


G G G G 


G G G G 

GG GG 

GG GG GG GG GG 

G G G G 




Theodoroff 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 



Townships 

Keith 

Moate 

Anders 

Smith 

Bailey 







Y Y 

Y Y 

Saunders 

Kasch 

Mc Mahon 

Winnebago 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Fish Hatchery 

Telegraph 

Auburn 

Eddie 

IL Route 70 

Figure 3g: Future Land Use - Burritt 



Oliver 

Cemetery 








Wempletown 

Knapp 


Natural Areas 

G 







Weldon 

Harrison 

Dickinson 

Meridian 

Latham 

Halley 

Blacklaws 

Porter 

Safford 

G G G G G G 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

°

Edwardsville 

Kendall 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

Kelley 

C.C. & P. 



Townships 

Keith 

Osborne 







Comly 

Cunningham 

Winnebago 

Bridgeland 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Alworth 


Westfield 

Edwardsville 

Bridgeland 








Figure 3h: Future Land Use - Winnebago 



Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 




Y Y Y Y 

Severson 

Ramp 

Kelley 

Weldon 

U.S. Highway 20 (Bus) 

Montague 


Natural Areas 

G 







Kelley 

Cunningham 

Meridian 

0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Auburn 

Simpson 

Tipple 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


°

Pomeroy 

Zahm 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

G G G G G 

Wishop 

Meridian 

Pomeroy 

Sharp 



IL Route 75 

Favor 


Townships 

Bates 

Shirland 

Moody 







Clark 

Clover 

Yale Bridge 


G G G G GG 

G G G G G G G 

G G G G GG 

G G G G G G G 


Rockton 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Gummow 

Blodgett 

Central 

Hansberry 

Moffett 

Sand Prairie 

Gleasman 

Y Y Y 

Bluff 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y YY YY YY 

Y 

Y YY YY YY 

Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Rockton 

Roscoe 

Fischer 

Rockton 








Figure 3i: Future Land Use - Rockton 



Witwer 

Wagon Wheel 

North Main 

IL Route 2 

Union 

Main 

Russell 

Pvt 

Old River 

Nazarene 

IL Route 2 

Union 

Liddle 

Shirland 

Y Y 

Y Y 


IL Route75 

Prairie Hill 

Natural Areas 

G 







Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Liddle 

I.C.E. 

G G G 

G G 

G G 

Dorr 

IL Route 2 

Rockton 

Gardner St 

South Beloit 

0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Mc Curry 

Hononegah 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


°

Wishop 

Stephens 

Knapp 

Cemetery 

Meridian 


Bates 

Favor 

Blacklaws 


Townships 







Tate 

Clark 

Halley 

Elmwood 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G 

IL Route 70 

Porter 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Clikeman 

Gummow 

Steward 

Latham 

Central 

Moffett 

Figure 3j: Future Land Use - Owen 



Gleasman 

Roscoe 








Rockton 

Riverside 

IL Route 2 

IL Route 2 

Y Y 


Natural Areas 

G 







Old River 

I.C.E. 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Illinois Route 251 

Y Y Y 

Ralston 

0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Liddle 

Harlem 

IL Route 251 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


°

G G G G 

G G G G 

Meridian 

North Stillman Valley 

Y 

Y 

Porter 

Safford 

Kelley 

Montague 

Kishwaukee 

Centerville 

Tipple 

Fitzgerald 

Tate 

G G 

G G 

G G 

Condon 

Stillman Valley 


Fisk 

Daisyfield 


Townships 

Springfield 

Cunningham 

Simpson 

Prairie 

Rothwell 

Y 







Dailette 

School 

Pierpont 

Y 

Elmwood 

Auburn 

Central 

Michigan 

C.C. & P. 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Rockton 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

YY YY 

Y Y 

Y Y Y Y YY YY YY 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y YY YY 

Y Y Y 

Y 

Y Y Y Y 

YY YY Y Y 

Y Y YY Y YY Y Y 

Y Y YY Y Y Y 

Y Y 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 





G G G G G 

®q 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 






G 

G G 

Pelley 

Airport 

Harrison 

Beltline 

South Bend 

Edson 

Morgan 

Beltline 

Friday 

Whitman 

Harrison 

Wyman 

15th 

State 

College 

I.R. 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Kishwaukee 

5th 

Falcon 

Longwood 

7th 

I.C.E. 

8th 

Railroad 

Broadway 

New Milford School 

New Milford 

11th 

Rydberg 


Parkview 

Rockford 

20th 

Samuelson 

Lindenwood 

Forest Hills 

Rural 

Charles 

G 

G 

35th 

Blackhawk 

Harrisville 

Alpine 

Center 

Rotary 








Figure 3k: Future Land Use - Rockford 



Nimtz 

Sandy Hollow 

Spring Creek 

Baxter 

Loves Park 

Linden 

Edson 

Harrison 

Mulford 

Mulford 

Newburg 

Riverside 

Reid Farm 

Guilford 

Charles 

Perryville 

McFarland 

Spring Brook 

Mill 

Blomberg 


Bell School 

Natural Areas 

G 







C.C. &P. 

Lyford 

Rote 

Y Y 

U.P. 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Shirley 

Paulson 

Spring Brook 

Spring Creek 

Mill 

Mill 

State 

River 

Edson 

Orth 

Genoa 

Burton 

Sweeney 


0 0.5 1 

Miles 

2 

Fairdale 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 

°

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY YY YY 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y YY YY YY YY 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y Y YY YY 

Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY 

Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY 

Y Y Y Y 

YY YY YY 

Y Y Y Y 

YY YY 

Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y YY Y Y Y Y Y YY YY YY YY YY YY 

Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 









G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 












20th 

Lindenwood 


Samuelson 

Baxter 


Townships 


Edson 







Rotary 

Harrisville 

35th 

Alpine 

Harrison 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Sandy Hollow 

Blackhawk 

Figure 3l: Future Land Use - Cherry Valley 



Edson 

Mulford 

Mulford 

Linden 








Perryville 

Perryville 

Blomberg 

Mill 

C.C. & P. 

Shirley 

State 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G 


Natural Areas 

G 








Cherry Valley 

Edson 

U.P. U.P. 

Genoa 

River 

Burton 

Sweeney 


0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Fairdale 

County Line 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 

°

Yale Bridge 

Union 

Fischer 

I.C.E. 

Russell 

IL Route 75 

Roscoe 

Main 

Old River 

Bluff 

Nazarene 

IL Route 2 



Townships 

Pvt 

Liddle 

Shirland 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 







IL Route 75 

Gleasman 

G G G 

G G G 

G G G 

Dorr 

Hononegah 

Mc Curry 

Main 

Bridge 

Manchester 

Union Amy 

Liddle 

IL Route 2 

South Beloit 

Rockton 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Gardner St U.S. Highway 51 

IL Route 251 

Main 

River 

Frontage 

Main 

Willow Brook 

Y Y Y 

Swanson 

Mc Donald 

Y Y Y 

Figure 3m: Future Land Use - Roscoe 



Love 

Y 

Y 

Y 








Pleasant Valley 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Hamborg 

Hamborg 

Belvidere 

Burr Oak 

White School 

Prairie Hill 

Rockton 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Elevator 

Atwood 

Mark 

Crockett 

Middle 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Mc Michael 

Keokuk 


Natural Areas 

G 







Creek 

Lovesee 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 


0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

°

IL Route 2 

IL Route 2 

Y Y 

Roscoe 

Gleasman 

Old River 

I.C.E. 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

Y Y Y Y 

LathamRalston 

Elmwood 



Townships 








Y Y Y 

Liddle 


IL Route 251 

Alpine 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G G 

G 

Agriculture 





Commercial 


Burden 

Bridge 

Forest Hills 

Nimtz 

Roscoe 

Hart 

Frontage 

Harlem 

Perryville 

Main 

IL Route 173 

Riverside 

Y Y Y 

Swanson 

Mc Donald 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Y Y Y 

Loves Park 








Figure 3n: Future Land Use - Harlem 



Y 

Y 

Hamborg 

McFarland 

Hamborg 

Burr Oak 


Natural Areas 

G 







Atwood 

Crockett 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Y Y 

Mc Michael 

Keokuk 

Paulson 

Belvidere 

Creek 

Lovesee 

Brown 

Orth 

Picken 


0 0.25 0.5 

Miles 

1 

Argyle 


Easements 



YY 


YY 

Park 

State Park 

°


The overall future development pattern for the County 

directs development to areas adjacent to municipal 

boundaries, in particular medium density residential 

development. Industrial and commercial development 

is reserved for key transportation corridors and nodes. 

The majority of future development is contained within 

existing and proposed Facility Planning Areas (FPA), 

which indicate that wastewater service is available, 

or planned, for those areas. Much of the Future Land 

Use Map has also taken into consideration the land use 

plans of the incorporated municipalities and reflects the 

desired growth patterns of the cities and villages. 

Table 2: Future Land Use Analysis by Township 

describes future land use policy by township. It should 

be noted that Table 2 highlights future land use only. 

For example, in Laona Township, additional land is 

planned for forest preserve, while the majority of the 

township will remain primarily agriculture. Therefore, 

Table 2 indicates only that there is additional land 

area reserved for open space and forest preserve, and 

no additional residential, commercial or industrial 

land uses are planned. It is important to remember, 

when looking at this map, that the intent is to plan for 

development over the next 20 years. There are areas of 

significant growth planned, but these are anticipated to 

occur gradually, not all at once. It is also not the intent of 

this map to immediately rezone these areas to a zoning 

district that matches the future land use category. For 

example, much of the area shown as future residential 

development will remain in an agricultural zoning 

district until such time as conditions are right and 

development requirements can be satisfied to rezone 

that area. This Future Land Use Map allows for informed 

decision-making on future land use policy and to shape 

specific regulations within the Unified Development 

Ordinance (UDO) and other development controls. It 

is important to note, however, that the map remains a 

policy document and not a specific regulatory control. 

34 


Township Future Land Use 


TABLE 2: FUTURE LAND USE ANALYSIS BY TOWNSHIP 


Chapter 2 

Laona Laona Township is a rural township. Existing agriculture-rural residential uses are absorbed into the 

agriculture land use to preserve their more agricultural character and prevent the fragmenting of large 

swaths of farmland. 

→ Additional land is reserved for forest preserve 

→ The eastern boundary of the township is within the River Corridor Protection Overlay 

→ No new residential, commercial or industrial development 

Durand Future development within Durand Township is adjacent to the Village of Durand. Medium density 

residential development is the predominant type of new development planned adjacent to the Village. 

Agriculture-rural residential uses have been absorbed into farmland, which is the majority land use 

in the township. 

→ Additional medium density residential development is planned adjacent to Durand’s municipal 

boundaries 

→ Commercial retail development, adjacent to Durand, is planned along Center Road 

Pecatonica The future development of land in Pecatonica Township is planned for areas adjacent to the Village 

of Pecatonica’s boundaries. Significant amounts of new residential uses are anticipated south of the 

current Village boundaries. There are also plans for commercial or a mix of office and commercial uses 

along Pecatonica Road and along Highway 20. Some of the Village’s planning extends into Seward 

Township. 

→ Significant land area along the Pecatonica River is reserved for open space and forest preserve, 

and land along the river is within the River Corridor Protection Overlay 

→ A variety of commercial land uses are planned for areas along Pecatonica Road and Highway 20 

(which is just south of the township’s boundaries) 

→ Future medium density residential is planned for areas north of Highway 20 and low density 

residential is planned for areas south of Highway 20 

Seward Seward Township is a rural township that contains the Town of Seward (not incorporated) in its 

boundaries. However, there is a significant amount of land designated for industrial use, expanding 

upon the town’s current industrial areas. Additional medium-density residential development in the 

town is planned for areas along Pecatonica Road. (The Village of Pecatonica has planned for areas in 

the northwest corner of the township – see Pecatonica Township summary above.) 

→ Additional land planned for open space/forest preserve 

→ Along the CC&P railroad spur, through the Town of Seward, land is reserved for medium and 

heavy industrial uses 

→ Medium density residential uses are planned along the town’s western edge, along Pecatonica 

Road 

Shirland Shirland Township is rural in character and includes the Town of Shirland (not incorporated) in its 

boundaries. With the exception of additional forest preserve land along the river, including land within 

the River Corridor Protection Overlay, no new development is planned for the future. The agriculturerural 

residential land uses seen in the existing land use map are absorbed into farmland. 

→ Significant land is reserved for open space/forest preserve along the river (also within the River 

Corridor Protection Overlay) 


→ No expansion of the town is anticipated 


35





Harrison Harrison Township’s future development is very similar to that of Shirland Township. The township 

is rural in character and includes the Town of Harrison (not incorporated). Additional forest preserve 

land is planned along the river, where the River Corridor Protection Overlay is also applied, and no 

new development is anticipated. Agriculture-rural residential uses are absorbed into farmland. 

→ Significant land is reserved for open space/forest preserve along the river(also within the River 

Corridor Protection Overlay) 


→ No expansion of the town is anticipated 

Burritt Burritt Township is very rural in nature and does not contain any hamlets, as similar townships like 

Shirland and Harrison do. With the exception of additional forest preserve land and land area within 

the River Corridor Protection Overlay, the primary development change in Burritt Township is the 

absorption of agriculture-rural residential into the agriculture land use. 

→ Land is reserved for open space/forest preserve along the river and IL Rte. 70 


Winnebago Future development in Winnebago County is driven primarily by the Village of Winnebago, which 

is located within the township, and the expansion of the City of Rockford from the east. The Village 

has planned for development along the major roadways of Highway 20 to the north and the CC&P 

railroad spur to the south. Light industrial and commercial uses are planned for the areas along 

these roadways, and medium density residential is anticipated adjacent to the Village’s boundaries 

in between. The Village also maintains the open space to the east of the Village boundaries, some of 

which is cemetery land, to create a community separation area from Rockford. 

36 

→ Open space land uses exist and are planned for the eastern boundary of the Village to maintain a 

community separation area between Winnebago (Village) and Rockford 

→ Medium density residential development is planned adjacent to the Village as well as areas to the 

east of the open space community separation area, between Highway 20 and Cunningham Road 

→ Significant commercial is planned along Highway 20 and heavy commercial or light industrial 

along the CC&P railroad spur 

→ Some light industrial development is planned along the railroad spur and behind commercial 

development along Highway 20 

Along the eastern boundary of the township there is significant development of both industrial and 

residential uses. Industrial development is planned north of Highway 20, as well as along Meridian 

Rd. at Cunningham Rd., and at the CC&P railroad spur. Medium density residential development 

is planned east of the community separation area created by open space approaching the municipal 

boundary. Finally, low density residential development, intended to transition from the more 

developed areas in Rockford to the more rural parts of the County are planned between Montague 

Rd. and Kelley Rd. in the area between Meridian Rd. and Weldon Rd. 

→ Areas near key transportation assets are planned for industrial land uses 

→ Medium density residential land uses are planned for areas where that pattern of development 

currently exists 

→ Low density residential in the southeastern portion of the township transitions from more urban 

to rural development patterns 

→ Additional land is reserved for open space/forest preserve in the southeast corner 






Chapter 2 

Rockton Areas adjacent to the City of South Beloit and the Village of Rockton are planned for additional 

medium density residential with some low density residential planned for the area north of Roscoe 

Rd. and east of Rockton Ave., as well as industrial along key roadways such as Main Rd./IL Rte. 2. 

Heavy commercial or light industrial is planned for the northeast corner of the township. Along the 

Rock River, significant land area is set aside either as forest preserve or within the River Corridor 

Protection Overlay to minimize the impacts of development on the river. 

→ The western portion of the township is planned for additional open space/forest preserve along 

the Rock River and the River Corridor Protection Overlay 

→ Industrial land uses are planned in the southeast with heavy commercial or light industrial in the 

northeast 

→ Residential development is planned for areas adjacent to the nearby municipalities 

Owen A large amount of medium density residential development is planned for the southern and eastern 

boundaries of the township, correlating with the expansion of IL Rte. 2 to four lanes, making it a 

key north-south access road for the County, and the extension of the Rock River Water Reclamation 

District sewer expansion. There is also a transition to the more rural parts of the County with low 

density residential along the western boundary of the township. Retail, heavy and light industrial uses 

are reserved for key intersections along IL Rte. 2 (Roscoe Road, Gleasman Road, Latham Road and 

Elmwood Road) in an effort to accommodate anticipated demand for residential land in areas where 

infrastructure is or will be available. Along the river, areas of low density residential and open space 

are planned for, as well as designation within the River Corridor Protection Overlay, out of concern 

for impacts on the watershed. 

In order to encourage mixed-use development, the TND Land Use Overlay has been applied along 

IL Rte. 2 from Roscoe Rd. to just south of Latham Rd. and between Halley Rd. and Elmwood Rd., 

east and west of Owen Center Rd. Strictly residential uses in these areas may not necessarily be the 

most desirable land use. However, designating all of this land area non-residential has the potential 

to create large swaths of anonymous big box commercial uses. Residential areas located between 

key intersections along the corridor break up the non-residential land uses and prevent large-scale 

uncoordinated commercial users. For example, the TND design would permit additional commercial 

along Rt. 2 (outside of the intersections) but that commercial would have to be integrated within 

a mixed-use development, providing a well-designed community character along the roadway as 

opposed to strip commercial. 

→ The majority of planned residential in the township is medium density 

→ Along the river, limited low density residential and open space is designated to mitigate impacts 

on the watershed 

→ Along IL Rte. 2, commercial and industrial uses are planned at key intersections, with significant 

residential development to the rear 

→ TND design is encouraged along the Rt. 2 corridor, and between Halley Rd. and Elmwood Rd., 

east and west of Owen Center Rd. 

→ A large park is proposed in the northwest corner of the township 


37





Rockford Future land uses in Rockford Township generally locate additional medium density residential in the 

northern half of the township adjacent to Loves Park and Rockford. Significant industrial or heavy 

commercial and/or light industrial development is planned along the western boundary beginning 

just north of Highway 20 and extending to the northern boundary, including the area surrounding the 

airport. The township also includes the Springfield Rd. Corridor, for which the County has adopted 

a land use plan, which is reflected in the map. A TND Overlay is also located along Rotary Rd. to 

encourage developments that integrate commercial and residential uses. 

→ Residential land uses are planned for the northwest portion of the township, adjacent to Rockford 

and Loves Park 

→ Additional forest preserve land is planned along the Kishwaukee River, as well as designation of 

the River Corridor Protection Overlay 

→ Industrial land uses are reserved for areas surrounding the airport, and along Highway 20 and 

Baxter Road 

Cherry Valley The primary future development in Cherry Valley Township is medium density residential. The 

industrial development planned along Baxter Road, the majority of which is located in Rockford 

Township, also extends into Cherry Valley Township. 

→ Medium density residential land uses are planned adjacent to Cherry Valley and Rockford 

→ Industrial land uses are planned along Baxter Rd. to Perryville Rd. 

→ Additional open space/forest preserve land is located along the Kishwaukee River, including 

designation of the River Corridor Protection Overlay 

Roscoe The majority of future development in Roscoe Township is medium density residential, including 

the redevelopment of existing low density residential developments in the southeast corner of the 

township. The residential development is planned adjacent to South Beloit and Roscoe. Industrial uses 

are planned along I-90, and also at 2nd St. where the C&NW railroad spur intersects. 

→ Medium density residential land uses are planned adjacent to municipalities 

→ Industrial and heavy commercial land uses are planned for unincorporated areas along I-90, 2nd 

St. and Highway 51 

Harlem The majority of Harlem Township is incorporated (Roscoe, Machesney Park and Loves Park). Medium 

density residential land uses are planned for both the northern and southern areas of the township’s 

eastern boundary, with TND design encouraged in the residential areas south of IL Rte. 173. Some 

commercial and industrial uses are planned along I-90 where limited unincorporated land remains. 

38 

→ The majority of future land use is medium density residential adjacent to municipal boundaries 

→ Some industrial and commercial is planned along the I-90 Corridor where there is unincorporated 

land 


Chapter 3 Agriculture 

Goal: Preserve prime agricultural land. 



Goal: Preserve prime agricultural land. 

Agriculture is part of Winnebago County’s identity and its 

economy. As Tom Jennings, the director of Agriculture for 

the State of Illinois has said, “Agriculture is a rewarding 

and challenging industry which employs a quarter of the 

state’s workforce and is critical to the economy here in 

Illinois. We are a leading producer of crops such as corn 

and soybeans and also a leading producer of livestock. In 

addition, we are one of the top states for exports, making 

agriculture a key component to the bottom line here in 

Illinois.” 

Preserving prime agricultural land and maintaining the 

rural character of the County was identified as a top 

priority throughout the planning process. Therefore, the 

agricultural land use policy exerts significant influence 

over other land use policies, in particular future residential 

development (Chapter 4). 

Established Planning Policies 

Previous land use policies regarding agriculture, as 

established by earlier County, regional and municipal 

plans, sought to accomplish three objectives: 1) 

emphasize the importance of agriculture to the County’s 

economy; 2) acknowledge and manage the pressure 

to develop prime agricultural farmland as a nonagricultural 

use; and 3) reinforce the need to protect 

prime farmland, even with continued growth. The 

strategies proposed a variety of methods to conserve 

Agriculture is valued by Winnebago County as both part of its 

economy and identity. 

40 


farmland, such as revising development regulations, 

prohibiting incompatible uses adjacent to farms, 

encouraging cluster development, and encouraging 

infill development within incorporated municipalities 

and existing towns to reduce sprawl into rural areas. 

This Plan builds upon those polices and also the 

“Principles of Balanced Growth: Winnebago County 

Balanced Growth Initiative,” previously adopted by 

the County, in an effort to further implement smart 

growth strategies. 

Overview of Agriculture 

According to the US Department of Agriculture, in 

2002, 58% of the County’s total land area was devoted 

to agriculture, with 53% of the total land area used 

specifically as cropland. However, over the past 30 

years, the amount of land devoted to farming has 

been decreasing, along with a decrease in the number 

of farms. Between 1969 and 2002, Winnebago County 

lost 20% of its farmland (acres) and 41% of its farms 

(number of farms). 

On the other hand, there has been a steady increase in 

average farm size. Winnebago County’s average farm 

size increased from 202 to 275 acres between 1969 and 

2002 – a 36% increase in size. Farms larger than 1,000 

acres more than tripled in Winnebago County. In 1969 

there were only 14 farms with 1,000 acres or more, 

but by 2002 there were 60. Generally, these statistics 

indicate a trend of a decrease in the amount of overall 

farmland within Winnebago County but an increase in 

the average farm size. 

Figure 4: Soil Types shows the different soil types 

present within the County. The County soils are some 

of the richest agricultural soils in the Midwest. Much 

of Winnebago County is made up of upland soils, rich 

in minerals and organic matter as a result of the last ice 

age, and now covered by rolling hills, wooded areas and 

flat lands. Winnebago County’s soils are loam, which 

are the deep, rich soils that typically make up the fertile 

agricultural lands of the Midwest. They are comprised 

of material which is gritty and high in organic matter, 

often with nutrients and a consistency highly suitable 

for farming. 

Loamy soils vary in composition, with different 

amounts of sand, silt or clay contained within them, 

which impact water permeability, likelihood for 

erosion, and suitability for septic systems. Sand is 

the coarsest granular material and fastest draining of 

these naturally-occurring materials, followed by silt,

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which is more sedimentary in nature and can occur 

as a component of soil or at the bottom of a water 

body. Clay is the finest soil component of the three. 

It is very fine-grained material with a high level of 

plasticity due to its water retention capabilities. Clay 

Winnebago County contains some of the best agricultural soil in the 

country. Valuable topsoil must be protected from erosion. (Photo by 

Lynn Betts, USDA-NRCS) 

is traditionally least suitable soil for agricultural uses 

due to its high density and inability to drain water. 

The majority of the County is covered by a silt loam, 

on plains of level to gently sloping land that was once 

grass prairie and marsh land. Silt is a sedimentary rock 

particle, or rock dust, created by the weathering of 

rock due to glacial, wind or water activity. Silt loam is a 

moderately permeable soil type and is slightly susceptible 

to erosion. The largest soil associations with this soil type 

is the Griswold-Winnebago loam, which covers the central 

region of the County, and the Tama-Ogle-Plano silt loam, 

in the southern portion of the County. 

Sandy loams occur less frequently, and are generally 

better drained than the silt loam variety more common 

42 


across the County. The sandy and fine sand loam soils 

are found predominantly in north central Winnebago 

County on moderate to steep slopes. This soil type is 

suitable for agricultural land, as well as pasture land 

and timber production. Sand has larger grain particulate 

matter than silt or clay, and as a result has excellent 

drainage characteristics. 

The texture of soil is also a key factor in determining the 

appropriateness of agricultural use. Texture is determined 

by evaluating the proportion of clay, silt and sand 

particles within the soil. Generally, coarse-textured soils 

are sandy, medium-textured soils contain mainly silt, and 

fine-textured soils have a high percentage of clay. 

■ Medium-textured soils are the most desirable for 

agriculture. Medium-textured soil includes clay 

loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, silt, silt loam, 

loam, and sandy loam. 

■ Coarse-textured soil, which includes sand and 

loamy sand, is a poor plant nutrient supplier; it 

readily absorbs water but does not retain much 

for plant uptake. This is important because, with 

reduced plant uptake, the potential for leaching 

– and therefore, the potential for contamination 

– is increased. As water moves through the soil 

rapidly, fertilizer nutrients can be leached from 

the soil. Coarse-textured soils are less desirable for 

agricultural use. 

■ Fine-textured soils include clay, silty clay, and 

sandy clay. If organic matter is low, the rate of water 

intake is slow and water erosion may be serious, 

even on gentle slopes. Again, clay is traditionally 

least suitable for agricultural uses due to high 

density and inability to drain water. Fine-textured 

soils are not generally suitable for agriculture. 

Preservation is the focus of agricultural land use 

policies; however, one of the major challenges is 

the encroachment of incompatible development, in 

particular new residential development. There are two 

different types of residential development occurring 

within the County that are having significant impact 

on existing agricultural uses and removing prime 

farmland from agricultural use. The first is single lot, 

very low density single-family residential development, 

located in more rural, remote areas throughout the 

unincorporated County. In this Plan, that type of 

development has been labeled “agriculture - rural 

residential.” These scattered residential sites cause 

conflict with existing agricultural uses by breaking 

up the continuity of large areas devoted to farming 

and increasing the potential for nuisance conflicts

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250 feet of road frontage and location within a 

vacant quarter-quarter section (40 acres). These 

developments do not require connection to public 

or private sewer and water infrastructure, however, 

soils must be suitable for septic systems. 

● The land use policies within this Plan are intended 

to direct as much new residential development into 

and adjacent to the incorporated municipalities as 

possible. 

● To minimize sprawl and to direct residential 

development to areas ready to accept it, new 

development should be required to connect to public 

infrastructure, with the exception of Conservation 

Design and 40 acre minimum residential lots. 

Agricultural Policy 2: 

To prevent land use conflicts, non-agricultural 

development must be buffered from agricultural 

development. Anticipating conflicts – and creating 

proper mitigation controls ahead of time – is key to 

agricultural preservation. 

Implementation: 

Non-agricultural uses that locate near farms require 

buffering requirements – large setbacks with specific 

landscaping and screening requirements. In particular, 

buffering is necessary for uses locating near livestock farms 

where nuisance conflicts can be more severe. Planned open 

space, forest preserves and conservation easements can 

also be used to secure proper buffering, which provides the 

additional benefit of natural resource preservation. 

Proper buffering is required between farms and non-agricultural uses 

in order to protect farmers from nuisance complaints and to mitigate 

the impacts felt by neighbors. This is especially important for livestock 

farms where conflicts between uses may be more severe. 

Agriculture 

Chapter 3 


Because of similar impacts, agriculture-related businesses 

and compatible industrial uses are encouraged to 

locate within agricultural areas to provide economic 

development opportunities, and to accommodate uses 

that are incompatible with denser population centers. 


Many industrial uses are compatible and complementary 

to agricultural uses, subject to additional characteristics 

of the site, such as access to key transportation nodes 

and corridors and the required infrastructure. In 

particular, agriculture-related industrial uses, such as 

ethanol plants, biotechnology firms, agriculture-related 

research and development firms, grain elevators, 

fertilizer plants, wind farms, etc., are particularly 

compatible and appropriate uses within agricultural 

zoning districts. 


Agricultural transportation needs must be considered 

when evaluating the feasibility of new development, 

particularly residential developments. Heavily traveled 

roads are incompatible with movement of farm 

implements and farm workers. 


Farm machinery is typically transported at low speeds, 

sometimes as low as 25 miles per hour. As shown in the 

land use analyses, because County farms are getting 

larger, equipment must be moved longer distances, 

which can cause conflicts with fast-moving vehicles on 

the road. Another factor is season. During planting or 

harvesting, there will be more farm equipment traffic on 

the roads. By limiting residential development within 

agricultural areas, the average daily travel on County 

roads will be minimized. New development must be 

evaluated for potential traffic impacts resulting from the 

density and proposed circulation system of the site. 


Prime agricultural areas should be continuously 

evaluated and identified, especially valuable 

agricultural soils, as part of land use decision-making. 

The current Land Evaluation and Site Assessment 

(LESA) tool system should be updated and expanded 

as necessary to accomplish this. 


45


Farming operations have unique transportation needs, which must 

be considered when other types of development are proposed in 

agricultural areas. 


As part of the criteria for permitting non-agricultural 

development within the agricultural areas, it is critical 

to assess what qualifies as prime farmland and take 

efforts to preserve it. There are a number of actions that 

can accomplish this: 

● The County currently uses the Land Evaluation and 

Site Assessment (LESA) tool to evaluate soil quality 

for agricultural use and the appropriateness of a 

site for development. A periodic review process of 

the LESA system is required to ensure that it is up 

to date. (See Sidebar: The Land Evaluation and Site 

Assessment Tool) 

● There are criteria established by the U.S. 

Departement of Agriculture – Soil Conservation 

services to determine whether soil qualifies as prime 

farmland. These criteria are an effective assessment 

tool to judge the appropriateness of proposed 

new development. (See Sidebar: USDA-SCS Prime 

Farmland Criteria) 

● It is important that the assessment of land as prime 

farmland and its LESA score be weighted heavily in 

land use decision-making. If land is considered prime 

farmland, conversion to a non-agricultural use must 

be severely limited, especially if it is part of a larger 

agricultural system. As described above, mediumtextured 

soils are the most desirable for agriculture, 

which includes the following soil types found in the 

County: silty clay loam, silt loam, loam and sandy 

loam. Figure 6: Prime Agricultural Soils illustrates 

46 


where these prime soils are located, based on soil 

data obtained from the County. (Figure 6 is for 

illustrative purposes only. Since data was compiled, 

soils may no longer be classified as “prime.”) 


When making land use decisions, the County must 

consider the various impacts of the land use change. 

A land use tool that assesses the life-cycle cost of a 

land use change, in particular from an agricultural to 

a non-agricultural use, can be developed to assist in 

determining that cost. The tool would be applied to 

proposed development outside of those areas planned 

for future growth on the Future Land Use Plan Map. 


As part of the planning process, the Agricultural 

Community Focus Group proposed the creation of a 

new type of land use assessment tool. The proposed 

model would account for the impact on services, 

schools, recreation and infrastructure over the lifetime 

of the use. What distinguishes this proposed tool 

from a fiscal impact analysis is that the impact on 

environmental features, such as floodplains, drainage 

and water features, soil type, and soil features relating 

to construction and septic systems, is also evaluated. 

The model considers the cost for the loss of the previous 

use, e.g. the cost of the loss of agricultural land to future 

generations, or the value of the loss of potential habitat 

to conservation. If such a tool were created, a slidingscale 

development fee can be developed based on 

sensitivity and designation of the land. 


The County should examine the viability of – and 

implement where appropriate – farmland conservation 

and preservation techniques. 


Four common farmland conservation and preservation 

techniques are described below. 

● Transfer of Development Rights: Transfer of 

development rights (TDR) is a farmland preservation 

tool that has been used by local governments to 

preserve valuable agricultural land. Development 

rights of an agricultural area are transferred from 

the site, based on the sale of assigned development 

credits, to another area of the community where 

those credits allow for a development bonus.

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The agricultural land is then preserved (i.e., 

no development can occur on that land), but 

development pressures have been relieved. (See 

Sidebar: Transfer of Development Rights) 

● Purchase of Development Rights: A Purchase of 

Development Rights (PDR) program is similar to 

a TDR in that development credits are purchased, 

typically by the local government, but there is no 

transfer of rights to another site. While the end 

result is the same as land remains in agricultural use 

and the PDR financially “reimburses” the farmer for 

the potential development rights, but those rights 

are not transferred elsewhere. However, PDR is not 

financially self-sufficient like TDR. It requires the 

necessary funding to purchase development rights. 

PDR is also often called a conservation easement. 

● Agricultural Area Designation: The Illinois 

Agricultural Areas Conservation and Protection Act 

created the designation of an “Agricultural Area.” 

An area of at least 350 acres, owned by a single 

landowner or multiple contiguous landowners, 

can be designated an Agricultural Area. Once 

designated as such, the area is protected for 10 

years, with permitted eight year extensions after the 

initial 10 years. Once designated an “Agricultural 

Area,” a number of protections are put into 

place: protection of landowners from local laws 

or ordinances that would unreasonably restrict 

or regulate normal farming practices, including 

nuisance ordinances; protection from special benefit 

assessments (example: sewer, water assessments), 

unless the landowners are benefited; and land is 

protected from locally initiated projects that would 

lead to the conversion of that land to other uses. 

● The County has also adopted a “Right to Farm 

Ordinance,” which limits when agricultural 

operations may be considered a nuisance. “Right to 

Farm Ordinances” include disclosure to prospective 

property buyers that the subject property is near 

agricultural uses and, if they chose to develop their 

property, they may be subjected to certain impacts 

associated with normal agricultural operations. 

48 


USDA-SCS Prime Farmland Criteria 

89% of Illinois cropland is considered prime farmland and 

much of Winnebago County is prime farmland, which 

is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Soil 

Conservation Services as: 

“…land that has the best combination of physical 

and chemical characteristics for producing food, 

feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops and that is 

available for these uses. It has the combination 

of soil properties, growing season, and moisture 

supply needed to produce sustained high yields 

of crops in an economic manner if it is treated and 

managed according to acceptable farming methods. 

In general, prime farmland has an adequate and 

dependable water supply from precipitation or 

irrigation, a favorable temperature and growing 

season, an acceptable level of acidity or alkalinity, an 

acceptable content of salt or sodium, and few or no 

rocks. Its soils are permeable to water and air. Prime 

farmland is not excessively eroded or saturated with 

water for long periods of time, and it either does not 

flood frequently during the growing season or is 

protected from flooding.” 

More specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - 

Natural Resources Conservation Service identifies prime 

farmland in Illinois with the following criteria: 

1. The soils have sufficient available water capacity 

within the depth of 40 inches, or in the root zone if it 

is less than 40 inches deep, (a minimum of 4 inches of 

available water in the upper 40 inches), to produce the 

commonly grown crops 7 or more years out of 10. 

2. The soils have a mean annual soil temperature at a 

depth of 20 inches higher than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In addition, the mean summer temperature at 20 

inches is higher than 59 degrees. 

3. The soils have a pH between 4.5 and 8.4 in all horizons 

within a depth of 40 inches or in the root zone if the 

root zone is less then 40 inches deep. 

4. The soils have no water table or a water table that 

is maintained at a sufficient depth to allow crops 

common to the area to be grown. 

5. The soils have in all horizons within a depth of 40 

inches or in the root zone if the root zone is less than 

40 inches deep, an exchangeable sodium percentage of 

less than 15. 

6. The soils flood less often than once in two years 

during the growing season. 

7. The soils have a product K (erodibility factor) X 

percent slope of less than 2.0. 

Agriculture 

Chapter 3 

8. The soils have a permeability rate of at least 0.006 

inches per hour in the upper 20 inches. 

9. Less than ten percent of the surface layer in these soils 

consists of rock fragments coarser than three inches. 

These criteria are an effective assessment tool to judge the 

appropriateness of proposed new development. Coupled 

with the LESA System, the County can provide a record of 

the value of soils when evaluating conversions to a nonagriculture 

use. 


49


50 

The Land Evaluation And Site 

Assessment Tool 

The Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) tool 

evaluates the quality of soil for agricultural use and the 

appropriateness of a site for development. LESA uses 

a point system, based upon various criteria, to assist in 

making land use decisions. The higher the points, the 

more suitable that land is for farming. As described by the 

Illinois Department of Agriculture: 

“The LESA System provides an indication as to 

the continued agricultural viability of a tract or 

corridor of land currently used for agricultural 

purposes. Used properly, the LESA System can 

serve to protect and strengthen agriculture and, 

at the same time, allow for needed community 

growth and development.” 

The LESA system is divided into two parts. First, in the 

Land Evaluation (LE) portion of the system, soils of a 

given area are rated and placed into groups ranging from 

the best to worst based on soil characteristics, capabilities 

and productivity. The Land Evaluation component of 

the LESA is prepared by the Winnebago County Soil 

and Water Conservation District. The second part of the 

system, Site Assessment (SA), identifies important factors 

other than soils that contribute to the quality of site for 

agricultural uses. The Site Assessment component of the 

LESA is prepared by the Winnebago County Planning 

& Zoning Department. Application of LESA combines a 

value for Land Evaluation with a value for Site Assessment 

to determine the total value of a given site for agricultural 

uses. 

Land Evaluation is assigned a maximum of 100 points, 

and Site Assessment is assigned a maximum of 200 points. 

The total maximum number of points possible for any site 

is 300. The higher the total value of a site is, the higher the 

agricultural economic viability of the site is. Generally, the 

following cut-off points are used in evaluating the scores: 

• 179 or Less Points: Low rating for protection. 

• 180-199 Points: Moderate rating for protection. 

• 200-219 Points: High rating for protection. 

• 220-300 Points: Very high rating for protection. 

The LESA tool is used primarily when zoning changes 

from agricultural districts to other zoning districts are 

proposed. 

The LESA system is one of several tools to assist the land 

use decision-making process. The LESA score should also 

be used in conjunction with other plans and ordinances of 

the County. The LESA system is intended to compliment 

the adopted policies and statutes of Winnebago County. 


The County should continue to maintain the system, with 

periodic updates and evaluations of its effectiveness. 

LESA scores should become a key factor in land use 

decisions, especially when evaluating new development 

in the agricultural areas.

Transfer of Development Rights 

A Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program has 

three basic elements. First, it must be crafted with a clear 

purpose, such as the preservation of agricultural land. 

Next, sending and receiving zones must be designated. 

A “sending zone” is the area selected for transferring 

development rights from; a “receiving zone” is the area 

where those rights can be transferred to and allows for 

a development bonus over the by-right zoning. Finally, 

once the transaction is complete, the transfer is recorded 

as a conservation easement with the farmland that sold 

its development rights. This way, future owners of the 

property are restricted from developing as well. 

The sending areas must be specifically targeted. A blanket 

TDR program on all agricultural uses does not offer any 

benefit. The number of credits must be limited to ensure 

that the market for them will remain viable. This program 

relies on the value of the credit, which depends on the 

demand for increased density in the receiving area and 

the number of credits available in the sending area. Areas 

must be selected based upon established planning policies 

and considerations such as prime agricultural land versus 

land not suitable for farming, proximity to urban edges 

versus land with minimal encroachments from other uses, 

etc. Since that land will be held within a conservation 

easement once the development rights are transferred, it 

must currently be, and remain, suitable for farming. 

Development credits assigned to the sending zone are 

based upon quantifiable measures such as, but not limited 

to, minimum lot area, maximum density and height, 

and floor area ratios. Communities base the number of 

credits assigned to an area on the development potential 

established by zoning standards. Using density for 

example, if a 200-acre farm was located within a zoning 

district that allowed one residence per five acres, then 

the owner would be issued 40 development credits. 

Some programs decrease the density permitted by the 

underlying zoning district if the land has environmental 

constraints; in the above example, the credits may be 

issued at one residence for 7.5 acres. This is to reflect the 

real development potential of the area. 

In turn, the receiving areas must be able to take on the 

additional development, which would be “more,” in 

respect or another, than that allowed by the current district 

without the additional development rights. In addition, 

the receiving zone must have the capacity to take on this 

additional density in terms of existing public infrastructure. 

Therefore, the receiving zones must be carefully mapped 

to ensure that the development credits provide a “real” 

bonus over the development allowed by-right, and that 

the area has the capacity to handle such development. 

There is a caution here. The local government must not 

downzone a receiving zone so that development cannot 

occur without participation in the TDR program. While the 

Agriculture 

Chapter 3 

program must target areas where additional development 

rights would provide a real incentive to developers, the 

local government cannot force someone’s hand. This can 

be considered a takings by the courts. 

The TDR program balances benefits to each party - farmers 

can access the equity in their land while continuing to 

farm, and developers can take advantage of additional 

development rights. But the value of the credit hinges 

on the market: Do those in the sending zone feel they are 

getting a fair price for their development credits? Do those 

in the receiving zone feel they are purchasing something 

useful? Just implementing a TDR program will not preserve 

farmland. Developers must find that the receiving zone 

is an area they want to develop and can make a profit. 

Farmers must feel the price per credit is fair, otherwise they 

will hold on to the land and its associated development 

rights for a better offer. It is also important to note that 

not all planning policies can be reflected within the TDR 

program because of these market forces. For example, a 

program may seek to direct development pressures from 

prime agricultural land to already built-out urban cores, 

but if no one wants to redevelop the urban center then 

there is no value to the TDR program. On the other hand, 

if the receiving zone is an area with high demand, such 

as the urban fringe, the demand for credits may increase. 

Again, any area targeted as a receiving zone must still have 

the infrastructure capacity to serve that increased density. 

In all cases, the implementation of such a program must 

take a practical and realistic approach in order to achieve 

the maximum market value for the credits. 

Finally, there are legal concerns regarding the program. 

States that have implemented TDR programs for 

agricultural preservation have enabling legislation 

within their statutes. In Illinois, the enabling legislation 

allows TDR for historic preservation (transferring the 

development rights of a landmark building elsewhere in 

order to preserve the structure), but not for agricultural 

use specifically. In order to successfully implement 

such a program in Illinois, an enabling statute may be 

necessary. As part of the “Growing Smart” project of the 

American Planning Association (APA), a model statute 

has been developed. It is available at the APA’s website 

under “Model Smart Land Development Regulations,” 

located at: 

www.planning.org/smartgrowthcodes/phase1.htm#1 


51


52 


Chapter 4 Residential Land Use 

Goal: Provide a variety of quality housing 

stock to meet the needs of county 

residents, while establishing an efficient 

land development pattern. 



Goal: Provide a variety of quality housing 

stock to meet the needs of county 

residents, while establishing an efficient 

land development pattern. 

Following agriculture, residential land use is the 

second largest land use in the unincorporated County, 

primarily single-family residential development. The 

Future Land Use Map accommodates for this trend and 

devotes approximately 1,796,187,072.86 s.f./41,234 acres 

for residential land use growth. With continued inmigration 

to Winnebago County, the demand for new 

residential development will remain. While there will 

be fluctuations in the market, over the 20 year lifetime 

of this Plan, successful policies and ordinances will 

encourage new housing and neighborhoods to develop 

in a logical and efficient pattern that makes the most 

of existing resources and infrastructure, is sensitive to 

other land uses, in particular agriculture and natural 

resources, and does not conflict with valuable nonresidential 

uses that bring tax revenue and employment 


This Plan directs the majority of growth into or adjacent to municipalities, 

rather than in isolated developments in the unincorporated County. 


As a County experiencing continued growth and 

development, the established land use strategies 

regarding future residential development centered 

on “smart growth” principles. Throughout earlier 

plans, residential development has been linked to 

infrastructure needs. Some plans suggest expanding 

infrastructure and services to areas where growth 

was likely, while other plans favor infill development 

with limited growth in areas where delivering services 

54 


would pose a challenge. Most plans spoke directly to 

mitigating, if not eliminating, sprawl. 

There were a number of strategies within the “Principles 

of Balanced Growth: Winnebago County Balanced 

Growth Initiative,” that addressed not only where new 

residential development should be located, but also 

the quality of new development. First, the plan cites 

infill development as “frequently more cost-effective 

over time than peripheral development,” primarily 

because it takes advantage of existing infrastructure 

and resources. A variety of housing options is also 

necessary, including mixed-use development, to foster 

a diverse community that meets the needs of different 

household types and income levels. Finally, housing 

should help to create a “sense of place,” so that the 

development does not create monotonous tracts of 

residential development, but quality housing that 

enhances Winnebago County’s character. 

Overview of Residential Development 

The majority of residential housing stock within the 

County, as a whole, is owner-occupied single-family 

residential. Almost one-third of the County’s homes 

were built between 1940 and 1959. Between 1960 and 

1979, in correlation with a population boom at that 

same period, another third of the County’s homes were 

constructed. When population growth slowed between 

1980 and 1989, so did home construction. Since 1990, 

again in line with positive population growth, home 

construction picked up. More than 1,000 new dwelling 

units have been built each year since 1992. 

In 2000, the median value of an owner-occupied home 

in Winnebago County was $91,900, which increased to 

$114,300 in 2005, both lower than the US median value in 

those years. (The US median value of an owner-occupied 

unit was $119,600 in 2000 and $167,500 in 2005.) When 

looking at municipalities within Winnebago County 

and their median owner-occupied values, Durand, 

Loves Park, Machesney Park, Rockford, Pecatonica 

and South Beloit all had median values below that 

of the County; Cherry Valley, Rockton, Roscoe and 

Winnebago (Village) had median values above the 

County value. Further, Cherry Valley and Rockton had 

median values above that of the U.S. 

Generally, residential development in the 

unincorporated County is located adjacent to 

incorporated municipalities or within existing towns 

such as Seward or Harrison, near existing infrastructure 

and resources. The primary type of residential

development located within the more remote areas of the 

unincorporated County is agriculture - rural residential 

development. The encroachment of residential 

development into the unincorporated County, especially 

those located some distance from existing services 

and infrastructure, harms the ecosystems of natural 

resources and disrupts the integrity of agriculture. 

Therefore, one of the key challenges facing the County 

is to find a way to encourage infill development into 

and adjacent to incorporated areas. 

Another concern is the type of residential development. 

One of the most efficient uses of resources, especially 

for infill development, is mixed-use development. 

In developed areas, this can mean development on 

a parcel where commercial uses occupy the ground 

floor with residential uses above. On a larger scale, 

new subdivisions can be designed as “Traditional 

Neighborhood Developments,” where the development 

as a whole consists of a mix of land uses – residential, 

commercial, institutional, civic and open space uses 

– designed as a single integrated community where 

residents can walk to these places. 

The final challenge regarding residential development 

is to encourage good quality housing stock. The value 

of good design and solid construction, the incorporation 

of anti-monotony ordinances, and “green” building, 

were frequently cited as important components of 

any new residential development. However, this was 

firmly grounded in a conviction that the County should 

maintain a diversity of housing stock for all income 

levels. This ensures that those who currently live in the 

County and want to continue to live in the County, as 

well as new residents, are able to do so. 

Residential Land Use Objectives 

The following five objectives expand upon the land use 

goal for residential land use: 

1. Locate new residential development where 

infrastructure and services are readily available. 

2. Prevent conflicts between incompatible land 

uses, such as new residential development and 

agricultural or industrial uses, through site design 

standards on the micro-level and, on a macro-level, 

by following this Plan in land use decision-making. 

3. Direct residential development into municipalities. 

Encourage residential infill and redevelopment, as well 

as mixed-use development in urban areas, to make 

Residential Land Use 

Chapter 4 

efficient use of land, and preserve natural resources. 

4. Require high-quality new residential development. 

5. Preserve the existing range of housing 

opportunities. 

The primary type of residential development anticipated on the future 

land use map is medium density, single-family residential uses. 

Residential Land Use Policies 

The following policies are intended to guide future 

decisions regarding residential land use. 

Residential Land Use Policy 1: 

Residential development in rural areas where 

infrastructure and services are not available should 

be severely limited. The majority of growth should be 

directed into or adjacent to municipalities, rather than in 

isolated developments in the unincorporated County. 


The Future Land Use Map (Figure 3) illustrates the 

desired residential land use pattern. Future residential 

development is targeted around the boundaries of 

incorporated municipalities. Any development outside 

of designated residential growth areas should be 

severely limited primarily to 40-acre single lots and 

must be sensitive to existing agricultural uses and 

natural resources. 

All new residential development should be connected to 

public infrastructure, with the exception of Conservation 

Design and the 40-acre minimum residential lots in the 

agricultural areas, as described in Chapter 3. Only the 

40-acre minimum residential lots located on vacant 

quater-quater section lots should be permitted in the 

more rural and remote areas of the County where septic 

systems are necessary. Conservation Design is intended 

only for areas designated for residential growth. 


55


On the Future Land Use Map, a limited number of 

existing residential subdivisions are shown within 

more remote areas of the County, outside of the larger 

future residential growth areas that are contiguous to 

municipalities. It must be noted, that these have been 

designated residential on the Future Land Use Map 

only because they are existing developed communities 

and the Plan wishes to acknowledge the reality that they 

will continue to exist as a residential land use into the 

future. Moving forward, however, it is the intent of the 

2030 Land Resource Management Plan to discourage 

this type of “leapfrog” residential development in 

more remote areas, including the expansion of these 

existing residential developments. New residential 

development is to be directed only to those areas shown 

on the Future Land Use Map as residential land use. 


Development regulations should be updated to include 

the proper tools to implement the residential land use 

objectives. 


In keeping with smart growth principles, this Plan 

encourages the implementation of two new districts 

– Conservation Design and Traditional Neighborhood 

Development, which address natural resource 

protection and mixed-use development respectively. 

New residential developments should preserve existing natural 

features and incorporate them into the overall site design. 

A Conservation Design development is intended 

to preserve natural resources while allowing for 

residential development. The intent is to work with 

– rather than against – the natural and scenic qualities 

of open space (i.e., lakes, streams, wetlands, and other 

natural land features). Conservation Design would 

accommodate development where connection to sewer 

and water may not be available but is still within areas 

56 


designated for residential growth on the Future Land 

Use Plan. Conservation Design is subject to specific 

approval criteria in addition to rezoning standards. 

Conservation Design, or similar cluster development 

techniques, are most appropriate for areas designated 

as low density residential, though medium density 

areas could potentially accommodate Conservation 

Design (See Sidebar: Conservation Design) 

On the Future Land Use Map, there are also areas 

indicated as appropriate for Traditional Neighborhood 

Development (TND) by an overlay designation. TND is 

a mixed land use district that would permit some multifamily 

development within a large-scale coordinated 

mixed-use development. TND requires a variety of 

land uses – residential, commercial, civic, open space, 

etc. TND is permitted throughout the County so long as 

there is connection to public infrastructure. The Future 

Land Use Map indicates, via a cross-hatched overlay 

district, areas where such development is especially 

desired. Because of the size of these developments 

and the required mix of land uses, it is not feasible 

to mandate TND development due to cost, market 

and land assembly costs. It is, however, the desire to 

encourage these types of developments in areas where 

they would be beneficial. (See Sidebar: Traditional 

Neighborhood Development) 

New districts can be incorporated into the County’s 

development regulations to reflect these land use 

policies. The following regulatory actions would assist 

in implementing these policies: 

■ The existing single-family low density 

residential districts that allow traditional largelot 

estate development to take place in the 

unincorporated County should be retooled to 

apply only to existing subdivisions or to allow 

limited application under certain circumstances. 

Very low-density single-family development 

in the agricultural areas should be restricted 

to 40-acre lot minimums (a required vacant 

quarter-quarter section parcel with 250 feet of 

lot frontage). (See Chapter 3) 

■ Where infrastructure is not available in 

areas designated for residential growth, 

only a Conservation Design District would 

be appropriate. The preference is for these 

developments to locate within areas designated 

low density residential. These developments 

are designed to preserve natural resources, 

and include specific site design and impact 

mitigation criteria.

■ In the areas where future residential is 

planned adjacent to municipalities and 

towns, medium density residential is the 

primary type of residential development 

planned for, including single-family and twofamily 

development types. High-density or 

multi-family development is best suited for 

incorporated municipalities where the density 

can be supported by existing infrastructure 

and services. However, there are limited areas 

where such use is designated, which is where 

municipalities have specifically planned for this 

type of housing. The zoning districts should be 

revised to address the limited application of this 

type of zoning within the unincorporated County. 


When evaluating new proposals, soil type and its ability 

to sustain a proposed development must be considered. 

In addition to directing new development where land 

is suitable for new construction, new development 

should be directed away from prime agricultural land 

when possible. 


When approving non-agricultural development within 

the unincorporated County, it is critical to assess the 

quality of the farmland and its relationship to surrounding 

uses, to preserve viable agricultural areas. As described 

in Chapter 3, this means continuing to use the LESA tool 

and assessing soil quality via the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture – Soil Conservation Services criteria. These 

criteria become especially important when considering 

the conversion of farmland in the more remote areas of 

the County that are primarily agricultural. 

When looking at potential Conservation Design 

developments within the designated residential growth 

areas and the 40-acre minimum single-family residential 

developments, where there is no public infrastructure 

connection, the ability of the soil to accommodate septic 

systems is a critical assessment. If the soil is not able to 

handle septic, development must not be approved. (See 

Public Utilities & Facilities Policy 2.) 

Another issue is the suitability of land for construction. 

Several factors determine the suitability of land for 

general construction. General, or light, construction 

typically includes one- and two-story buildings having 

shallow foundations and relatively low loads transmitted 

to footings. Factors including bearing capacity, ease of 


Chapter 4 

excavation for basements, susceptibility to flooding, 

depth to bedrock, internal drainage characteristics 

are all important for homeowners, land developers, 

and highway and construction engineers. Based on an 

analysis of the soil conditions within Winnebago County, 

the following are the conditions of construction suitability 

throughout the County. These are illustrated in Figure 7: 

Construction Suitability. (This information is provided 

for reference purposes only and must be verified with the 

proper sources when development is pursued.) 

Least Favorable. Conditions that are least favorable 

for construction typically include areas containing 

poorly drained soils having low-bearing capacities. 

Other unfavorable conditions include areas with 

variable excavation characteristics, lands that 

are prone to flooding, and areas which contain 

compressible organic material or fine-textured 

silty or clay soil. The areas with the least favorable 

conditions for construction are scattered throughout 

Winnebago County, however the majority of these 

conditions are found in the hills of northwestern 

Winnebago County, where drift is thin over 

bedrock, and uplands and steep slopes are common. 

Other areas include uplands and slopes of the 

Pecatonica and Sugar River valleys and tributaries. 

There is significant overlap between the areas in 

Figure 9 shown as “least favorable” with the River 

Corridor Protection Overlay of the land use map. 

Moderately Favorable. This category is characterized 

by soils with moderate drainage and moderate- to 

high-bearing capacities. These materials can be 

excavated with heavy equipment and blasting may 

be required in some areas. Soils may have high frost 

susceptibility and moderate potential for erosion. 

As shown in Figure 7, the majority of Winnebago 

When new residential development is located near existing services, 

from neighborhood commercial uses to public facilities like libraries and 

schools, residents are able to make more efficient use of resources. 


57

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County has conditions that are moderately 

favorable for general construction. This includes the 

valleys and slopes of the Lower Kishwaukee Valley 

and the uplands, slopes and upland streams in the 

eastern and western portions of Winnebago County. 

Most Favorable. This category contains well-drained 

soils with moderate- and high-bearing capacities. 

In the most favorable conditions, bedrock is at least 

20 feet below land surface and the area lies outside 

the 100-year floodplain. In addition, environmental 

or geologic hazards are not known to be present and 

land requires little preparation for most construction 

projects. Overall the most favorable conditions for 

general construction are few in Winnebago County, 

and include locations along the major river valleys 

and terrace outwash plains on the Rock River and 

lower Pecatonica valley and the Rock River valley in 

the north central portion of the County. 


The County must make efficient use of land for residential 

development. New residential development should 

be located near or within reasonable walking distance 

with no major barriers to access other non-residential 

or compatible land uses, such as neighborhood parks, 

shopping, schools and employment centers, to reduce 

vehicle trips and make efficient use of existing resources. 


Directing new residential development adjacent to 

incorporated areas is the primary means of making 

effective use of existing resources. Traditional 

Neighborhood Development is another method of 

encouraging mixed-use development. It requires a 

mix of residential development of different densities 

with a variety of non-residential land uses to create a 

“complete” community. 


In addition to careful consideration of the location of 

new residential development, new development must 

be of high quality, both in terms of physical design and 

energy efficiency. 


Development regulations should address the quality of 

new development, in terms of architectural design and 

building quality, and energy efficiency and sustainability. 

New residential development should meet certain basic 


Chapter 4 

Development regulations can be updated to include design standards 

that ensure high quality development. For example, limitations on permitted 

building materials and a requirement to articulate front entryways 

can assist in preserving or creating a traditional neighborhood feel. 

design standards, such as anti-monotony regulations, 

that will ensure a high-quality built environment. 

New residential development should also maximize 

energy efficiency and use renewable resources 

through appropriate site design, home placement 

and architecture. “Green design” techniques, both in 

buildings and in site design, can assist in achieving 

this. “Green design” means a design conforming to 

environmentally sound principles of building, material 

and energy use. A green building, for example, might 

make use of green roofs (plantings on the rooftop), solar 

panels, and recycled building materials. 

Green design also includes, and typically references, the 

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 

techniques (from www.usgbc.org: “The Green Building 

Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark 

for the design, construction, and operation of high 

performance green buildings.”) Green design of a site 

also includes proper building layout and landscaping 

for optimal energy efficiency and mitigation of off-site 

impacts such as stormwater run-off. 


59

• Conservation Design can be built using septic 

systems for wastewater treatment. The soils of 

the property must be able to accommodate septic 

systems. Chapter 8 discusses public utilities and 

septic systems in more detail. Septic systems 

must be installed that can later connect to public 

sewer, in order to avoid the costs of retrofitting or 

another acceptable method deemed appropriate 

which accomplishes the same result. In addition, 

septic systems that recycle wastewater are 

preferred. This is not intended to prevent 

Conservation Design developments that are 

served by sewer, especially when a development 

falls within the extraterritorial review area of 

a municipality where sewer and water may be 

required. 

• The design of the development must have 

less impervious surface than a conventional 

development. 

Overview of Conservation Design Process 

The following is an overview of the process to develop a 

Conservation Design. This is supplemented by a series of 

figures of a sample site in the County. Figure A shows the 

location of the subject area and its existing condition. The 

sample site has been chosen for illustrative purposes only 

and is not the planned for this type of development. 

After site selection, a natural resources inventory of the site 

is conducted. Figure B illustrates the results of a natural 

resources inventory and analysis. A variety of different 

features have been identified from existing wooded areas and 

creeks to cropland and historic farm structures. Figure B is 

not intended to be a technical analysis and would precede 

a more detailed engineered survey and site analysis. 

They are purposefully done with a more organic approach, 

identifying key natural and historical opportunities around 

which to develop the Conservation Design. 

Next, open space, natural features and historic structures 

to be preserved is demarcated. This is shown in Figure C. 

Also shown in this figure are view corridors, where views 

of the historic barn, trees and streams are preserved. 

The preservation of land in a Conservation Design is a 

reversed process from that of the conventional design 

process, where a site is designed first and open space is 

planned for the “left over” area. Land is identified in first 

and second priority, leaving developable land last. Lots 

are sited around identified historical, cultural and natural 

resources, potential open space corridors, and view 

corridors, allowing for a holistic design. 

Identified in Figure C are the following: 

• First Priority Areas: Wetlands, floodplains and 

environmental corridors are all classified as first 


Chapter 4 

priority. There are numerous site constraints that 

are included in the category. 

• Second Priority Areas: Steep slopes, mature 

woodlands, prime farmland, meadows, wildlife 

habitats and cultural features, such as historic and 

archeological sites and scenic views. 

• Existing Cropland: On existing cropland, if a portion 

of the lot is cut off from potential development, 

agriculture should remain as the prime use. 

• Existing Structures: The existing farmhouse and barn 

structures and foundations add interest and focal 

points for the community. Maintaining these and 

surrounding them with restored prairies or pastures 

would be a nice addition to the development. 

Reuse of existing structures & building foundations create community 

focal points in the development. 

Figure D shows the conceptual design of the site. At this 

point, this process is strictly conceptual and no engineering 

specifications are done. Following the conceptual design, 

the process delves into technical and engineering detail, as 

well as verification of natural resources on-site. Many times, 

at this point in the process, an evaluation is conducted, by 

the developer and the County, as to whether or not the 

development is feasible. 

Some of the key aspects of this design process are: 

• Home Sites: The design process is driven by 

locating approximate home sites to benefit from 

the surrounding conservation areas. The cluster 

effect and road design then builds around the 

designation of the home sites. In addition, foot 

paths, sidewalks and trails should link residents 

to the conservation areas and to a larger regional 

trail system if available. 

• Protected Resources: The protected land is 

configured so that it will, wherever practicable, 

contribute to creating an interconnected network 

of open space throughout the community, linking 


61


62 

resource areas in adjoining developments and/or 

providing buffers between new development and 

preexisting parklands, forest or agriculture. 

• Streets: The number of access points to existing 

perimeter streets and highways should be 

limited and a clear hierarchy of streets should 

be established. Access to arterial and collector 

streets from individual lots should be restricted. 

Residential street and roadway widths should 

The Prairie Crossing development in Grayslake, Illinois 

is an example of conservation design: 


be reduced because studies have shown a 

relationship between the reduction in travel speed 

with a reduction in street width.

Conservation Design (Additional Examples) 


These designs compare Conventional Design (top) to Conservation Design (bottom) 

Conventional Residential Development (36 Units) 

Conservation Design - Cluster Residential Development (36 Units) 

Conservation Design - Estate Residential (10 Units) 

Chapter 4 


67


68 

Traditional Neighborhood Development 

A way to build flexibility and innovation into the Plan 

is to encourage Traditional Neighborhood Development 

(TND) in appropriate areas. The intent of a TND District 

is to create a self-sustaining town designed as a walkable 

neighborhood, where residents can walk to a local shopping 

district as well as recreational and entertainment uses. A 

TND development is also intended to provide a range 

of housing choices for all household types and incomes, 

creating a relatively dense, mixed-use environment. 

Those who choose to develop by TND are not permitted to 

“pick and choose” the development regulations that they 

would like but must comply with all standards. Generally 

a TND District is comprised of the following elements: 

Sub-Districts. These divisions are the pieces of a TND: 

neighborhood core, single-family residential, mixed– 

use core, etc. Sub-districts include purpose statements 

that define the “vision” for each. 

Land Use Mix. Both the development as a whole and 

each sub-district are defined by a required land use 

mix. Certain percentages of residential development 

types, commercial and office uses, open space and, in 

some cases, even light industrial uses are required in 

order to ensure a mixed-use environment of a density 

sufficient to support such a land use mix. 

Bulk and Design Standards. Bulk and design standards 

address the specific building form, including what is 

permitted on a building site and what specific things 

must be done. For example, some TND developments 

require front porches or balconies in certain subdistricts. 

Often, the building envelope is specifically 

shaped to address a desired architectural form. These 

types of design-oriented standards often include: 

• Height: Building height often includes a minimum 

height as well as a maximum, stated in feet and 

stories (example: 35 feet or 2½ stories). For certain 

areas, such as mixed-use cores, this establishes the 

desired street wall. 

• Lot Placement: Rules for constructing a building 

on a site, which includes build-to lines where 

appropriate as well as setbacks (front, side, rear), 

entrance orientation, location of required parking, 

and percentage of open space required. 

• Design Elements: Rules controlling major design 

elements of a structure, such as porches, the 

location of doors and entryway design, desired 

fenestration, garage location, landscaping and 

screening requirements, etc. 

• Uses. Use lists are refined to reflect the purpose of 

each sub-district. Often there are uses permitted 

across the board in a TND in order to foster a mixeduse 

environment, such as neighborhood commercial 


or local professional offices. Other uses are restricted 

to specific sub-districts because of their particular 

impacts, such as multi-family development. 

Example - Potential TND at Route 2 

Route 2, west of Machesney Park, is expanding to four lanes. 

Because IL Rte. 2 will become a significant north-south 

access through the County, from a planning perspective, 

residential uses along the corridor are not necessarily 

the most desirable land use. However, designating both 

sides of IL Rte. 2 as commercial has the potential to create 

a sea of anonymous big box commercial, auto-oriented 

development. The designation of residential along this 

corridor, between key intersections, would serve to break 

up the non-residential land uses and prevent a strip of big 

box users. 

For the key intersections along IL Rte. 2 at Roscoe Rd., 

Gleasman Rd. and Latham Rd., commercial, office and 

industrial are the most appropriate land uses. Even though 

residential would abut these non-residential uses from 

behind, buffer yard requirements would mitigate impacts 

and create an environment of compatibility. 

TND provides an option along this area of IL Rte. 2 for 

additional non-residential uses along the corridor, which 

would be primarily commercial, but integrated into a 

larger community of mixed-density residential, office, 

civic/institutional and open space uses. The perception 

from the roadway would not be that of another big box 

user, but that of entry into a complete community. Figure 

A: Sample TND Development illustrates how a TND could 

be designed at the intersection of Roscoe Rd. and IL Rte. 2 

to meet these goals. 

IL Rte. 2 is only one example of where such development 

is appropriate. On the Future Land Use Map, a TND is 

indicated by an overlay land use designation; this means 

that the underlying land uses are appropriate, but that 

TND should be encouraged in this area. 

TND is permitted throughout the County, so long as there 

is connection to public infrastructure. Because of the mix 

of uses (residential, non-residential, civic, institutional and 

open space), it is not feasible to require TNDs due to cost, 

market and land assembly costs. It is, however, desired to 

encourage these types of developments where they would 

be beneficial or offer a solution to future development 

concerns, such as this example along IL Rte. 2. Other 

appropriate TND areas indicated on the map include: 

• Along Rotary Rd. between I-39 and IL Rte. 251 

• Between IL Rte. 173 and Riverside Rd., and 

between I-90 and the County line. 

• Between Halley Rd. and Elmwood Rd., east and 

west of Owen Center Rd.


70 

Traditional Neighborhood Development (Additional Examples) 

Single-Family Residential 

Multi-Family/Townhouse 

Residential 

Illustrative Traditional Neighborhood Development Plan West Glen in West Des Moines, Iowa is an example 

of Traditional Neighborhood Development 


Arterial Commercial 

Mixed-use Core 

Neighborhood Parks & 

Open Space

Chapter 5 Economic Development 

Goal: Promote economic development 

throughout the county that balances the 

needs of the current and future economy 

with a high quality of life standard. 



Goal: Promote economic development 

throughout the county that balances the 

needs of the current and future economy 

with a high quality of life standard. 

Commercial and industrial land uses make up 1.42% 

of Winnebago County’s total unincorporated land area 

– 0.42% is in commercial use and 1.0% is in industrial 

use. This low overall percentage of non-residential land 

uses within the unincorporated County stems from 

the fact that most non-residential uses locate within 

incorporated municipalities. 

Future commercial and industrial uses identified on the Future Land 

Use Map are strategically located to take advantage of existing infrastructure, 

and key transportation nodes and corridors. 

With this Plan, the County has defined areas on 

the Future Land Use Map for commercial and 

industrial users. Identified locations take advantage 

of existing infrastructure and key transportation 

nodes and corridors, but they also consider impacts 

to surrounding existing land uses. By planning with 

careful consideration for their location in the future, 

the County creates a development environment 

friendly to new non-residential uses. A predictable 

land use pattern establishes compatibility. For instance, 

developers of single-family subdivisions are aware of 

areas planned for new heavy industrial, so they know 

where residential development would not work. 

Agriculture is also a key part of Winnebago County’s 

economy – agricultural uses makes up 81% of the 

unincorporated land area. In addition, the impacts of 

farming are similar to industrial users – noise, odor, 

dust and heavy machinery are all part of daily farm 

operations. Therefore, this Plan encourages the location 

of industrial users, particularly medium and heavy 

72 


industrial uses, near agricultural uses. When industry 

locates near key transportation nodes within the 

unincorporated County, and the surrounding neighbors 

are farms, issues of incompatibility and nuisance are 

minimized. 


Strategies from previous planning efforts focused on 

two principle issues to ensure economic stability. The 

first was the need to focus development along key 

corridors, such as I-90, IL Rte. 2, IL Rte. 251, and Business 

US-20. The second principle focused on industrial land 

uses and looked at both providing adequate industrial 

space within the County and creating greater industrial 

and manufacturing diversification. The goal was to 

reserve land for future industrial development near 

key transportation nodes, with adequate utilities and 

services extended to the site, if not already provided. 

Goals concerning commercial (non-industrial) land 

uses within the unincorporated County were limited. 

Objectives for commercial development included 

coordination with new residential development to 

bring necessary retail and services closer to residents, 

and using office development as a buffer between 

industrial and commercial land uses. 

The smart growth strategies of the “Principles of 

Balanced Growth: Winnebago County Balanced Growth 

Initiative” also spoke to diversifying the economic 

base and ensuring that there are readily available 

sites for non-residential development with proper 

infrastructure. Smart growth strategies also dealt with 

the externalities beyond location and infrastructure, 

such as quality of life. There should be an accessible 

network of supporting commercial businesses, 

industries and transportation facilities so that the full 

spectrum of worker and business needs are addressed. 

The need for qualified workers is another smart growth 

strategy. It benefits both businesses looking to locate to 

the area and the quality of life for current residents by 

providing skilled, high paying jobs. 

Overview of Economic Development 

In providing an overview of the economic development 

climate within Winnebago County, two lines of 

questioning provide insight into current trends: 

1. What is the status of current industries within 

the County? Are they growing in number or

decreasing? Who is employing the greatest 

number of employees? What type of industry 

has the biggest need for employees? 

2. Who are the employees within the County? Do 

workers live and work in the County or are they 

coming from outside Winnebago County? 

Census data and statistics from the Illinois Department 

of Employment Security provide a snapshot of 

Winnebago County’s current state; this information 

is, however, a snapshot of the County as a whole, 

including all municipalities. Looking at data primarily 

between 1990 and 2000, the number of firms categorized 

as agriculture-forestry-fisheries grew the most, with a 

167% increase in the total number of firms. Firms in the 

transportation-communication-public utility industries, 

finance-insurance-real estate business, and those in the 

public services also had healthy growth rates above 

49%. Only mining and retail industries experienced a 

decrease in the number of firms. 

When looking at the number of employees within each 

industry category between 1990 and 2000, again the 

agriculture-forestry-fisheries industry grew the most, 

with a 108% increase in employees. The transportation– 

communication-public utility and public services also 

had healthy growth rates. However, the number of 

employees declined in three categories: mining and 

retail employees decreased, which correlates with the 

decrease in the number of firms, and manufacturing 

experienced a drop in employees, even though the 

industry overall experienced a positive growth in the 

number of firms in the same time period. This could 

indicate a change in the type of manufacturing firms 

locating in the County – smaller, more specialized firms 

that require fewer employees. 

As mentioned in Chapter 3, land acreage devoted to 

farming has declined over time; however, the size of 

farms has increased, especially farms over 1,000 acres. 

It should also be noted that this category includes other 

types of work, rather than just strictly agricultural 

production, such as veterinary services, farm labor 

contractors, farm management services, landscape 

counseling and planning, lawn and garden services, 

and ornamental shrub and tree services, some of which 

would be generally considered heavy commercial 

uses. 

An analysis of overall firm migration shows that 

between 1990 and 1994, more firms moved into the 

County than those that moved out. Then, from 1995 

Economic Development 

Chapter 5 

until 2000 – with the exception of 1996 – more firms 

moved out of the County than moved in. 

Of the major industries within Winnebago County 

(measured by number of businesses), eating places 

employed the most employees. Jobs in the education 

field and those in the health care industry ranked 

second and third. When compared to the top sixteen 

major employers in the County (measured by number 

of employees), specific employers in the education field 

ranked 2nd, 9th and 15th, and hospital employers ranked 

1st, 4th and 6th. Finally, when looking specifically at 

occupations that are anticipated to provide significant 

employment opportunities in the future, based on 

current need, the following trends were noted: 

■ There is a need for registered nurses, and nurses 

aides, orderlies and attendants, which correlates 

to the size of the health care industry, which is 

the third largest industry in the County. 

■ Because of the number of eating establishments 

there is also a projected need for food service 

staff (waiters, waitresses, chefs, etc.). 

■ There is also a projected need for a significant 

number of service and high-tech workers, such 

as customer service representatives, engineers, 

systems analysts, which indicates that the 

County is part of the nationwide shift from 

large-scale manufacturing to service-oriented 

and high-tech jobs. 

Health care is the third largest industry in the County. There is a 

projected need for nurses aides, orderlies and attendants to staff 

this industry in the future. 

Table 3: Winnebago County Fastest Growing 

Occupations by Job Openings provides more detail on 

employment need. 


73


TABLE 3: WINNEBAGO COUNTY 

FASTEST GROWING OCCUPATIONS 

BY JOB OPENINGS 

OCCUPATIONAL 

TITLE 

2000 

ANTICIPATED 

BY 2010 

Commuting statistics reveal where County residents 

travel to for work and where Winnebago County workers 

commute from. In 2003, 87% of workers who lived in 

Winnebago County commuted to jobs within the County. 

Boone County, Illinois and Rock County, Wisconsin 

were the other major destinations of workers who lived 

in Winnebago County with 3% and 2% of workers 

respectively. It should be noted that Boone County is 

home to the Daimler Chrysler Belvidere Assembly Plant, 

which employs over 8,000 workers. A significant number 

of workers who worked – but did not live – in Winnebago 

County came from Boone County (5,874 workers), 

followed by Ogle County and Rock County. These three 


% 

GROWTH 

Registered Nurse 

Combined Food 

2,851 3,376 18% 

Preparation & 

Serving Workers 

(including fast food) 

1,655 2,160 31% 

Waiter/Waitress 2,140 2,626 23% 

Customer Service 

Representatives 

Production Workers 

(all others) 

Computer Software 

Engineers, 

Applications 

2,134 2,522 19% 

2,144 2,523 18% 

436 766 76% 

Cashiers 3,548 3,867 9% 

Computer Support 

Specialists 

Truck Drivers, 

Heavy & Tractor- 

Trailer 

Construction 

Laborers 

455 765 68% 

2,375 2,684 13% 

1,021 1,310 28% 

Retail Salespersons 3,779 4,060 7% 

Office Clerks 

(General) 

3,104 3,373 9% 

Food Preparation 

Workers 

Nursing Aides, 

1,609 1,871 16% 

Orderlies & 

Attendants 

1,468 1,715 17% 

Computer Systems 

Analysts 

572 811 42% 

Source: Labor Market Information Unit, Illinois Dept. of Employment 

Security 

74 

counties each represent approximately 12% of all workers 

in Winnebago County. Comparing total worker commute 

flows, a net difference of 5,878 more workers commuted into 

Winnebago County for work from outside the County. 

Economic Development Objectives 

The following four objectives expand upon the goal for 

economic development: 

1. Support the existing industrial base. 

2. Attract new industrial and commercial 

development, and wealth-building employment 


3. Preserve prime farm land as agriculture is a key 

part of the County’s economy. 

4. Promote a well-educated local workforce. 

Economic Development Policies 


decisions regarding economic development. 

Economic Development Policy 1: 

Key transportation routes and nodes, especially those 

with existing infrastructure in place, are prime locations 

for heavy commercial and industrial uses. Such areas 

should be reserved for these types of uses. 

Transportation access and infrastructure are major factors in selecting 

proper sites for industrial uses. Identifying these sites early on 

will minimize conflicts with future surrounding land uses. 


Transportation access and infrastructure are major factors 

in selecting proper sites for industrial and commercial 

uses. One way to retain these sites is to zone appropriate 

areas for anticipated industrial and commercial

development. With areas “pre-zoned” for these uses, 

the chance of conflict with neighboring uses or that the 

area would be developed differently are minimized. 

There are a number of areas indicated on the Future 

Land Use Map anticipated for industrial and commercial 

development. These are highlighted in Figure 8: Future 

Industrial and Commercial Areas. These areas should 

be reserved for these types of land uses. Most of the 

future industrial land uses are indicated as heavy or 

medium industrial, as these are the most intense land 

uses which have the most off-site impacts. The intent is 

to anticipate which locations would minimize potential 

conflicts later. In many cases, these areas are appropriate 

for light industrial users as well. 

The Future Land Use Map also indicates areas as 

appropriate for light industrial users specifically, which 

are generally located in closer proximity to residential 

uses. Further, some areas on the Future Land Use Map 

are indicated as appropriate for heavy commercial or 

light industrial. The intent of this land use category is 

to define areas where uses with minimal to no off-site 

impacts are appropriate – such as an office park or a 

light industrial user like a research and development 

facility. 


Because of the intensity of industrial and commercial 

businesses, such uses require connection to public 

infrastructure. By indicating areas proposed for 

industrial and commercial uses, the expansion and/or 

The reuse of existing buildings with connection to infrastructure can 

be facilitated by directing new businesses into existing urban areas. 


Chapter 5 

upgrading of infrastructure should be linked to and 

planned for those areas. 


When planning for the construction or expansion 

of infrastructure, areas reserved for industrial or 

commercial use should be prioritized. These types of 

land uses cannot function properly without a connection 

to public infrastructure. Similarly, new industrial and 

commercial development, where feasible, can be directed 

to existing urban areas within the municipalities, such 

as vacant industrial or commercial buildings, where 

such infrastructure is already available. 


A clear set of high-quality physical design and 

site development standards is needed within the 

development regulations for new commercial and 

industrial development. These regulations would 

prevent land use conflicts and make the process of 

development more predictable. 


Many times, there are concerns that allowing industrial 

or heavy commercial uses to locate in an area by-right 

results in unattractive development that does not 

mitigate off-site impacts. Conversely, addressing all 

such concerns through special use and rezoning can 

discourage development because there is no set standard 

regarding what is allowed or desired, and approval 

becomes unpredictable. Creating a comprehensive 

series of basic design standards for industrial and 

commercial districts will create a process where 

development is predictable – both for the developer 

and the neighbors – and maintains a certain aesthetic 

standard. In particular, landscaping, buffering and 

screening requirements for commercial and industrial 

developments greatly improve the appearance of these 

developments, especially as viewed from the roadway. 

Generous setbacks and landscaping requirements also 

prevent use conflicts. 

Also, the design of buildings themselves should be of 

high quality. Basic design standards will prevent the 

anonymous “boxes” that can result from poor design. 

Control over basic building materials, especially on 

front facades, such as prohibition on aluminum siding 

and encouraging the use of brick and other high quality 

materials also helps to ensure a positive image of the 

County from these developments. 


75

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Finally, new commercial and industrial development 

standards should include requirements to mitigate 

off-site impacts, especially when located near natural 

resources such as river corridors. In particular, standards 

should address stormwater management. On-site 

landscaping and buffering, and “green” techniques like 

green roofs and bio-swales can help control stormwater 

run-off. Incentives can be created to encourage “green 

building” for new construction. 


Development should be limited in areas where resource 

deposits are located until the resources have been fully 

excavated and appropriate planning for reuse of the 

land is accomplished. 


There are approximately 60 active and inactive quarries 

in Winnebago County. The majority of these quarries, 

where predominantly crushed or broken limestone and 

dolomite are excavated, are located in north central 

portion of the County, including within Rockford, 

Durand and Pecatonica. Many of these are past 

producers and are no longer in operation. 


Chapter 5 

While these mining operations are active, they should 

be treated as industrial users and addressed by specific 

standards within the Unified Development Ordinance. 

Once all resources have been extracted, the conversion 

of mining areas can be undertaken. As the County 

learns of the closing of mines and their potential 

conversion, specific plans must be undertaken for their 

redevelopment. It is also appropriate to create a distinct 

zoning district for these quarries to address both the 

impacts when they are active as well as theirconversion 

to another use when they are closed. They are currently 

treated as a use within the agricultural districts, which is 

not appropriate for an industrial user of such intensity. 


Because of the significant amount of agricultural land 

within Winnebago County, as well as the surrounding 

counties, the marketing of agri-business services and 

facilities is an opportunity for economic development. 

These agri-businesses can include equipment sales and 

service, research facilities, nurseries and greenhouses, 

genetic research, ethanol and biotechnology, wind farms 

grain elevators, bio-fuels, feed and fertilizer services. 

Certain industries are compatible with agriculture. Wind farms, for example, can locate in these areas with minimal impact to adjacent uses. 


77



Many industrial and agri-business uses are compatible 

and complementary to agricultural uses, subject to 

site characteristics such as access to key transportation 

nodes and corridors and the required infrastructure. 

Oftentimes, agri-business land uses can be controversial 

in terms of location, especially when in close proximity 

to residential, but permitting these businesses adjacent 

to agricultural uses builds a complementary use 

relationship. 


Uniform incentives for new business, such as tax 

abatement, infrastructure improvement and tax districts, 

should be created, including taxing agreements that 

are acceptable to all taxing bodies within Winnebago 

County. 


There are several options for creating a unified financial 

incentive package to facilitate economic growth, while 

securing a financially solvent and measurable way of 

paying for growth. Measures include the establishment 

of special taxing districts to cover on- and off-site 

infrastructure improvements (i.e., roads, sidewalks, and 

sewer and water upgrades or extensions), establishment 

of connection/tap-on fees to cover future operation 

and maintenance costs, and development impact fees 

to cover public services (i.e., fire, police, and road and 

traffic improvements). The Comprehensive Financial Plan 

can assist in developing the appropriate option. 


Educational institutions on all levels (elementary, 

secondary, university/college, adult education) can 

assist in creating and sustaining a highly qualified 

workforce for the current, and anticipated, demand for 

high-tech workers. The County should explore training 

options for current workers to adapt and excel within a 

changing employment environment. 


There are a number of steps that the County can take 

to enhance the skills of the workforce, in particular 

as it relates to high-tech workers. The County should 

undertake an in-depth assessment of the types of hightech 

and service jobs available and the resident capacity 

to fill those jobs, and also the available high-tech skill 

training resources for the resident population. This type 

of assessment and analysis requires the cooperation 

78 


of various players within the County, including the 

different municipalities and existing industries. 

The end result of these cooperative efforts can vary. By 

bringing industry to the table, there is opportunity to 

create recruiting and partnership programs for the local 

population, including school age residents and those 

that are part of the existing workforce. 

There are a number of examples where this approach to 

workforce development has lead to positive economic 

effects. In Wichita, Kansas, the aerospace firms formed a 

skills alliance where the coordinator assessed the needs 

of the firms and developed a curriculum for improving 

the skills of future workers. The alliance then partnered 

with educational institutions for an apprenticeship 

program that provided jobs for graduates. In 

Washington DC, regional telecommunications firms 

bought computers for local high school students and 

implemented a program that would train them to be 

network administrators. Once the students passed a 

certification exam, which the program prepared them 

for, the students were hired by the participating firms.

Chapter 6 Growth 

Goal: Growth must be focused on supporting the 

principals of balanced growth by preserving open 

space and natural areas, reducing traffic congestion, 

utilizing existing infrastructure and resources, and 

preserving the quality of life within our community. 



Goal: Growth must be focused on supporting 

the principals of balanced growth 

by preserving open space and natural areas, 

reducing traffic congestion, utilizing 

existing infrastructure and resources, and 

preserving the quality of life within our 

community. 

The policies in this Plan are guided by balanced growth 

strategies and its creation is the first step toward 

managing growth. It will be up to the elected officials 

and the citizens of Winnebago County to follow the 

recommendations of this Plan to that end. To assist in 

this implementation, the revision of the zoning and 

subdivision regulations, and the creation of a Unified 

Development Ordinance, will create the development 

regulations that reinforce the policies of this Plan. 


Winnebago County has been experiencing tremendous 

growth and development over the past decade. As a 

result, strategies and policies of previous planning 

efforts emphasized or encouraged “smart growth” 

management, much of which tackled issues of 

infrastructure. While some strategies suggested 

expanding infrastructure and services to areas where 

growth was probable, other plans favored infill 

development and limiting growth in areas where 

delivering services would pose a challenge. There was 

a universal rejection of sprawl. 

There were a number of policies within the “Principles 

of Balanced Growth: Winnebago County Balanced 

Growth Initiative” that addressed the form that new 

development should take. In addition to adopting a 

vision for the future of the County, new development 

should have “a functional form, based on centers, 

corridors, neighborhoods, open spaces, and definable 

edges.” To that end, mixed-use and infill development 

were encouraged. 

Overview of Growth 

Winnebago County experienced its two most significant 

growth periods between 1910 and 1930, and then again 

between 1950 and 1970. From 1970 to 1990, population 

growth remained largely stagnant. Upward population 

growth resumed at a rate of 10% between 1990 and 

80 


2000. The U.S. Census estimates Winnebago County’s 

population in 2005 at 283,565 – an increase of 2% since 

2000 and 12% since 1990. The projected 2015 population 

is estimated at 310,009, which is a projected growth 

rate of 11% since 2000 and 9% since 2005. Finally, the 

projected 2030 population is estimated at 347,970, which 

is a projected growth of 12% since the 2015 estimate. 

These figures indicate that the County, on the whole, is 

on an upswing in terms of population growth. 

Table 4: Population Density shows the overall 

population density for Winnebago County and Figure 

9: Winnebago County Population Density Map, 2005 

illustrates how the County’s population is distributed 

over the land area. Table 4 provides a general density 

number – essentially, if the population were spread 

evenly over the land area. Figure 9 shows how 

Winnebago County’s population is actually distributed, 

as of 2005. The County’s population is clustered around 

the City of Rockford, where the highest density ranges 

are located, reaching as high as 6,001 to 11,400 persons 

per square mile. 

Table 4: Population Density 

AREA 

(Square Miles) 

DENSITY 

(Persons Per Square Mile) 

COUNTY 

Total Land Water 1990 2000 2005 

Winnebago 519.2 513.7 5.5 492.3 541.9 561.3 

The University of Illinois - College of Medicine at 

Rockford in the “Healthy Community Study, 2003” used 

Internal Revenue Service data to determine the origin of 

those who moved into Winnebago County between 2000 

and 2001. In the 2000-2001 time period, 10,689 persons 

moved into Winnebago County with many of these new 

households migrating from Cook County and its “Collar 

Counties” (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will 

Counties); between 2000 and 2001, 10% of new residents 

came from Cook County specifically, and a total of 

22% came from Cook County and the collar counties.

!( 

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Davis 

Legend 

Lake Summerset 

!( 

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Pecatonica 

Seward 


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Durand 

") 20 

") 75 

") 70 

!( 

Population/Sq. Mi. 

21 - 500 

501 - 1,000 

Winnebago 

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1,001 - 2,000 

2,001 - 3,000 

3,001 - 4,000 

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") 2 

4,001 - 5,000 

5,001 - 6,000 

6,001 - 10,950 

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Rockford 

Figure 9: WinnCo Population Density Map (2005) 



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South Beloit 

Rockton 

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!( 

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Latham Park 

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Beloit 

North Park 

Loves Park 

New Milford 

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Roscoe 

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Cherry Valley 


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The largest group of new residents – 35% – came from 

other states, followed by those who migrated from 

other northwestern Illinois counties (25%). A significant 

number of new residents also moved from neighboring 

Boone County (10% of total), with former Boone 

County residents making up the largest percentage of 

new residents from the northwestern Illinois counties. 

In terms of Winnebago County’s municipalities, the City 

of Rockford is the largest municipality with over half the 

total County population. The next largest population 

concentration is found in the unincorporated areas – 

over 20% of the population. Machesney Park and Loves 

Park contain the second and third largest incorporated 

populations within the County. Machesney Park was 

only recently incorporated and grew 9% from 1990 

to 2000. Loves Park has been enjoying a significant 

positive growth rate since its incorporation. The fastest 

growing municipalities in 2000 were Roscoe, Rockton 

and Winnebago, which grew 200%, 81% and 61% 

respectively, from 1990 to 2000. 

The unincorporated area of the County has been losing 

population over the past twenty years – a 25% decrease 

from 1980 to 1990, and 2% decrease from 1990 to 2000. 

However, this population decline can be attributed 

to the annexation of land area by incorporated 

municipalities, rather than out-migration. Conversely, 

the growth of some incorporated municipalities is due 

to annexation of land along municipal boundaries that 

was previously developed. 

Overall, Winnebago County’s growth is stable. A 

healthy population of young children (under age 5) 

have consistently comprised approximately 7% of 

the population over the past 20 years. The 2000 and 

2005 US Census reveals relatively equal distribution 

between the age ranges of 5-to-24, 25-to-44 and 45-to- 

64, though skewed more towards the younger range. 

The data also indicates a small increase in the number 

of adults in the age groups of 45-to-64 and 65+ between 

the years of 1990 and 2000; 2005 estimates show the 

same trend. It will be important to monitor changes in 

age distribution in order to assess the impact and needs 

of Winnebago County residents in the years to come. 

For example, an increasing number of older adults and 

seniors may impact housing demand for smaller singlefamily 

detached and attached (townhouse) homes, 

which require less care on the part of the homeowner, 

as well as elderly care facilities such as assisted living 

developments and nursing homes. 

82 


Growth Objectives 

The following four objectives expand upon the goal for 

growth: 

1. Focus growth where it provides the greatest 

benefit to the County as a whole. 

2. Anticipate the future location and timing of new 

development, so that needed infrastructure for 

such land use is planned for and available. 

3. Retain existing, and create new, employment 

opportunities when planning for growth. 

4. Support the established smart growth policies 

of the “Balanced Growth: Winnebago County 

Balanced Growth Initiative” and the “Rock 

River Valley Green Communities Initiative.” 

Growth Policies 


growth decisions. 

Growth Policy 1: 

As the Future Land Use Map indicates, commercial 

and industrial growth is planned for key transportation 

assets. New residential growth is strategically located 

to minimize potential conflicts with industrial and 

agricultural land uses. 


Once adopted, rezonings should not deviate from the 

Future Land Use Map and the policies of this Plan. 

The key to preserving areas reserved for industrial and 

commercial uses, and to minimize potential conflicts 

with future residential uses, is to link the Future 

Land Use Map to the official Zoning Map. Land use 

regulations for commercial and industrial districts 

should allow new non-residential growth by-right and 

not as special uses. 


Growth, particularly new residential development, 

should be directed toward existing urbanized areas 

as much as possible, to maximize the use of existing 

infrastructure. Leapfrog development is discouraged. 

New growth should occur in areas designated on the 

Future Land Use Map. 


Land use policies encourage development to take

advantage of existing infrastructure and resources, 

which can be reinforced by related development 

regulations. It is recommended that most new residential 

development require connection to public infrastructure, 

with Conservation Design (Chapter 4) and the 40-acre 

minimum single-lot residential development (Chapter 

3) as the only types of development permitted without 

such connection. Incorporated municipalities and those 

areas adjacent to municipalities have the ability to 

take advantage of existing infrastructure and should 

be required to do so. Figure 10: Winnebago County 

Sewer Lines and Figure 11: Winnebago County Water 

Mains show those areas within the unincorporated 

County where infrastructure is available. 

In addition, the County can coordinate with 

municipalities to identify the location and acreage of 

incorporated land area that is available for infill. 


Increased residential density, near incorporated areas 

where sewer and water is available, is encouraged for 

efficient land use. To that end, efficient and innovative 

development types should also be encouraged. 


The Future Land Use Map shows future residential 

development as primarily medium density residential 

development, which includes densities as high as 7 

dwelling units per acre. Low density development is 

planned for limited areas, mainly as a transitional use 

into more rural areas of the County. Conservation 

design and cluster development is encouraged for low 

density areas. Large lot, rural single-family single lot 

developments seen in the more remote areas of the 

County are shown on the Existing Land Use Map as 

the agriculture - rural residential land use category. 

In the future, any residential development within the 

agricultural districts should occur only on lots within a 

vacant quarter-quarter section with a minimum of 250 

feet of road frontage. 

The highest density development types (i.e., multifamily 

housing) are primarily directed to incorporated 

municipalities where services and infrastructure, as 

well as the proximity to established transportation 

systems and supportive uses, are available to serve such 

uses. High density development is not appropriate for 

the unincorporated County unless it is part of a larger 

community where a mix of uses is available, such as 

the proposed Traditional Neighborhood Development 

District. Areas indicated on the Future Land Use Map 

Growth 

Chapter 6 

for high density housing have been determined by the 

land use plans of the incorporated municipalities. 


Facility Planning Areas (FPA) for water and sewer can 

be use as part of a population growth methodology to 

maximize the efficiency of public infrastructure and 

services. 


When evaluating new development applications, the 

Facility Planning Areas (FPA) must be considered as part 

of the approval. An FPA is the anticipated geographic 

area that will be served by a wastewater treatment 

facility and is required by the Illinois Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA). Development should occur 

where sewer and water is or will be available, not where 

well and septic is necessary. (Additional information 

on public infrastructure and Facility Planning Areas is 

found in Chapter 8.) 


The recommendations of various government bodies 

and service providers should be considered in land use 

decisions. 


Approval of new development should take into 

account the impacts upon various government 

bodies and service providers, such as school systems, 

townships, fire districts, law enforcement, park district 

and/or Forest Preserve District, and the Soil and 

Water Conservation District. By including review of 

applications by these agencies, the recommendations 

of different governmental bodies and service providers 

can be integrated into the approval process prior to 

the County Board’s final decision. These are especially 

relevant for rezonings and especially for any land use 

decisions that depart from the Future Land Use Map. 

Another strategy to encourage balanced growth is the 

adoption of a concurrency requirement. A concurrency 

requirement, which is a separate ordinance, requires all 

proposed development to meet a series of standards 

that ensure that public facilities and services necessary 

to support development are available to serve the 

development when it is finally occupied. Concurrency 

facilities include: road, transit, potable water, 

electricity, sanitary sewer, solid waste disposal, storm 

water management, police, fire, emergency, schools, 


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open space, park facilities and community facilities 

(libraries, recreation centers, museums, etc.). This 

type of concurrency requirement has been adopted by 

Washington state as part of its Growth Management Act. 

Many of these ordinances establish a concurrency 

management system, which includes a certificate of 

concurrency issued along with development approval. 

Essentially, this is a secondary development review 

process that looks specifically at these elements. 

Developments that do not meet minimum standards 

are not approved. This type of system could be applied 

to certain types of development within the County. 


The County should assess the real costs of greenfield 

conversion to the community for public services (i.e., 

schools, roads, sewer, water, and green space) along with 

the feasibility and timeframe of recovering this cost. 


As described in Chapter 3, the Agricultural Community 

Focus Group proposed a land use assessment tool, which 

accounts for the impact on services, schools, environment, 

recreation, infrastructure, etc. over the lifetime of the use. 

The model would be used determine the cost for the loss 

of the previous use – for example, the cost of the loss of 

an agricultural use to future generations, or the value of 

the loss of potential habitat to conservation. This tool can 

be used to create a sliding-scale development fee, based 

on sensitivity and designation of the land. If created, it 

is recommended that this assessment be conducted for 

development outside of the areas designated on the 

Future Land Use Map. 


A key to any smart growth strategy is regional 

cooperation in land use decisions, infrastructure 

improvements and the timing of development. Public 

involvement in future decisions regarding growth, 

rural development and municipal annexation should 

be integrated into the process. 


The County should utilize existing public agencies to 

coordinate regional conversations on land use policy, 

planning and implementation. Review of planned 

development by other agencies affected by a project 

is encouraged to prevent costly planning solutions in 

the future for problems that could have been avoided 

86 


in the present. Currently, the Rockford Metropolitan 

Agency for Planning (RMAP) (formerly called the 

Rockford Area Transportation Study) is the federally 

designated metropolitan planning organization 

(MPO) covering a majority of the urbanized areas 

within the County. Planned and future transportation 

planning and associated costs could be obtained from 

this organization to be used in discussions on new 

developments. 


The County should encourage intergovernmental 

and boundary agreements between municipalities to 

coordinate growth. 


While the County does not have the authority to enter 

into boundary agreements with municipalities, it can 

serve as a facilitator to work with municipalities to 

develop boundary agreements and intergovernmental 

agreements. This Plan should serve as the guiding 

principle for land use decision-making by the various 

incorporated municipalities so that development within 

the municipalities, especially along municipal boundaries, 

is compatible with that planned in the unincorporated 

County. The benefit to both the County and the various 

cities and villages is a lower cost in providing public 

services and infrastructure. Most importantly, boundary 

and administrative agreements between municipalities 

and between the County and municipalities will help to 

foster cooperative development and eliminate defensive 

annexation and private developer influence over 

municipal or county approval processes. 


The County should continue proactive specific planning 

efforts, such as the Springfield Corridor Plan, to refine 

the broader land use policies of this Plan. 


This Plan speaks to land use planning on a broad level. 

The County can further implement the policies of this 

Plan by adopting specific plans for targeted areas, such 

as what was done for the Springfield Avenue corridor. 

These sub-area plans can tackle development on a 

parcel-by-parcel basis and address specific site elements, 

such as scenic view preservation and site circulation 

concerns, a more refined use mix, and planning goals 

such as mixed-use development.

Chapter 7 Natural Resources 

Goal: Preserve Winnebago County’s 

green infrastructure by protecting, conserving, 

restoring and properly managing 

such assets. 



Goal: Preserve Winnebago County’s 

green infrastructure¹ by protecting, conserving, 

restoring and properly managing 

such assets. 

Winnebago County is full of vast natural resources, 

from open space, waterways and wildlife, to rich 

mineral and geological resources deep underground. 

According to the Illinois State Geological Survey, the 

County has all of the physical conditions necessary for 

a diversified, prosperous economy. The County has 

abundant mineral resources beneficial for industry, 

clean groundwater in nearly every part of the County, 

and rich and fertile soil for agriculture. 

Winnebago County is rich in natural resources. Preservation and restoration 

of these resources is key to building the green infrastructure. 

Equally important is the preservation of natural resources 

– from large-scale efforts, such as directing new growth into 

municipalities and implementing coordinated stormwater 

management to more micro-level efforts such as the 

encouragement of green building. The key to keeping the 

green infrastructure network healthy is to maintain clear 

air and clean water, and to prevent the erosion of valuable 

top soil. The protection of natural resources will not only 

enhance the visual beauty of the County, but also provide 

vast educational opportunities, recreational amenities and 

generate long-term economic benefits 

¹ As defined by the Conservation Fund’s Green Infrastructure 

Leadership Program, the green infrastructure network “encompasses 

a wide range of landscape elements, including: natural areas - such 

as wetlands, woodlands, waterways, and wildlife habitat; public 

and private conservation lands such as nature preserves, wildlife 

corridors, greenways, and parks; and public and private working 

lands of conservation value such as forests, farms, and ranches. It 

also incorporates outdoor recreation and trail networks.” 

88 


Today, very little of the County’s original, undisturbed 

natural areas remain, as the vast majority of the 

County’s natural areas have been disturbed or lost 

due to urbanization, farming and the development 

of transportation infrastructure. It is important to 

remember that once natural resources are lost, many 

times they cannot be recovered. 


Previously established goals and strategies for 

Winnebago County’s natural resources are focused 

primarily on preservation. The Rock, Pecatonica, 

Sugar and Kishwaukee Rivers flow through the 

County, and many regional plans, including the 

“Boone and Winnebago Regional Greenways Plan,” 

have encouraged the acquisition of undeveloped land 

along these waterways to ensure their protection. The 

importance of intergovernmental cooperation was 

recognized in order to purchase prime undeveloped 

land for parkland and establishing regional greenways 

to connect Winnebago’s natural spaces. There was also 

general agreement among the plans that the County’s 

forest preserves needed to be expanded. 

It is no surprise that a significant number of policies 

within the “Principles of Balanced Growth: Winnebago 

County Balanced Growth Initiative” deal with the use 

of open space. In particular, the value of open space for 

Winnebago County residents as both active and passive 

recreation was stressed, including its importance to 

environmental conservation. 

Overview of Natural Resources 

This overview of Winnebago County’s natural resources 

is divided into two categories: 1) open space (land) 

resources and 2) water resources. Each is divided into 

the following detail: 

1. Open Space Resources 

→ Forest and Nature Preserves 

→ Greenways and Trails 

→ Grasslands 

2. Water Resources 

→ Rivers, Streams and Tributaries 

→ Wetlands 

→ Watersheds 

→ Groundwater and Aquifers 

See Figure 12: Natural Resources for the location of 

many of these natural areas.

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Open Space Resources 

Open space is generally categorized as active, passive 

or scenic. Active open spaces include parks and 

playgrounds, golf courses, trails, or gardens. Passive 

open spaces include preserves, wetlands, floodplains, 

grasslands, detention basins or stream buffers. Scenic 

areas include viewsheds, historic corridors, rustic roads 

and observation points. 

Forest and Nature Preserves 

According to the Illinois Department of Natural 

Resources (IDNR), the intent of a nature preserve is 

to “assist private and public landowners in protecting 

high quality natural areas and habitats of endangered 

and threatened species in perpetuity through voluntary 

dedication or registration of such lands into the Illinois 

Nature Preserves System.” 

There are 38 individual forest preserves that currently 

cover more than 9,400 acres of Winnebago County. 

These are managed by the Winnebago County Forest 

Preserve District, whose purpose is to “protect the 

natural beauty of Winnebago County, as well as for 

education and recreation.” (See Sidebar: Winnebago 

County Forest Preserves) 

Thirty-eight forest preserves cover more than 9,400 acres in Winnebago 

County. 

Recreational opportunities within the forest preserves 

are wide ranging with both passive and active 

activities, including environmental education, botanic 

gardens, bird-watching, hiking, horseback riding, cross 

country skiing, camping and canoeing. Perhaps most 

importantly, the County’s forest preserves manage 

critical habitat for the important flora and fauna that 

live within them by protecting the high quality natural 

areas and habitats. 

90 


Over 70% of forest preserve land is managed as 

conservation land where the goal is to restore the 

property to its pre-designated condition. According to 

the Forest Preserve District, native prairies have been 

restored in some preserves, while others offer mature 

woodlands, wetlands, dolomite cliffs and streams. 

Local rivers and streams run through these preserves 

as well, including the Kishwaukee, Sugar, Pecatonica 

and Rock Rivers. 

Greenways and Trails 

A greenway is an open space corridor that can vary 

in scale and purpose, from a small linear ribbon of 

land along a riverbank, to a wide corridor of land 

that incorporates a variety of natural, manmade and 

scenic features. Greenways can include ecologically 

significant, recreational, scenic or historic features, and 

can run through both urban and rural settings. 

Greenways serve a variety of purposes, and include 

both land and waterways. While many greenways 

are dedicated-use corridors for recreational purposes, 

such as equestrian trails, snowmobile routes, and canoe 

trails, there are also countless passive greenways within 

the County’s open space network. Passive greenways 

serve as an important natural habitat and linkage for 

wildlife to move from one area to another, providing 

food, shelter and other environmental qualities that 

allow for their survival. For example, there are several 

bird species in Winnebago County that require large 

tracts of contiguous land for their survival, including 

the hooded warbler, Acadian flycatcher, broad-winged 

hawk, and the spotted thrush veery. 

Grasslands 

Grasslands exist within both rural and urban settings. 

Rural grasslands include pasture, greenways and 

fallow fields (fields that are not planted, in an attempt 

to re-establish their fertility). Urban grassland includes 

residential lawns, parks, golf courses and other open 

space. In Illinois, approximately 90% of grasslands are 

rural in nature, and 10% are urban. Winnebago County 

is ranked 7th among Illinois counties by percentage 

of area in grassland. There are approximately 107,296 

acres of grassland, accounting for 32% of land area. 

Water Resources 

Rivers, Streams and Tributaries 

There are numerous rivers, streams and ponds 

within Winnebago County. Major rivers include the 

Rock River, Kishwaukee River, Pecatonica River and 

theSugar River. Today, life in Winnebago County’s

ivers and streams is abundant with flora and fauna, 

including insects, fish, birds and mammals. 

The numerous water resources of the County must be monitored for 

water quality and protected from run-off, soil erosion, and water pollution. 

The Rock River is a tributary of the Mississippi River and 

the largest river in Winnebago County. It is approximately 

285 miles long and traverses approximately 10 counties 

in Wisconsin and Illinois. It flows from north to south 

through Winnebago County. Its major tributaries are the 

Pecatonica and Kishwaukee Rivers, which enter from 

west and east, respectively. Significant features of the 

Rock River include upland and floodplain forests, bedrock 

cliffs, springs, prairies, cliffs and aquatic systems. 

The Pecatonica River is a tributary of the Rock River. 

It flows from southwestern Wisconsin into northern 

Illinois, and turns east past Freeport, where it receives 

the Sugar River. It also joins the Rock River at Rockton, 

approximately 15 miles north of Rockford. 

The Kishwaukee River flows from Woodstock, through 

Cherry Valley to Rockford, where it is a tributary of the 

Rock River. The South Branch of the Kishwaukee River 

originates high upon the Crospey Moraine, just north of 

Shabbona. It cuts across moraines and part of the river 

bed is the plain of an ancient lake. The Kishwaukee 

River system is considered one of the highest quality 

river systems in Illinois. 

Wetlands 

According to the EPA, a wetland is defined as “an area 

saturated by surface or ground water with vegetation 

adapted for life under those soil conditions, as swamps, 

bogs, fens, marshes, and estuaries.” Wetlands serve 

as the connection between dry land and water. As the 

name suggests, wetlands often contain water but this is 

not always the case, as some are wet only during certain 

seasons. There are several kinds of wetlands, including 

Natural Resources 

Chapter 7 

marshes, swamps, bogs and fens. There are approximately 

5,800 acres of wetlands in Winnebago County. 

Wetlands are important because they provide habitat 

to thousands of species of plants and animals – both 

aquatic and terrestrial. These include turtles, frogs, 

snakes, waterfowl, fish, and mammals. Migrating 

birds use wetlands to rest during migration and also as 

nesting sites. 

Within the larger ecosystem, wetlands help purify 

water and absorb overflow and flood waters. Wetland 

loss continues to be a problem, and development that 

takes its place is the often the source of contamination 

and runoff that wetlands are supposed to handle. In 

addition, degradation and loss of wetlands has been a 

leading cause of extinction. 

Watersheds 

A watershed, also called a drainage basin, consists of all 

the land that drains water, sediment and other material 

from a higher elevation to a lower elevation, or common 

point, and channels it into a waterway. The watershed 

for a major river may encompass a number of smaller 

sub-watersheds that ultimately combine at a common 

point. Water that enters a watershed can be any form of 

precipitation and will drain down into streams, ponds, 

lakes and wetlands. 

Watersheds are separated by a series of divides that 

dictate not only what direction local rivers and streams 

flow, but also make up their own ecosystems. The 

parent materials in the basin are predominantly loess, 

but also include till, outwash, bedrock and sand. These 

materials differ greatly in their permeability, potential 

for erosion, and material composition. 

The Rock River basin² is one of 16 major river basins in 

Illinois and part of the larger upper Mississippi River 

basin. The northern half of the Rock River basin is located 

in southern Wisconsin, while the southern half covers a 

large portion of northern Illinois, including Winnebago 

County. There are several smaller watersheds within 

the Rock River Basin, including the Pecatonica River, 

Upper Rock River, and Kishwaukee River watershed 

in Winnebago County. 

² The Illinois EPA Bureau of Water conducted a comprehensive 

assessment of the Rock River basin, which addresses natural 

resources, threats to environmental quality and programs and 

efforts for water quality and protection. For an in-depth review of 

the Rock River basin, refer to “Rock River Basin Assessment, An 

Overview of the Rock River Watershed in Illinois” (March 2006). 

This document can be found at: http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/ 

watershed/facility-planning/rock-basin.pdf 


91


The Upper Rock River Watershed covers 2,920 square 

miles over several counties in Illinois including 

Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, Whiteside and Rock 

Island. To the west, the Pecatonica Watershed is 

1,870 square miles and is located predominantly in 

Stephenson County and the northwestern portion of 

Winnebago County. The third watershed in the area 

is the Kishwaukee River watershed, which covers a 

small portion of far southeast Winnebago County. It is 

1,260 square miles in size and extends east into Boone, 

McHenry, Ogle, DeKalb and Kane Counties. When 

planning for resource conservation in the County, 

several things negatively affect the water quality in a 

watershed including pesticide and waste run-off, soil 

erosion, and water pollution. 

Groundwater and Aquifers 

Groundwater is derived from precipitation that seeps 

into the ground into water tables through the soil. 

Large quantities of groundwater can be obtained nearly 

anywhere in Winnebago County, at depths from 500 to 

2,000 feet below the surface. Water may also be obtained 

much closer to the surface, even at 20 to 40 feet below 

ground. Glacial deposits and underlying bedrock in 

Winnebago County provide abundant groundwater 

for industrial, public and agricultural uses. The 

unconsolidated material (gravel, sand, silt or clay) of 

the County overlies more than 2,000 feet of sandstone 

and less than 600 feet of dolomite, and has been used 

throughout the County’s history as its aquifer system 

for well water. 

These aquifers are recharged throughout the County 

due in part to the permeability of the soil and sandstone. 

The flat upland terranes of Winnebago County provide 

the greatest recharge to the shallow aquifers and 

also provide some recharge to the deeper aquifers of 

western Winnebago County. The lowlands also provide 

some local recharge to shallow aquifer systems, but 

this is a less significant water resource. Nearly all of 

the water that infiltrates into the groundwater reservoir 

in the lowland terranes will move directly toward the 

rivers and enter the surface water system, unless it is 

intercepted by water wells. 

However, urban development within the County has 

significantly altered natural aquifer recharge. Not all 

development will have a negative impact on aquifer 

recharge - rainfall draining from roofs and the watering 

of lawns contributes only a small amount to recharge. 

It is the intense urbanization, where large amounts of 

land are built on or paved and sewers are installed, 

where recharge has become severely reduced. The 

92 


removal of natural vegetation in these areas, as well as 

the draining of wetlands for agriculture are other ways 

in which recharge can be greatly reduced. 

Certain areas of the County and certain alterations 

of the natural landscape can cause groundwater 

contamination. This contamination is most likely to 

occur in areas where permeable surfaces, such as sand 

and gravel, are near the surface. Areas where dolomite 

occurs within 20 feet of the surface also have a significant 

potential for contamination. These areas are generally 

located in the uplands of western Winnebago County and 

in parts of southeastern Winnebago County. Water in this 

area is fairly unimpeded and any contamination would 

be transferred to the wells finished in the dolomite. 

The areas around the Rock River, and the lower 

Pecatonica and Sugar River valleys also areas have high 

potential for contamination, as contaminants can be 

transmitted through porous sand or gravel areas and 

discharged directly into streams. Landfills in dolomite 

quarries, or in sand and gravel areas, are also likely to 

transfer contamination into pumping wells or rivers. 

Finally, the use of individual septic tanks in rapidly 

growing areas increases the risk of contamination. 

Natural Resource Objectives 

The following six objectives expand upon the goal for 

natural resources: 

1. Preserve the County’s natural resources and 

recognize them as part of Winnebago County’s 

identity. 

2. Adopt land use policies and regulations to 

preserve and protect natural resources and 

environmentally sensitive areas, including the 

scenic beauty of the County. 

3. Continue to connect Winnebago County’s 

greenway system to the existing regional 

network as identified on the “Boone and 

Winnebago Regional Greenways Plan”. 

4. Provide a high quality active and passive 

recreation network for County residents. 

5. Implement strategies to prevent and/or 

minimize air and water pollution and soil 

erosion. 

6. Coordinate efforts with public and private 

organizations to educate County residents 

on the value of natural resources and 

environmentally sensitive lands.

Natural Resource Policies 


decisions regarding natural resources. 

Natural Resources Policy 1: 

In order to properly preserve and protect natural 

resources, the County should inventory natural areas 

and critical species habitats, and identify large blocks of 

contiguous terrestrial ecosystems and extensive aquatic 

ecosystems in order to protect the County’s natural 

resources. 


The Natural Resources Inventory, recently adopted 

by the County, will identify natural areas of critical 

importance, from existing wetlands and habitat for 

endangered species to connections between terrestrial 

and aquatic habitats. (See Sidebar: Natural Resources 

Inventory) In addition, the inventory will illustrate 

where further fragmentation, disturbance and 

development adversely affect, and possibly destroy, 

the natural ecosystem within them, as well as the 

composition, structure and function of the natural 

communities they contain. 

The Natural Resources Inventory should serve as an 

integral part of all land use decisions. It will serve as 

a guidebook to identify the County’s natural resources 

and assist in assessing, monitoring and regulating 

the restoration and management of public lands, and 

acquisition of open space to link existing greenways 

and/or open space. 


When sensitive areas are identified within the Natural 

Resources Inventory, protection and preservation 

measures should be implemented. 


One of the most effective means of protecting and 

preserving the areas identified in the Natural Resources 

Inventory is an Environmentally Sensitive Areas Overlay 

District. This type of overlay district protects valued 

natural features by requiring a tailored development 

review process that ensures their preservation, even if 

development were to occur in the area. A similar type 

of district can be created for areas designated as the 

River Corridor Protection Overlay on the Future Land 

Use Map to protect the rivers from impacts by adjacent 

development. An important part of such an overlay 

district is the review process, which can include a special 


Chapter 7 

committee comprised of the developer, County staff, 

and natural resource experts to review the proposed 

development and implement a resource protection plan 

before any work begins on the site. 

For other areas of importance, the County should create 

an open space zoning district, or a series of open space 

zoning designations. A typical open space zoning district 

only permits parks, forest preserve areas, and active and 

passive open space uses (whether public or private). By 

only permitting open space uses, any conversion to a 

different use, such as residential or commercial, would 

require a rezoning, which places added protection upon 

the resource. This type of open space zoning district can 

be further refined to address critical natural areas (i.e., 

a Critical Natural Areas Zoning District) that does not 

permit any active open space uses and is strictly reserved 

for the preservation of habitats or ecosystems. With 4% 

of the County’s unincorporated land area in open space 

use (the majority of which is forest preserve), such a 

district is warranted. 

An open space zoning district can protect both active and passive 

recreation areas. Both public and private open space is included in 

such a district. 

Other land development regulations can also 

accomplish preservation goals. For example, a tree 

protection ordinance requires a tree removal permit to 

remove any tree. Property owners are also required to 

replace a tree that has been removed. If the property 

cannot accommodate replacement trees, the County 

can require a payment to purchase and install trees in 

another location. 


The County’s natural resources should be a central 

feature of new development, such as parks, large tree 

stands, streams, etc. 


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When natural resources are present on a development 

site, there are a number of strategies that can be used to 

preserve these areas. If new developments are proposed 

within identified habitats or ecosystems, as inventoried, 

the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Overlay District 

(see Natural Resources Policy 2 above) can be used to 

properly design new developments so that these natural 

resources are incorporated without harm to the area 

and of benefit to the residents. Outside of preserving 

natural resources, open space uses such as parks and 

playgrounds are directly related to quality of life for 

residents. New large-scale residential developments 

should require a certain amount of public green space. 

The green space can be reserved by the donation of open 

space by the developer via the County adopting a land 

dedication or cash in-lieu-of dedication ordinance. 

One of the benefits of Conservation Design, which is 

targeted for areas where there are likely to be significant 

natural resources, is that it specifically require certain 

amounts and types of open space. Residential clusters 

are required to be oriented around a central green or 

square, or a natural physical amenity such as a stand of 

trees. In addition, a significant percentage of the entire 

development is required to be in active or passive open 

space. 

It is also important that there is proper buffering 

between uses so that issues of incompatibility do 

not arise. Generally, the concepts of Conservation 

There are a number of ways to restore and expand habitat. One of 

the most important is the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District 

Habitat Restoration Program. 

¹ Winnebago County Forest Preserve District: http://www.wcfpd. 

org/Activities/conservation.cfm 

94 


Design and Traditional Neighborhood Development 

incorporate large buffers between the developments 

and neighboring uses. 


The County should restore damaged, and expand 

existing, flora and fauna habitat where possible. 


There are a number of strategies to restore and expand 

habitat. One of the most important currently active in 

the County is the Winnebago County Forest Preserve 

District Habitat Restoration Program. This program, 

as described on the Forest Preserve District’s website , 

“works to create ecological conditions that sustain and 

preserve native plant and animal communities in the 

county’s prairies, wetland and woodlands. District staff 

remove invasive vegetation, propagate native plants, 

monitor wildlife and restore water quality to maintain 

the highest possible quality of habitat, thus protecting 

biological diversity.” 

The Forest Preserve District has a number of methods 

it uses for restoration, including the following (taken 

from the district’s website): 

● “Prescribed fire is often used at a prairie to give 

native grasses the advantage over non-native, 

fire-intolerant species. Brush clearing may be 

used at woodland sites where highly invasive 

species such as buckthorn and honeysuckle 

dominate the understory. 

● Planting thousands of native trees, shrubs, 

grasses and wildflowers to restore the plant 

diversity that once existed. 

● Stabilizing stream banks and restoring native 

shoreline vegetation to help prevent streambank 

erosion. 

● Monitoring and controlling nuisance wildlife 

that is negatively impacting the quality of the 

preserves.” 

Both the County, environmental organizations and 

private landowners can work with non-profit groups 

specializing in conservation programs to further the 

County’s conservation goals. In particular, when 

situations arise where preservation targets a particular 

species, experts in the field should be sought out. (See 

Sidebar: Non-Profit Conservation Groups)


The protection of surface water and groundwater 

has numerous benefits for the County, including 

improved drinking water quality, flood control, 

water purification, fisheries, and the conservation of 

productive soil. Therefore, protecting the groundwater 

supply, rivers and streams, wetlands and watersheds 

from contamination is critical. 


Groundwater Contamination 

A key to protecting groundwater resources is to restrict 

development in geologically sensitive areas. The following 

summaries highlight the potential for contamination in certain 

areas of the County. (This information is provided for reference 

purposes and should be verified with the Winnebago County 

Soil andWater Conservation Department.): 

General Construction 

The major factors considered in rating geological 

sequences on their suitability for general construction 

to prevent contamination are: bearing capacity and 

excavation ease, susceptibility to flooding, thickness of 

surficial material (depth of bedrock), internal drainage 

characteristics, and natural hazards. 

1. Least favorable for general construction: Scattered 

locations throughout Winnebago County where 

the drift is thin over the bedrock. 

2. Most favorable for general construction: Welldrained 

locations in major river valleys and 

terrace outwash plains; also some upland areas. 

Additional information on construction suitability is 

found in Residential Land Use Policy 3 and Figure 9. 

Waste Disposal by Septic System 

When evaluating locations for septic systems, soil 

drainage conditions, topography and density of septic 

tank units must be considered, along with the nature of 

the geologic materials. Geological sequences are rated 

on their capacity to protect aquifers and surface water 

from contamination by septic tank effluent. 

1. Highest potential for aquifer contamination 

from intense use of septic systems: Much of 

northwestern Winnebago County and major 

river valleys where bedrock or sand and gravel 

are within five feet of land surface. 

2. Lowest potential for aquifer contamination from 


Chapter 7 

intense use of septic systems: The Pecatonica 

Valley in Winnebago County due to its fine 

grained till in lacustrine areas. 

3. Low potential for aquifer contamination and 

minimum acceptance problems resulting from 

intense use of septic systems: Parts of western 

Winnebago County where drift is thick. 

Surface Application of Wastes and Agricultural Chemicals 

Soil has some capacity to attenuate contaminants 

but groundwater can be contaminated by the overapplication 

of industrial wastes, sewage sludge, and 

agricultural chemicals to the land surface and surface 

water, as well as accidental chemical spills. 

1. Least favorable for surface application of wastes: 

Much of western Winnebago County, along 

with the slopes of the Rock and Kishwaukee 

Rivers and Picasaw Creek valley walls, and in 

places where thin soil covers sand and gravel of 

major river valleys. 

2. Most favorable for surface application of wastes: 

Relatively flat areas on uplands where there are 

no acceptance problems and no shallow aquifers. 

Land Burial of Waste 

1. Highest potential for aquifer contamination from land 

burial of wastes: Almost all of western Winnebago 

County and the Rock and Kishwaukee River 

valleys, and their tributary valleys, where dolomite 

bedrock or thick deposits of sand and gravel are 

within 20 feet of land surface. 

2. Lowest potential for aquifer contamination from 

land burial of wastes: Uplands of southeastern 

Winnebago County where relatively flat land is 

covered with loamy to silty clay till thicker than 

50 feet. Some of the thicker sandy till areas may 

have favorable spots for landfill sites; however, 

since subsurface data are inadequate in many 

of these areas, extensive on-site investigation is 

necessary prior to site selection. 

Prohibiting development in floodplains that serve as 

water recharge areas and within mapped public water 

well recharge areas will also help prevent contamination. 

Stormwater Run-Off 

Proper stormwater management will prevent runoff 

and contamination. A key management technique 

is to adopt a County-wide stormwater management 


95


ordinance. (Such an ordinance is discussed in detail in 

Public Utilities & Facilities Policy 4.) 

Watershed Protection 

Watershed protection plans should be created and 

implemented by ordinance for the four watersheds 

within Winnebago County, including watershed carrying 

capacity analyses. The ordinance can then limit new 

development to stay within watershed carrying capacity 

ratios. In addition, before altering any watershed, the 

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and/or 

Department of Agriculture should be consulted for 

technical assistance. One immediate method of watershed 

protection is to limit impervious surface, which can 

be implemented through development regulations. In 

the most sensitive areas of watersheds, in particular 

floodplains, impervious surface should be very limited. 

Research from the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) shows that even up to 15% of 

these sensitive areas are covered by impervious surface, 

an increased amount of sediment and pollutants from 

run-off can affect water quality. When up to 25% of these 

watersheds are covered by impervious surface, increased 

Increased impervious surface increases stormwater run-off, which can 

result in numerous impacts to natural resources from watershed contamination 

to the erosion of top soil. Limitations on impervious surface 

and the use of alternative paving surfaces, like permeable pavers, can 

lessen these impacts. (Photo by Jason Johnson/USDA-NRCS) 

96 


run-off can lead to reduced oxygen levels. When over 25% 

is impervious surface, many types of stream life die from 

the concentrated runoff and sediment. Analysis of County 

watersheds is necessary to determine proper impervious 

surface limitations. How impervious surface is calculated 

can also incorporate bonuses for “green” techniques such 

as the use of green roofs and permeable pavers. 

Wetland Protection 

When developing or improving a site, the draining of 

wetlands must be avoided. To protect existing wetlands, 

an effective method is to establish a Wetland Buffer 

Zone Overlay District. This zoning district is simply 

a buffer zones mapped around existing wetlands 

– for example, 15 feet from the shoreline – where no 

development is permitted. The intent is to prevent 

pollutants, such as fertilizer run-off from entering the 

water, control erosion of the shoreline, and preserve 

existing flora and fauna habitat. The overlay district 

can also take into consideration the integration of 

wetlands into landscape plans, and create incentives for 

developers to preserve these valuable natural resources. 


Winnebago County’s soils are a valuable natural 

resource. Erosion control is necessary to preserve these 

soils. 


The effects of top soil erosion are far-reaching. Top 

soil contains the organic matter and nutrients needed 

for agriculture. As top soil erodes, more fertilizer is 

necessary to replace these key elements. With the loss 

of top soil, there is also an increase in run-off because 

soil loses water carrying capacity. This means that the 

fertilizers and pesticides/herbicides used in agricultural 

processes can contaminate water sources. In addition to 

the contaminants, silting – where sediment ends up in 

rivers and streams – can negatively affect habitat and 

degrade water quality, as well as increase occurrences 

of flooding. 

Impervious surface also plays a role in erosion. With 

increased run-off from more paved surfaces, soil can 

become oversaturated. This surface run-off can carry 

loose soil, again eroding valuable top soil and carrying 

sediment into rivers and streams. 

The key to preventing erosion is to minimize impervious 

surface and control the potential for erosion during 

activities that disrupt the soil. The techniques following 

assist in accomplishing this:


Chapter 7 

Agricultural uses require filter strips for land bordering rivers and tributaries to prevent contamination from erosion. (Photo by Bob Nichols/USDA-NRCS) 

● A stormwater management ordinance requires 

a stormwater management plan for all new 

development so that there is not an increase in 

run-off volume up to the level of a two-year 

storm. Again, this control of run-off will assist in 

preventing erosion. (Discussed in detail in Public 

Utilities & Facilities Policy 4.) 

● Good stormwater management also incorporates 

the use of bio-swales, drainage basins, filter strips 

and other landscaping elements to minimize run-off 

and prevent erosion. 

● The County can implement a Site Development 

Permit Ordinance. This permit requires submittal 

of a plan to control erosion and run-off during 

construction, which must be approved before any 

construction begins on-site. 

● Herbicides and pesticides must be applied in 

accordance with U.S. Department of Agriculture 

guidelines. 

● Filter strips should be required on agricultural 

land bordering rivers and tributaries to prevent 

contamination from erosion. 


In addition to the quality of water and soil, air quality is 

as important. Correct land use decisions will minimize 

air pollution. 


Cars are the primary contributor to air pollution. 

Therefore, implementation of this policy to reduce air 

pollution requires land use decisions that minimize 

the amount of driving by County residents. This 

can be accomplished by locating new development 

near existing resources and employment centers. 

By bringing together where people live, work and 

play, the amount of time spent driving between them 

is minimized. As described earlier, a TND specifically 

seeks to place all these uses within walking distance of 

one another, another effective way of reducing drive 

times. 

The County should also encourage alternate means of 

transportation, including walking paths, bike paths and 

public transit. Transportation planning should balance 

these different modes of moving people throughout 


97


the County, reducing the number of cars on the road. 

Another option is to look at the benefits of encouraging 

telecommuting, which reduces the number of drivers 

heading to and from the workplace, as well as reducing 

demands on the physical environment for parking 

lots and large office buildings. To implement a plan 

that would really accomplish these goals, the County 

can undertake a study of telecommuting patterns 

throughout the County, including the strengths and 

weaknesses of the different municipalities’ ability to 

accommodate this type of work. To attract businesses 

that specifically include this type of employment, 

economic incentives can be created. 


As part of smart growth planning, the County should 

seek to divert as much refuse as possible from landfills. 


The County should explore disposal alternatives for solid 

waste, such as gasification and food waste processing, as 

part of the overall effort to divert refuse from landfills. 

In addition, the County should promote recycling and 

composting. On a larger scale, implementation of this 

policy can also encourage additional industries based 

on these technologies, such as recycling plants. Green 

building techniques also require recycling of materials 

from construction sites and the use of recycled building 

material. As part of an effort to promote green building, 

this should be encouraged as well. 


Public/private partnerships can educate residents on 

the value of natural resources and be used to achieve 

public support of natural resources preservation and 

restoration efforts. The County must work to further 

this relationship between the public and various 

conservation organizations in order to further the goals 

of this Plan. 


There are a number of organizations in the County 

that have made significant progress in the acquisition 

and protection of natural areas in order to strengthen 

and restore the County’s green infrastructure. These 

organizations include, but are not limited to: 

■ Winnebago County Forest Preserve 

■ Winnebago County Soil and Water Conservation 

District 

98 


■ Illinois Department of Natural Resources 

■ Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 

■ Illinois Department of Agriculture: Bureau of Land 

and Water Resources 

■ USDA: Natural Resource Conservation Service 

■ USDA: Farm Service Agency 

■ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

■ University of Illinois Extension 

■ Museum of Natural History 

■ Natural Land Institute 

■ The Nature Conservancy 

■ USGS: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 

Residents benefit from the opportunity to interact with nature through 

the use of natural amenities like hiking trails. 

By promoting the work of these organizations, 

and others, support for continued natural resource 

protection can be instilled in the public. 

The established open space network, comprised of active 

and passive recreation, continually exposes County 

residents to the benefits of the natural environment 

and integrates open space into a resident’s measure 

of their quality of life. Activities to engage the public 

further would benefit all involved in conservation. For 

example, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources 

sponsors the Acres for Wildlife Program, a landowner 

assistance program. Private landowners can receive 

help in protecting or developing wildlife habitat on 

their property. Each year, the “Wildlife Landowner 

of the Year Award” is given to the person that best 

represents how a private landowner can restore and 

develop wildlife habitat on his/her own property. 

Participants can develop their properties into showcases 

of how land can be managed for the benefit of wildlife.

Winnebago County Forest Preserves 

Andrews Clayton: 88-acres. Undeveloped natural area of 

low-lying wetland terrain. 

Atwood Homestead: 338-acre. Located along the Rock River. 

The majority of the preserve is comprised of the golf course 

and clubhouse. It also offers a scenic view of the river. 

Blackhawk Springs: 629 acres. Largest contiguous tract of 

forest in the Forest Preserve District and important habitat 

to birds that require large tracts of forest for survival, 

including the hooded warbler, Acadian flycatcher, broadwinged 

hawk, and the veery. 

Colored Sands Bluff Nature Preserve*: 300 acres. Woodlands, 

sand prairie and savanna. Home to several endangered, 

threatened and special concern species. Sand prairie has 

been restored through restoration and management. 44 

acres are a dedicated nature preserve. 

Deer Run: 593 acres. Undeveloped natural areas including 

oxbow ponds, wetland habitat, access to the south branch 

of the Kishwaukee River, and over 9 miles of walking and 

equestrian trails. 

Espenscheid: 60 acres. 

Four Lakes*: 168 acres. 

Fuller Memorial: 135 acres. Designated bird sanctuary, 

limited use by permission only. 

Hartley Woods Memorial Nature Preserve*: 40 acres. Mature 

oak-hickory woodland. Dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve 

with a significant spring wildflower display. 

Headquarters: 45 acres. 

Hinchliff Memorial: 2 acres. 

Hononegah: 228 acres. 

Indian Hills: 50 acres. 

J. Jensen Norman: 130 acres. 

Kieselburg: 211 acres. Sedge meadow, fen and gravel 

prairie. Home to rare plants and animals, it is currently 

the focus of the County’s largest prairie restoration. 

Kilbuck Bluffs: 165 acres. Woodlands and mature sycamore 

trees. 

Kishwaukee Gorge North: 128 acres. Maple basswood and 

woodland in protected ravines; oak-hickory woodland on 

uplands, prairie and wildflowers. 

Kishwaukee Gorge South: 50 acres. High quality woodlands 

and witchazel trees on the south side of the Kishwaukee 

River’s gorge. No public access. 

Kishwaukee River: 145 acres. The 30-acre oakwoods is an 


Chapter 7 

Illinois Natural Area Inventory site of notable natural 

quality. Hiking trail. 

Carl & Lois Klehm: 154 acres. 

Laona Heights*: 40 acres. Contains a 19.5 acre nature 

preserve containing harbors of mature oak, hickory, 

walnut and white ash. 

Ledges: 184 acres. Golf course. 

Macktown*: 281 acres. 

McKiski: 33 acres. 

Millrace Isle: 128 acres. 

Oak Ridge: 653 acres. 

Roland Olson: 127 acres. 

Pecatonica River*: 466 acres. Woodlands and oxbow 

swamps. Dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve containing 

bottomland spring wildflowers and mature black maples. 

Rare birds including the Prothonotary warbler. Selfguided 

interpretive trail and observation deck provided. 

Contains a 36.4 acre nature preserve. 

Pecatonica Wetlands: Floodplain forest, oxbow ponds, 

marshes and upland forest. Contains outstanding 

prevernal flora and birdlife. Site development in progress 

and will offer fishing access, hiking and equestrian trails, 

picnic areas, camping and wildlife observation areas. 

Rockford Rotary: 1,048 acres. Woodlands; an Illinois Natural 

Areas Inventory site and contains the widest diversity of 

trees and shrubs in the Winnebago County Forest Preserve 

District. Hiking and equestrian trails. 

Severson Dells: 369 acres. Woodland and dolomite cliffs; a 

Dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve which harbors many unique 

wildlife species. Contains a self-guided interpretive trail. 

Seward Bluffs: 636 acres. Woodlands and dolomite cliff. 

Home to many northern relic species and wildflowers. 

Sugar River: 529 acres. Woodlands, sand prairie and 

wetlands. An Illinois Natural Areas Inventory Notable 

Area. Access to a diversity of flora and fauna provided by 

trails and roadways. 

Trailside: 9 acres 

Trask Bridge: 15 acres. 

Two Rivers: 7 acres. 

* Indicates Natural Preserve 

For a complete inventory of the Winnebago County 

Forest Preserves, refer to the Winnebago County Forest 

Preserve District website at: http://www.wcfpd.org/ 


99


100 

Sugar River Alder*: 537 acres. Floodplain forest, sedge 

meadow, upland forests and savanna and dry dolomite 

prairie. Contains a 184.7 acre nature preserve. Home to 

many state threatened and endangered species including 

the Cooper’s hawk and sandhill cranes. Contains a selfguided 

interpretive trail. 

Others nature preserves listed on the Illinois Department 

of Natural Resources Area 1 Nature Preserve Directory: 

Harlem Hills: Privately owned nature preserve and 

grassland. One of the best examples of a dry-messic gravel 

hill prairie. Land may be donated to state. 

Howard D. Colman Dells Nature Preserve: 54.69 acres. 

Dolomite cliff and dry-mesic upland forest of the Freeport 

Section of the Rock River Hill County Natural Division. 

Pecatonica Bottoms Nature Preserve: 36.4 acres nature 

preserve; 22.4 acres buffer. On the floodplain of the 

Pecatonica River in the Freeport Section of the Rock Rover 

Hill Country Natural Division: Wet and mesic floodplain 

forest, black maples, basswood and black walnut trees. 

Woodpeckers, bald eagles and blue spotted salamander. 

Plum Grove: 20 acres. Located within Rock Cut State 

Park in the Winnebago Drift Section of the Northeastern 

Morainal Natural Division. Fine upland forest, mature 

to old second growth and varieties of oak. Several forest 

sensitive species of birds and also 33 mammals, including 

the gray fox and flying squirrel. 


Rockton Bog: 67 Acres. Sand deposit 4 miles wide and 12 

miles long in Rockton and Shirland Townships. Although 

much has been destroyed, a portion called the Rocktok 

Sedge Meadow remains relatively undisturbed and 

contains a sedge meadow, prairie and open sand forest. 

Owner: IDNR. 

Searls Park Prairie: Significant black-soil prairie within 

Searls Memorial Park in northwest Rockford. 

Wilson Prairie: Privately owned nature preserve.

Non-Profit Conservation Groups 

The following non-profit conservation groups may be able 

to assist in natural resource restoration and conservation. 

This list is compiled by the website www.about.com. 

America the Beautiful Fund 

http://www.america-the-beautiful.org/ 

Non-profit organization concerned with assisting 

community-level programs and projects to save the 

natural and historic environment. 

American Land Conservancy 

http://www.alcnet.org/ 

Non-profit organization working in partnership with 

communities, private landowners, local land trusts, public 

land agencies, and elected officials to create effective 

conservation solutions for threatened land and water 

resources. 

American Public Information for the Environment 

http://www.americanpie.org/ 

Provides information about environmental quality, 

protection of natural resources and promotion of 

environmental health for all elements of the biotic 

community. 

Center for Environmental Information 

http://ceinfo.org/ 

Provides information, publications, and educational 

programs to advance public understanding of 

environmental issues. 

Center for Plant Conservation 

http://www.mobot.org/CPC/welcome.html 

Dedicated to conserving rare plants native to the US 

through a collaborative national program of offsite plant 

conservation, research, and education. 

Conservation International 

http://www.conservation.org/ 

Concerned with protecting the Earth’s biologically richest 

areas and helping people who live in these areas improve 

their quality of life. 

Council on Environmental Quality 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/ 

Assists in the development of environmental policies and 

proposed legislation, and identifies, assesses, and reports 

on trends in environmental quality. 

Earth Island Institute 

http://www.earthisland.org 

Provides organizational support in developing projects 

for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the 

global environment. 


Chapter 7 

Earth Share 

http://www.earthshare.org 

A national environmental federation, representing 

agencies with bona fide environmental and conservation 

programs. 

EarthTrust 

http://www.earthtrust.org 

International organization dedicated to the preservation 

of wildlife and the natural environment. 

EarthWatch 

http://www.earthwatch.org 

Supports field research to build a sustainable world 

through an active partnership between scientist and 

citizen. 

Ecological Society of America 

http://www.esa.org/ 

A nonprofit organization of scientists that promotes 

ecological research and the responsible application of 

ecological knowledge to public issues. Founded in 1915. 

Envirolink Network 

http://www.envirolink.org/ 

Environmental information clearinghouse providing 

website hosting, automated mailing lists, interactive 

bulletin boards and chat rooms, as well as other services. 

Environmental Council of the States 

http://www.sso.org/ecos/ 

Concerned with providing for the exchange of ideas and 

articulating state positions to Congress and the EPA on 

environmental issues. 

Environmental Defense 

http://www.edf.org 

Brings together science, economics, and law to create 

solutions to environmental problems. 

Environmental Law Institute 

http://www.eli.org 

An independent research and education center, concerned 

with shaping the fields of environmental law, policy, and 

management, domestically and abroad. 

Friends of the Earth 

http://www.foe.org 

Concerned with conservation and public health protection, 

focusing on the underlying social and economic causes of 

environmental problems. 

Forest Action Network 

http://www.fanweb.org/index.html 

Works to stop the destruction of forests and forest 

ecosystems. 


101


102 

Greenpeace International 

http://www.greenpeace.org 

Dedicated to preserving the earth and the environment 

through direct, non-violent action. 

Izaak Walton League of America 

http://www.iwla.org 

One of the oldest conservation organizations in the US, 

dedicated to protecting the nation’s soil, air, woods, water 

and wildlife. 

Land Trust Alliance 

http://www.lta.org 

Supports community conservation through the nation’s 

land trusts. 

League of Conservation Voters 

http://www.lcv.org/ 

A bipartisan national environmental organization 

dedicated to educating citizens about the environmental 

voting records of members of Congress. 

Leave No Trace 

http://www.lnt.org/ 

Program that promotes wilderness ethics and minimumimpact 

skills in outdoor recreation through education, 

research, and partnerships. 

National Arbor Day Foundation 

http://www.arborday.org/ 

Interested in helping promote tree care and conservation 

and educating people on tree issues. 

National Association of Conservation Districts 

http://www.nacdnet.org/ 

Promotes resource conservation of the nearly 3,000 

local conservation districts it represents by working in 

partnership with state and federal agencies and private 

organizations. 

National Audubon Society 

http://www.audubon.org/ 

Fights for the protection of wildlife and its habitat, forests, 

and endangered species. 

National Register of Historic Places 

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/index.htm 

Maintains a national register of districts, sites, buildings, 

and structures significant in American history, architecture, 

archeology, and culture. 

Natural Areas Association 

http://www.naturalarea.org/ 

Works to inform, unite, and support persons engaged in 

identifying, protecting, managing, and studying natural 

areas and biological diversity. 


Natural Land Institute 

http://www.naturalland.org/ 

A member supported, nonprofit organization dedicated 

to preserving land and natural diversity for future 

generations. Since 1958, NLI has protected, managed, 

and restored more than 12,000 acres throughout Illinois 

and southern Wisconsin. These include prairies, forests, 

wetlands, and river corridors. Serving as a regional land 

trust, the Institute accepts donations of properties, buys 

lands, manages natural areas, and helps landowners 

establish legal agreements that permanently limit harmful 

use and development. 

Natural Resources Defense Council 

http://www.nrdc.org 

Concerned with the environment, public health, and 

nature conservation. 

The Nature Conservancy 

http://www.tnc.org/ 

Protects land where endangered species and threatened 

ecosystems exist. 

Sierra Club 

http://www.sierraclub.org/ 

Dedicated to exploring and protecting the earth’s 

wildlands and promoting the responsible use of the 

earth’s resources. 

Society of American Foresters 

http://www.safnet.org 

The national scientific and educational organization 

representing the forestry profession in the US. 

Soil and Water Conservation Society 

http://www.swcs.org 

Promotes soil, water, and related natural resource 

management through scientific and educational 

programs. 

Student Conservation Association 

http://www.sca%2Dinc.org 

Sponsors programs to promote environmental education, 

land stewardship, and wildlife conservation in national 

parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, and other lands. 

Wilderness Society 

http://www.wilderness.org 

Concerned with preserving wilderness and wildlife, and 

protecting America’s prime forests, parks, rivers, deserts 

and shorelands. 

World Resources Institute 

http://www.wri.org/ 

A center for policy research and technical assistance on 

global environmental and development issues.


Chapter 7 


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! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! 

! ! ! ! ! !! !!!!! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

!! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

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!!! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

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! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

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!!!!!!! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

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! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!! 

! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! !!!!!!! ! !!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

!!!!!!!! ! ! ! 

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

Rockford 

Loves Park 

Roscoe 


South Beloit 

Rockton 

Cherry Valley 

Durand 

Winnebago 

New Milford 

Pecatonica 

Chicago - Rockford 

International Airport 

Wisconsin Rock County 

Wisconsin Rock County 

Boone County 

Boone County 

Stephenson County 

Stephenson County 

Ogle County 

Ogle County 

Green County 

Pierce Lake 

Lake Summerset 

Victoria Lake 

Pearl Lake 

Windsor Lake 

Levings Lake 

Spring Lake 

7 

6 

7 

9 

9 

4 

7 

4 

2 

9 

3 

9 

8 

7 

5 

9 

9 

1 

8 

5 

1 

3 

8 

4 

4 

5 

8 

8 

9 

2 

2 

9 

1 

8 

9 

5 

9 

3 

9 

8 

9 

8 

6 

2 

8 

8 

3 

1 

5 

9 

4 

8 

4 

3 

8 

8 

6 

3 

4 

9 

7 

1 

3 

8 

3 

3 

4 

1 

2 

5 

4 

7 

2 

5 

2 

1 

4 

1 

1 

6 

5 

7 

6 

5 

7 

5 

7 

6 

2 

3 

2 

7 

6 

2 

5 

4 

7 

7 

6 

5 

2 

7 

3 

4 

6 

6 

6 

3 

6 

2 

5 

4 

7 

3 2 

6 

1 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 1 

11 

31 

18 

11 

11 

19 

11 

1 

30 

11 

11 

11 

11 

19 

11 

18 

11 

11 

11 

1 

11 

16 

30 

30 

18 

14 

16 

22 

27 

31 

12 

31 

19 

26 

21 

11 

16 

10 

13 

32 

15 

23 

13 

16 

21 

20 

12 

30 

17 

16 

24 

22 

15 

19 

12 

34 

27 

35 

22 

16 

27 

22 

21 

24 

30 

27 

26 

29 

28 

13 

27 

10 

14 

17 

15 

23 

21 

33 

28 

25 

20 

10 

23 

28 

31 

34 

35 

27 

32 

17 

21 

26 

35 

14 

13 

34 

28 

25 

20 

25 

33 

14 

24 

20 

27 

26 

17 

36 

25 

36 

24 

31 

36 

35 

33 

32 

17 

33 

33 

22 

29 

24 

32 

31 

23 

28 

34 

36 

26 

20 

15 

25 

33 

13 

21 

22 

34 

18 

34 

22 

29 

20 

23 

10 

24 

25 

34 

28 

12 

32 

29 

29 

33 

36 

29 

35 

1 

22 

34 

21 

15 

16 

36 

32 

10 

28 

21 

17 

33 

14 

25 

16 

33 

32 

20 

30 

28 

28 

27 

36 

15 

29 

10 

16 

35 

27 

13 

32 

12 

15 

17 

29 

16 

21 

17 

10 

15 

29 

32 

12 

17 

32 

35 

10 

12 

14 

20 

25 

34 

26 

21 

34 

20 

15 

21 

22 

33 

35 

35 

14 

28 

20 

33 

24 

36 

29 

28 

17 

34 

20 

28 

34 

27 

23 

26 

35 

27 

26 

29 

35 

28 

27 

25 

32 

13 

20 

32 

33 

36 

35 

21 

29 

17 

26 

16 

15 

26 

13 

28 

23 

26 

29 

10 

20 

36 

35 

29 

16 

25 

32 

16 

26 

25 

35 

10 

17 

14 

14 

34 

21 

28 

24 

36 

27 

23 

19 

29 

13 

24 

22 

34 

34 

15 

31 

14 

32 

23 

33 

27 

26 

22 

33 

33 

13 

30 

10 

33 

22 

36 

29 

22 

15 

32 

23 

32 

35 

28 

15 

27 

34 

22 

17 

26 

20 

19 

14 

12 

10 

27 

21 

24 

26 

17 

15 

12 

10 

12 

14 

23 

16 

35 

23 

10 

18 

31 

25 

26 

18 

12 

14 

23 

31 

24 

31 

13 

30 

30 

23 

19 

18 

19 

18 

30 

19 

14 

31 

30 

19 

18 

18 

18 

19 

18 

19 

19 

30 

31 

31 

31 

30 

18 

31 

30 

30 

19 

18 

31 

30 

20 

19 

25 

36 

21 22 23 

24 

25 

12 

13 

36 

24 

25 

24 

36 

12 

13 

36 

25 

12 

19 

13 

24 

20 21 22 

23 

24 

I-90 

I-39 





United States Highway 20 

Kilburn Ave 

Center Rd 


United States Highway 20 (Bus) 

Gardner St 

Il Route 75 

Montague Rd Montague St 

I-90 


I-90 



United States Highway 20 


Kelley Rd 


Auburn St 

Best Rd 

N Meridian Rd 

N Central Ave 

Baxter Rd 

20th St 

Comly Rd 

Telegraph Rd 

NRockton Ave 

Eddie Rd 

N Alpine Rd 

Tate Rd 

Montague Rd 

Latham Rd 

Wheeler Rd 

SPerryville Rd 

Judd Rd 

Old River Rd 

Harrison Rd 


Roscoe Rd 

W Campbell Rd 


Laube Rd 

SConger Rd 

Harrison Ave 

NPecatonica Rd 

Moate Rd 

Mill Rd 

Harlem Rd 

Center Rd 


River Rd 

Prairie Rd 

S Weldon Rd 

Leech Rd 

Mc Curry Rd 

Blackhawk Rd 

Belvidere Rd 

Elmwood Rd 

Westfield Rd 

Rotary Rd 

Cunningham Rd 

S Meridian Rd 

Newburg Rd 

Dorr Rd 

Kendall Rd 


Gleasman Rd 

S Bluff Rd 

Crowley Rd 

SHoisington Rd 


Rockton Rd 

S Spielman Rd 

Boswell Rd 

Elevator Rd 

Smith Rd 


Favor Rd 

Osborne Rd 

Rural St 

Clikeman Rd 

Saunders Rd 


Wempletown Rd 

Cemetery Rd 

SAlpine Rd 

Linden Rd 

Middle Rd 

Dickinson Rd 

Safford Rd 

Guilford Rd 

N Mulford Rd 

Broadway 

Fritz Rd 


Simpson Rd 

Charles St 

Blair Rd 

Beltline Rd 

Knapp Rd 


Steward Rd 


School St 

Airport Dr 

Swanson Rd 

Love Rd 

Eicks Rd 

Falcon Dr 


Moody Rd 

S Mulford Rd 


Manchester St 

Kishwaukee Rd 

Shirland Rd 

35th St 


Pomeroy Rd 

Burr Oak Rd 

Condon Rd 

Halley Rd 

WRiverside Blvd 

Shirley Rd 

Blomberg Rd 

Paulson Rd 

W Rockton Rd 

N Lyford Rd 

15thAve 

N Keith Rd 


Fischer Rd 

7th St 

Falconer Rd 

Durand Rd 

Rote Rd 

Tipple Rd 

11th St 

Hononegah Rd 

Samuelson Rd 

N Winslow Rd 


Rockton Ave 

Morgan St 

Bailey Rd 

South Bend Rd 

Markham Rd 

Porter Rd 

Lundgren Rd Patterson Rd 

Pelley Rd 

Bates Rd 

NSpringfield Ave 

Sand Prairie Rd 


Holverson Rd 

Sharp Rd 

Baker Rd 

Tallackson Rd 

Ahrens Rd 

McNair Rd 


Bridgeland Rd 

Berglund Rd 

Rowley Rd 

Main St 

Witwer Rd 


Clover Rd 

Sumner Rd 

Hauley Rd 


S Bell School Rd 

Zahm Rd 


Haas Rd 

Goodrich Rd 

Kishwaukee St 

Grove Rd 

Mitchell St 

Clark Rd 

Anderson Rd 

Nimtz Rd 

Atwood Rd 


Mc Mahon Rd 

Burden Rd 

Gummow Rd 

Genoa St 


Oliver Rd 

Fitzgerald Rd 

Rydberg Rd 

McFarland Rd 

E Edson Rd 

Norris Rd 

Ralston Rd 

Weber Rd 

Sarver Rd 

N Spielman Rd 

Liddle Rd 

Moffett Rd 

Friday Rd 

Daisyfield Rd 

Wishop Rd 

Barningham Rd 

Mc Donald Rd 

Rothwell Rd 

W Oliver Rd 

Alworth Rd 

Murphy Rd 

Cannell Rd 

Whitman St 

Anders Rd 

Hansberry Rd 

Nazarene Dr 

W Winslow Rd 

8th St 

E Pieper Rd 

Michigan Ave 

Stephens Rd 

EMain St 

NWeldon Rd 

ParkviewAve 

NConger Rd 

Edson Rd 


E Rockton Rd 

Blacklaws Rd 

Mc Michael Rd 

N Jackson Rd 

Orth Rd 

E 3rd St 


Avy School Rd 

John St 

Crockett Rd 

E State St 

Hamborg Rd 

Blodgett Rd 

Wagon Wheel Rd 

Pvt Dr 

S Jackson Rd 


Ramp 

Pecatonica Rd 

SWinnebago Rd 

Lyford Rd 

Brown Rd 

Argyle Rd 

S Elida St 

McDougall Rd 

North Main Rd 

Waller Rd 

Hagerty Rd 

Bridge St 

Severson Rd 

Prairie Ave 

W State St 

Mulvain St 

W 1st St 


W McNair Rd 

Fisk Ave 

Burton Rd 

Lovesee Rd 

WMontague Rd 

Mark Dr 

North St 

Winslow Rd 

Reid Farm Rd 

N Longwood St 

Railroad Ave 

S Rockford Ave 

College Ave 

N Horsman St 

39th Ave 

Amy Ln 

Pepper St 


Service Rd 

Ridott Rd 

E Edson Rd 

N Meridian Rd 


W Winslow Rd 

E Edson Rd 


Baker Rd 

Hamborg Rd 

Hauley Rd 


Main St 

Mill Rd 

Charles St 



Anderson Rd 

Main St 

Harrison Rd 

Best Rd 


Pomeroy Rd 

Kelley Rd 

Ramp 

Mill Rd 

Harrison Ave 

Rockton Rd 

Ramp 

Beltline Rd 

E Edson Rd 

Rockton Rd 

Cunningham Rd 

Bridgeland Rd 

S Mulford Rd 


Fritz Rd 

Berglund Rd 

Patterson Rd 

Murphy Rd 

17 

19 

5 

4 

12 

15 

7 

3 

16 

9 

18 

1 

6 

8 

2 

11 

20 

14 

13 

10 

13 

25 

24 

23 

22 

21 

Pecatonica Prairie Path 

Stone Bridge Trail 

Perryville Path 

A 

A 

B 

B 

C 

C 

D 

D 

E 

E 

F 

F 

G 

G 

H 

H 

I 

I 

J 

J 

K 

K 

L 

L 

M 

M 

N 

N 

O 

O 

15 15 

14 14 

13 13 

12 12 

11 11 

10 10 

9 9 

8 8 

7 7 

6 6 

5 5 

4 4 

3 3 

2 2 

1 1 

Natural Resource Inventory Map 

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS 

ROCKFORD 

OWEN 

SEWARD 

LAONA 

HARLEM 

BURRITT 

ROCKTON ROSCOE 

DURAND 

PECATONICA 

WINNEBAGO 

HARRISON 

SHIRLAND 

CHERRY VALLEY 

TOWNSHIPS 

Municipalities 

! 

! 

! 

! 

! 

! 

! 

! 

! 

! 

! 

Durand 

Roscoe 

Rockton 

Rockford 

Winnebago 

Loves Park 

Pecatonica 

New Milford 

South Beloit 

Cherry Valley 


550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000 

Elevation 

Feet above Sea Level 

WILDLIFE 

Wildlife Habitat1 

Wildlife Habitat 2 
























ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY 

Bell Bowl Prairie 

Burr Oak Road Prairie 

Durand Southeast Geological Area 

Hamborg Railroad Prairie 

Harlem Hills/Wylie Prairie 

Hartley Memorial Forest Preserve 

Kishwaukee River 

Laona Heights Forest Preserve 

North Hart Road Grasslands 

Pecatonica Bottoms 

Plum Grove 

Rockton Bog 

Schafman Prairie/Owen Center Prairie 

Searls Park Prairie 

Severson Dells 

Shirland Railroad Prairie 

Silver Creek Prairie 

South Hart Road Grasslands 

South Ledges of Kinnikinnick Creek/County Line Woods 

Sugar River 

Willow Creek 

Wilson Prairie Nature Preserve/Sumner Prairie 

Winquist Prairie 

ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES 

Butternut Acres Natural Heritage Landmark 

Colored Sands Bluff Nature Preserve 

Harlem Hills Nature Preserve 

Hartley Memorial Nature Preserve 

Howard D. Colman Dells Nature Preserve 

Laona Heights Nature Preserve 

Pecatonica Bottoms Nature Preserve 

Plum Grove Nature Preserve 

Rockton Bog Nature Preserve 

Schafman Prairie Natural Heritage Landmark 

Searls Park Prairie Nature Preserve 

Severson Dells Nature Preserve 

Silver Creek Prairie Natural Heritage Landmark 

Stone Bridge Reserve Land and Water Reserve 

Sugar River Alder Nature Preserve 

Wilson Prairie Nature Preserve 

Winquist Prairie Natural Heritage Landmark 

Wylie Prairie Natural Heritage Landmark 

NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE 

Burr Oak Valley Preserve 

Howard D. Colman Dells Nature Preserve 

Kinnikinnick Creek Preserve 

Lind Preserve 

McGeachie Preserve 

Natural Land Institute Office 

Nieman Marsh 

Nygren Wetland Preserve 

Pecatonica Ridge Prairie 

Silver Creek Preserve 

WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAM 

Adkins Wetland Preserve 

Winters Wetland Preserve 

Williams Wetland Preserve 

T. Walsh Wetland Preserve 

B. Walsh Wetland Preserve 

Nygren Wetland Preserve 

PARKS 

615 Kent Street 

Aldeen Golf Club 

Aldeen Park 

Alpine Meadows Park 

Alpine Park 

Alpine Pool 

Andrews Park 

Atwood Park & Lodge 

Atwood Park Estates 

Auburn School Tennis Courts 

Auburn Street Park 

Auburn Street Triangle 

Baumann Park 

Beattie Park 

Beattie Playground 

Belden Park 

Bennett Triangle 

Beverly Park 

Beyer School Park 

Blackhawk Island Park 

Blackhawk Park & Marinelli Stadium 

Blinn Point Triangle 

Bloom School Park 

Boilvin Triangle 

Booker Park 

Boys and Girls Club 

Bradley Triangle 

Bresler Park 

Brookview School Park 

Brown Park 

Browns Hill Circle 

Brown's Point Triangle 

Burpee Museum Center 

Calvin Park Boulevard 

Carlson Arctic Ice Arena 

Carlson Nelles Park 

Carolina Triangle 

Churchill Park 

Civil War Memorial 

Collins Park 

Conklin School Park 

Crawford Triangle 

Dahlquist Park 

Davis Park 

Dennis Johnson Memorial Park 

Dennis School Park 

Don Schmid Youth Fields/Riverdahl Park 

Downtown Office - Post Office Place 

Dry Dam Model Airplane Field 

Eagles View Park 

Easton Parkway 

Eddie Green Place 

Ekberg Pine Manor Park 

Elliot Golf Course 

Elmwood/Main 

Evergreen School Park 

Fair Grounds Day Care Center 

Fair Grounds Park 

Flodin Boys & Girls Club 

Forest Hills View Park 

Founders Park 

Franklin Parkway 

Franz Park 

Froberg School Park 

Gambino Park 

Garfield Park 

Greenlee Estates Park 

Gregory School Park 

Guilford Center Park 

Guilford Tennis Center 

Haight Park 

Hall Memorial 

Hancock Triangle 

FOREST PRESERVES 

Atwood Homestead Forest Preserve 

Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve 

Carl & Lois Klehm Forest Preserve 

Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve 

Colored Sands Forest Preserve 

Deer Run Forest Preserve 

Espensheid Memorial Forest Preserve 

Four Lakes Forest Preserve 

Fuller Memorial Forest Preserve 

Hartley Memorial Forest Preserve 

Headquarters Forest Preserve 

Hinchliff Forest Preserve 

Hononegah Forest Preserve 

Indian Hills Forest Preserve 

J. Norman Jensen Forest Preserve 

Kieselburg Forest Preserve 

Kilbuck Bluffs Forest Preserve 

Kishwaukee Gorge North Forest Preserve 

Kishwaukee Gorge South Forest Preserve 

Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve 

Laona Heights Forest Preserve 

Ledges Golf Course 

Macktown Forest Preserve 

McKiski Forest Preserve 

Millrace Isle Forest Preserve 

Oak Ridge Forest Preserve 

Pecatonica River Forest Preserve 

Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve 

Rockford Rotary Forest Preserve 

Roland Olson Forest Preserve 

Severson Dells Forest Preserve 

Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve 

Stone Bridge Forest Preserve 

Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve 

Sugar River Forest Preserve 

Trailside Forest Preserve 

Trask Bridge Forest Preserve 

Two Rivers Forest Preserve 

Unnamed Forest Preserve (Pecatonica) 

Unnamed Forest Preserve (Cherry Valley) 

Unnamed Forest Preserve Property (Roscoe) 

Map Document: (N:\DWG\2007\07-969\gis\Exhibits\WC-NRI Base Map-36x48.mxd) 8/18/2008 -- 1:53:55 PM 

INDEX TO NATURAL RESOURCES 

NATURAL AREAS PARKS CONT'D 

Alpine Park Woods 

Anderson Japanese Gardens 

Anna Page Conservation Area 

Atwood Park 

Blackhawk Tree Farm 

Burr Oak Valley Preserve 

Camp YMCA Wetland 

Clayton Andrews Forest Preserve 

Coolidge Creek Wetland 

Emerson Wild Flower Preserve 

Fell's Woods 

Four Lakes Forest Preserve Sedge Meadow 

Hall Memorial Park 

Hamborg Road Prairie 

Harrison Woods 

Heritage Landmark 

Kent Creek Wetland 

Kishwaukee Gorge 

Laona Heights Forest Preserve Buffer 

Leonard Street Woods 

Macias Residence 

Moody Marsh 

Needham Sedge Meadow 

Nick Saelens Memorial Park 

Nina Langoussis Conservation Easement 

Northwest Community Center Wetland 

Pecatonica Prairie Path 

Perryville Road Prairie 

Rock River Bluff Prairie 

Rock Run Long Rifles 

Rockford College Woods 

Rockton Township - DNR Easement 

Roy Gayle Ball Park Woods 

Sand Park Wetland 

Severson Dells Forest Preserve 

Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve 

Shirland Railroad Prairie 

Silver Creek Prairie 

Spring Brook Road Sedge Meadow 

Stone Bridge Trail Prairies 

Telegraph Road Wetland 

Unitarian Universalist Church 

Winquist Prairie 

Yale Bridge and Wheeler Roads Sedge Meadow 

Harkins Pool 

Harlem Boulevard 

Harlem Community Center 

Harlem Community Sports Complex 

Harlem High School 

Harlem Middle School (Hoffman Campus) 

Harlem Middle School (Main Campus) 

Harlem School District Property 

Harmon Park 

Haskell Park 

Highland Park 

Huffman Boulevard Parkway 

Huffman Park 

Hunter Park 

Illinois Street Park 

Ingersoll Centennial Park 

Ingersoll Golf Course 

Ingersoll Memorial Park 

James E. Lockwood Park 

Jamestown Park 

Johnson Tract 

Kaye Anderson Park 

Kelley-Myers Park 

Ken Hurd Bob Young Memorial Park 

Ken Rock Park 

Kennedy Haight Park 

Keye-Mallquist Park 

Kimball Triangle 

Landstrom Park 

Lathrop School Park 

Leland Park 

Levings Lake Park and Standfield Beach 

Liberty Park 

Library Esplanade 

Loves Park Playground 

Luther Esplanade 

Machesney Elementary 

Magic Waters 

Mandeville Park 

Mariposa Park 

Marquette Elementary 

Marsh School Park 

Martin Park 

Maud Johnson School Park 

Mel Anderson Path Triangle 

Midway Village Museum Center 

Moose Park 

Mulford Crest Park 

Mullins-Pebble Creek Park 

Nelson Boulevard 

Nelson Park 

Nick Saelens Memorial Park 

Northshore Park 

Northwest Community Center 

Northwestern Park 

Oaklawn/Princeton Circle 

Oaks Park 

Ohio Triangle 

Olson Park 

Olson Park Elementary 

Open Space 1 

Open Space 2 

Open Space 3 

Oxford Park 

Oxford Street Triangle 

Page Park/Dry Dam 

Parker Early Education Center 

Park-er-Woods Park 

Parkside Ave Open Space 

Peter Olson Park 

Porter Park 

Price Park 

Ralston Elementary 

Ridge Park 

River Park 

Riverby Park 

Riverfront Museum Center 

Riverside Park 

Riverview Park & Ballard Building 

Rock Cut State Park 

Rock River Greenway South 

Rockford Arboretum 

Rockton Boat Ramp 

Rockton Family Sports Complex 

Rolling Green School Park 

Roy Gayle Park 

Russ Park 

Sabrooke Playground 

Sand Park & Pool 

Sand Park Driving Range 

Sandy Hollow Golf Course 

Saturn Park 

Sawyer Park 

Schoonmaker Recreational 

Searls Park 

Settlers Park Complex 

Seventh Street Railroad Station 

Shore Park 

Shorewood Park 

Silo Ridge Park 

Sinnissippi Park/Golf Course 

Sinnissippi Riverfront/Greenhouse 

Sixth Street Park 

South Beloit City Park 

South Henrietta Park 

South Horace Park 

South Park 

Southeast Community Park 

Southwest Community Park 

Spafford Triangle 

Sportscore 1 - Veteran's Memorial 

Sportscore 2 - NE Community Park 

Sportscore Recreational Path 

Stiles School Park 

Summerdale Park 

Sumner Park 

Sumner Park (East) 

Swan F. Anderson Building 

Swan Hillman Park 

Swanson Park West 

Talcott-Page Park 

Taylor Park 

Tenth Avenue Park 

Terry Lee Wells Park/Haskell School Playground 

Timberlyne Park 

Timberlyne Hollow Open Space 

Tinker Museum Center 

Townsend Lots 1 

Townsend Lots 2 

Turtle Creek Breezeway Park 

Twenty-Fifth Street Park 

Twenty-Second Avenue Parkway 

Twin Sisters Park 

Vandercook School Park 

Village Green Park and Walt Williamson Pool 

Village Hall 

Wantz Park 

Washington Park Community Center 

Water Works Park 

Waterside Park 

Waterside Plaza 

Wester Park 

Westgate Parkway 

Williams Park 

Williams Parkway 

Williams Sports Field 

Willow Creek Greenway 

Willow Creek Path 

Winnebago Street Park 

Woodlands Park 

Woodlands Pond 

Woodlands Subdivision Open Space 

Name 

Grid Location Name 

Grid Location 

M-10 

K-9 

H-8 

K-13 

J-2 

N-4 

K-7 

N-3 

E-9 

I-13 

H-13 

F-7 

H-10 

N-4 

M-11 

O-4 

F-10 

L-13 

B-2 

K-13 

K-13 

I-3 

B-10 

C-4 

G-1 

I-9 

D - 9, E - 9, G - 10, H - 10 

M-7 

J-2 

F-7 

M-10 

J-2 

H-10 

L-8 

G-12 

B-10 

F-3 

I-13 

M-9 

M3, M-4 

C-7 

L-10 

L-14 

D-2 

L-5 

N-13 

J-11 

N-3 

F-2 

N-12 

N-12 

F-7 

H-13 

C-5 

K-7 

I-13 

L-3 

I-13 

K-2 

M-5 

J-14 

L-13 

L-13 

M-13 

B-2 

N-3 

J-3 

N-12 

J-3 

O-13 

C-7 

A-8 

M-13 

O-5 

G-12 

A-10 

N-4 

E-1 

F-2 

K-14 

E-6 

G-4 

B-8 

O-11 

N-3 

O-4 

E-2 

M-8 

C-5 

G-12 

B-2 

C-7 

N-6 

J-1 

J-4 

I-9 

G-12 

I-13 

M-4 

E-1 

A-9 

L-14 

M-8 

J-13 

M-4 

D-6 

N-4 

M-8 

C-5 

L-13 

B-2 

M-6 

C-7 

N-6 

J-1 

J-4 

I-9 

G-12 

F-3 

I-13 

M-7 

O-4 

F-2 

M-7 

A-9 

L-14 

J-10 

K-9 

L-9 

M-6 

L- 6 

L-7 

L-8 

M-5 

L-11 

J-10 

L-10 

K-9 

J-9 

N-9 

K-9 

J-10 

I-10 

I-10 

I-8 

K-12 

M-9 

N-8 

L-3 

F-10 

K-11 

J-8 

K-11 

J-10 

L-9 

J-11 

M-4 

I-10 

J-10 

J-10 

L-8 

J-10 

L-7 

N-11 

J-10 

M-11 

K-7 

L-9 

K-8 

L-10 

J-9 

N-10 

K-8 

M-8 

M-8 

J-11 

J-10 

C-4 

M-5 

I-9 

K-10 

K-10 

K-8 

L-11 

N-7 

L-6 

I-9 

I-9 

I-9 

K-9 

K-9 

H-8 

L-7 

H-10 

J-9 

L-7 

M-5 

M-6 

L-6 

J-8 

K-9 

K-9 

J-10 

M-4 

J-10 

N-7 

J-12 

M-9 

K-3 

K-3 

L-11 

H-10 

M-6 

J-11 

L-8 

L-8 

L-12 

N-10 

K-12 

L-6 

I-9 

K-3 

K-10 

K-7 

K-9 

M-6 

K-9 

K-9 

K-11 

L-2 

I-10 

I-10 

J-10 

N-11 

I-11 

K-10 

K-8 

O-8 

K-8 

H-10 

J-9 

B-8 

B-8 

K-9 

L-11 

N-11 

J-9 

J-11 

K-10 

J-9 

N-5 

M-6 

J-10 

K-11 

K-12 

L-1 

L-11 

K-11 

L-10 

M-11 

K-3 

K-7 

L-8 

I-10 

J-10 

J-10 

J-10 

J-10 

L-11 

L-6 

K-10 

K-9 

M-7 

L-7 

F-10 

K-3 

K-3 

K-3 

C-8 

C-8 

D-7 

D-9 

E-6 

D-7 

F-5 

E-5 

I-3 

I-8 

H-9 

E-3 

L-8 

L-2 

D-6 

H-4 

L-13 

J-3 

F-2 

O-14 

D-6 

H-3 

I-3 

K-3 

F-5 

N-4 

G-12 

M-4 

I-13 

H-13 

K-10 

C-7 

J-3 

C-8 

H-13 

F-5 

G-3 

I-1 

E-3 

E-3 

J-3 

J-10 

N-9 

L-10 

L-8 

L-10 

L-10 

J-9 

K-13 

L-13 

I-9 

I-9 

K-9 

O-11 

J-10 

K-10 

J-9 

K-9 

J-9 

J-11 

J-12 

J-11 

K-9 

L-9 

K-9 

J-10 

L-7 

L-9 

J-9 

M-9 

K-9 

K-10 

J-10 

J-10 

L-10 

N-8 

I-10 

L-11 

K-10 

K-9 

K-8 

J-8 

J-10 

L-10 

J-10 

M-7 

I-10 

K-12 

J-10 

H-9 

M-6 

M-10 

J-10 

L-11 

O-10 

K-7 

I-12 

J-10 

J-10 

O-10 

L-8 

J-10 

K-9 

I-10 

K-12 

L-8 

J-9 

F-11 

M-10 

M-9 

M-9 

K-10 

H-10 

K-9 

¯ 

Scale 1:48,000 

1 inch = 4,000 feet 

1" = approx .75 miles 

Legend 

Railroad 

Trail Existing 

!!!!!!!!!!!! Trail Proposed 

County Boundary 

Township Boundary 

Section Line 

River/Stream/Creek 

Natural Areas 

Æ Significant Wildlife Habitat 

Illinois Natural Area Inventory Site (INAI - Mar 08) 

Illinois Nature Preserve (INPC - Sep 07) 


NLIConservationEasement 

Wetland Reserve Program Site (WRP) 

Park 

State Park 


STATE PARK(S) 

Rock Cut State Park 

N-7 

Burr Oak Valley Preserve Conservation Easement 

John Carleton Conservation Easement 

John Peterson Tract 

Mark Shedd Conservation Easement 

Mary Sackett Prairie 

Richard Conklin Conservation Easement 

Stone Bridge Nature Trail 

NATURAL LAND INSTITUTE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS 

N-4 

I-4 

D-3 

I-3 

D-3 

I-3 

M-4 

0 8,000 16,000 

4,000 

Feet 

0 2 

1 

Miles 

There are references to the Natural Resources Inventory 

report (NRI) within the Natural Resources chapter of this 

Plan. The NRI report is a separate project. 

The NRI map provided above reflects the most current 

data available at the time of Plan adoption. The NRI 

records are designed to be continually updated as new 

natural areas, wildlife habitats and critical sensitive 

areas are identified in the County. For the most up-to- 

date information, contact Winnebago County’s WinGIS 

Department. 

Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) Map 

103


104 


Chapter 8 Public Utilities & Facilities 

Goal: Maintain, develop and plan 

for public facilities and utilities in 

an economical and environmentally 

sound manner. 


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have their own wastewater systems and therefore 

a respective FPA. A developer may make a request 

to extend into the “no man’s land” between FPAs, 

which can create confusion over who is responsible for 

wastewater treatment installation and maintenance. 

School Districts 

There are eleven school districts within Winnebago 

County. These are illustrated in Figure 14: Winnebago 

County School Districts and listed below: 

■ Durand District #322: 4 Schools 

■ Harlem Consolidated District #122: 3 Schools 

■ Hononegah Community High School District 

#207: 1 School 

■ Kinnikinnick District #131: 4 Schools 

■ Pecatonica District #321: 2 Schools 

■ Prairie Hill District #133: 1 School 

■ Rockford School District #205: 53 Schools 

■ Rockton School District #140: 3 Schools 

■ Shirland District #134: 1 School 

■ South Beloit District #320: 5 Schools 

■ Winnebago District #323: 5 Schools 

Nearly half of the students in the County are enrolled 

in elementary school, which is primarily composed of 

students aged 5-13. Another significant portion of the 

student population is in nursery school or kindergarten. 

These children will enter the elementary school 

population within the next few years. Nearly onefifth 

of all students are enrolled in college or graduate 

school, which is not unexpected due to the presence of 

Northern Illinois University – Rockford Campus, Rock 

Valley College, and Rockford College. 

Enrollment in public schools, both elementary and 

secondary, has steadily risen since 1993 – the 1994-1995 

school year was the lowest at 35,047 and 2000-2001 the 

highest at 36,044. In keeping with increased enrollment, 

cost per student has also increased as more personnel 

and physical facilities are needed to accommodate more 

students. The following are the cost per pupil: 

■ Durand District #322 (2003): $8,600 

■ Harlem Consolidated District #122 (2005): $7,855 

■ Hononegah Community High School District 

#207 (2005): $9,841 

Public Utilities & Facilities 

■ Kinnikinnick District #131 (2004): $5,800 

■ Pecatonica District #321 (2005): $7,416 

■ Prairie Hill District #133 (2005): $5,996 

Chapter 8 

■ Rockford School District #205 (2005): $9,114 

■ Rockton School District #140 (2005): $4,436 

■ Shirland District #134 (2005): $8,906 

■ South Beloit District #320 (2005): $8,441 

■ Winnebago District #323 (2005): $6,839 

For reference, Illinois’ rate per pupil (2005) is $9,763 

and nationally (2005) it is $8,701. 

School districts depend on the County’s land use 

planning because sudden school-age population 

growth via approval of large developments can affect 

the school districts by potentially causing a drop in level 

of service. In the long-term, school district officials that 

were interviewed in the planning process noted that 

districts base their projections on the County plan. If 

the County does not follow its plan, the school district 

cannot accurately project and properly prepare for the 

future. (See Sidebar: School District Residential Land 

Use Change for a breakdown of residential land use 

area within each school district) 

The land use decisions within this Plan and their 

impact on these two key public services is illustrated 

in Figure 15: FPAs and Future Land Use and Figure 

16: School Districts and Future Land Use. Figure 15 

shows that future land uses are planned within existing 

FPAs. Figure 16 illustrates which type of land uses are 

planned within each school district. 

Public Utilities & Facilities Objectives 

The following five objectives expand upon the goal for 

public utilities and facilities: 

1. Maximize investment in existing public 

infrastructure and services. 

2. Plan for growth and development primarily 

within Facility Planning Areas. Limit the use of 

septic systems. 

3. Coordinate with local governments and/or agencies 

to ensure that sufficient finances, including capital 

and operating funds, are available for public facilities 

and services to meet the needs of the population. 

4. Require extensions of public utilities and 


109

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facilities to be funded, in whole or in part, by 

the entities creating the demand. 

5. Preserve water quality through proper 

stormwater management techniques. 

Public Utilities & Facilities Policies 


decisions regarding public utilities and facilities. 

Public Utilities & Facilities Policy 1: 

The Facility Planning Areas (FPA) should be used to 

manage new development and maximize the efficiency 

of wastewater treatment in Winnebago County. 


Figure 16 illustrates how the Future Land Use Map 

plans for the majority of future development, especially 

residential development, within established Facility 

Planning Areas. Rezonings that are not consistent with 

the Future Land Use Map should not be permitted. 

By continuing to coordinate the jurisdiction of established 

FPAs among service providers, municipalities and the 

County, growth can be controlled and any confusion 

regarding responsibilities of service provision can 

be eliminated. This will allow for more effective and 

efficient wastewater management. The County Health 

Department, who is responsible for the approval of septic 

system installation, should also be involved in this effort in 

order to ensure comprehensive control over wastewater. 


Where soil conditions are inadequate for safe disposal 

for the processing of sanitary wastes, septic systems 

should be prohibited. 


Septic systems are used for wastewater treatment in 

many rural areas and therefore become a key factor in 

determining how a parcel of land should be developed. 

The suitability of land to accommodate septic systems is 

determined to a great extent by a combination of both soil 

and geologic properties. The type and thickness of the earth 

materials determine an area’s ability to filter contaminants 

and prevent groundwater contamination. In addition, the 

slope of land and its potential for seepage or erosion also 

help determine septic suitability. Areas in which septic 

systems are most favorable are those locations where earth 

materials readily accept waste and where there is no risk 


Chapter 8 

of groundwater or aquifer contamination. Groundwater 

contamination is a major concern in wastewater treatment 

because seepage into surface waters can negatively affect 

groundwater quality and threaten supplies of drinking 

water derived from surface or groundwater sources. 

The most favorable conditions for septic systems are 

found in areas that contain a thick layer of organic 

materials which are fine enough to filter contaminants, 

yet are still able to protect aquifers through thick layers 

of bedrock. The following describes areas of septic 

suitability within Winnebago County from least to 

most favorable conditions: 

■ Least Favorable. According to the Illinois State 

Geological Survey, the areas in Winnebago 

County with the highest potential for aquifer 

contamination cover much of the hilly region 

of northwestern Winnebago County, extending 

south through the Rock River Valley. The most 

severe restrictions are in riparian corridors and 

identified wetlands. The least favorable conditions 

include steep slopes, major river valleys, or other 

areas where bedrock or thin layers of sand or 

gravel are within five feet of land surface. 

■ Moderately Favorable. Moderately favorable 

conditions for septic systems include the 

Pecatonica Valley region in western and central 

Winnebago County. Earth materials consisting 

of sand and gravel or dolomite within 20 feet 

of land surface overlain by till or other fine to 

medium textured material are conditions that 

are considered moderately favorable. 

■ Most Favorable. Areas that are considered most 

favorable are those with little potential for aquifer 

contamination and minimum acceptance 

problems resulting from intense use of septic 

systems. This includes parts of western 

Winnebago County where drifts are thick and 

eastern Winnebago County extending into 

Boone County. Earth materials consisting of 

thick layers of loamy to silty-clay loam, sand, or 

other fine or medium textured material greater 

than 20 feet deep are most favorable. 

However, it is important to note that soil drainage 

characteristics can change based on the use of detention 

ponds or by agricultural tile drainage, which is the practice 

of removingexcess water from the subsurface of soil intended 

for agriculture by pumping or the use of open ditches. 

Figure 17: Septic System Suitability illustrates those 


113


characteristics can change based on the use of detention 

ponds or by agricultural tile drainage, which is the practice 

of removingexcess water from the subsurface of soil intended 

for agriculture by pumping or the use of open ditches. 

Figure 17: Septic System Suitability illustrates those 

areas that are considered generally unsuitable for septic 

systems. These are provided for reference only. (The 

County Health Department must verify the suitability 

of soil for septic system use.) 

In addition to conventional septic systems, there are 

also systems that can recycle wastewater for uses such 

as irrigation or toilet flushing. These types of systems 

would be particularly appropriate for Conservation 

Design Districts (see Chapter 4). (See Sidebar: On-Site 

Sewage Facility/Septic Systems) 


Because school districts feel the impact of new 

development, in particular large-scale residential 

developments, the County should allow for local school 

board participation in the decision-making process 

before large residential developments are approved. 


A reoccurring planning policy throughout this Plan is 

coordinating the approval of new development between 

the County and the various governmental bodies and 

service providers to ensure that everyone is aware of 

what type of development is planned and what the 

potential impacts are. As stated earlier, an effective way 

to establish this coordination is allow review of large 

developments by the different governmental bodies 

and service providers so that their recommendations 

can be considered by the County Board. 


County-wide stormwater management should be 

established through policies and ordinances that reduce 

stormwater run-off. 


Flooding is not the only impact of stormwater runoff. 

When stormwater is contaminated by different 

pollutants, such as pesticides from farms and residential 

lawns, automobile by-products, etc., it can pollute the 

water resources that handle run-off. This results in 

damage to the flora and fauna that depend on them. 

Stormwater run-off also cannot effectively recharge 

114 


groundwater, and so water resources that depend on 

a stable flow are subject to highly variable surface runoff 

amounts. Communities that depend on recharged 

aquifers can be at risk of water shortages. Excessive 

run-off can also erode streams. 

Green technologies, such as green roofs, can assist in controlling 

stormwater run-off. 

One of the ways to properly manage stormwater runoff 

is through a stormwater management ordinance. 

Such an ordinance contains provisions that: 

● Require a stormwater management plan for all 

new development so that any new construction 

does not increase run-off volume up to a twoyear 

storm. 

● Require buffer zones along stream banks and 

wetland edges. 

● Incorporate natural watershed functions into 

management techniques to preserve water quality. 

● Encourage natural detention basins, which can be 

integrated as part of an attractive landscaping design. 

● Permit and encourage green roof design, the use 

of bio-swales and filter strips. 

In addition to a stormwater management ordinance, 

the development regulations should include provisions 

that minimize stormwater run-off, such as: 

● Limiting the amount of impervious surface in 

new development. 

● Encouraging the use of alternative semipervious 

paving surfaces, such as grass-crete 

and brick pavers through incentives, or 

mandating the use of such pervious surfaces for

5 

5 

5 

4 

4 

5 

5 

5 

1 

5 

1 

2 

5 

5 

Earth materials listed in descending order indicating 

overall capability of materials to absorb waste and 

increasing potential for groundwater contamination. 

1 

2 

4 

5 

4 

2 

Most Favorable for Septic System / Least Risk of Groundwater Contamination 

"1 Loamy to silty-clay till or other fine-textured material greater than 20' thick 

2 

4 

5 

1 

4 

"2 Sandy or sandy-loam till or other relatively fine to medium textured material greater than 20' thick 

Moderately Favorable for Septic System 

"3 Sand and gravel within 20' of land surface overlain by till or other fine to medium material 

"4 Dolomite between 5' and 20' of land surface overlain by sandy or sandy-loam till 

Least Favorable for Septic System / Greatest Risk for Groundwater Contamination 

"5 Dolomite within 5' of land surface 

"6 Sand and gravel at land surface 

Figure 17: Septic System Suitability 



6 

5 

4 

6 

4 

1 

2 

5 

2 

6 

2 

2 

2 

5 

5 

4 

2 

6 

5 

2 

4 

5 

5 

4 

6 

2 

1 

6 

4 

6 

4 

6 

2 

6 

6 

5 

1 

1 

2 

1 

6 

6 

4 

6 

4 

6 

2 

5 

3 

Legend 

6 

3 

5 

5 

2 


Townships 

1 

2 

2 

Source: Illinois State Geological Survey 

Richard C. Berg and Keros Cartwright 

4 

3 

2 

Note: This map is only a generalized guide 

and does not replace the need for detailed 

investigations for specific uses or sites. 

0 1 2 

Miles 

4 

6 

4 

°


certain developments. 

● Requiring landscaping for new developments, 

in particular for large areas of impervious 

surface like parking lots. 

● Providing incentives for green building design. 


As new development occurs, developers and builders 

should address the financial impacts of the resulting 

population increase, including impact fees, development 

fees, special taxing districts, a land/cash ordinance and 

other funding mechanisms created to cover the cost of 

additional infrastructure and services. 


To ensure that the cost of additional infrastructure 

and services is borne, at least somewhat, by those who 

create the demand, the County can require submittal 

of a fiscal impact analysis to determine the financial 

impacts of serving the development. By establishing 

the fair and proportionate share of costs for services of 

new development, the County can establish impact fees 

to assist in paying the cost of increased services and the 

extension and upgrading of infrastructure. 

116 


School District Residential Land Use Change 

The following analysis illustrates the increase in the 

amount (by acres) of land planned for residential 

development within each of the County’s school districts 

based upon existing residential acreage versus future 

residential acreage as described in this Plan. 

The analysis below is intended only as a general overview 

of which school districts can anticipate additional 

residential development. 

Please note the following additional cautions for the 

analysis below in Table 6: 

• The land use percentages below do not include 

incorporated areas, where there is additional 

residential development. The agriculture – rural 

residential land use is not considered in these 

calculations. 


Chapter 8 

• The analysis of residential land use below does 

not take into account development densities and 

housing type. It is only an analysis of land use 

area (gross). 

• This Plan anticipates development over the 

next 20 years, therefore not all area devoted 

to residential land use will be developed 

immediately. In some cases, such development 

may not occur or may develop as a nonresidential 

land use if the Plan is amended. 

TABLE 6: SCHOOL DISTRICT RESIDENTIAL LAND USE CHANGE 

SCHOOL DISTRICT EXISTING RESIDENTIAL (ACRES) 

EXISTING & FUTURE 

RESIDENTIAL (ACRES) 

PERCENT 

CHANGE 

Durand Unit #322 548.80 1,089.50 98.52% 

Harlem #122 156.37 253.18 61.91% 

Hononegah High School #207 6,551.25 13,763.51 110.09% 

Pecatonica Unit # 321 383.24 1,013.73 164.52% 

Rockford #205 10,039.78 21,383.57 112.99% 

#200 0.00 0.00 no change 

#223 238.04 67.73 -71.55% 

#426 0.00 0.00 no change 

South Beloit #320 605.13 553.89 -8.47% 

Winnebago Unit #323 1,272.84 4,781.17 275.63% 


117


118 

On-Site Sewage Facility/Septic Systems 

Septic systems are comprised of a septic tank and a drain 

field (or leaching field). Wastewater flows to the septic 

tank from the home. Within the tank, solids are separated 

from wastewater and the treated effluent is passed on to 

the drain field, which is comprised of perforated pipes 

located in trenches. That field discharges the effluent into 

the soil. 

Soil is the most important part of the system. Sandy soils 

are better for septic systems because they can accept more 

wastewater than other types, in particular clayey soil. If the 

soil beneath the drain field is too wet, the wastewater may 

not be adequately treated before it reaches groundwater. 

Another reason why minimizing the impervious surface 

on a development site is important is that, when a 

development has a septic system, the increased run-off will 

saturate the soil reducing its ability to accept wastewater. 

Soil Suitability for Septic Systems 

Septic systems must consider soil drainage conditions, 

topography and density of septic tank units, along with 

the nature of the geologic materials. Within Winnebago 

County, the following characteristics describe the areas of 

the County where the use of septic systems is or is not 

favorable because of potential for aquifer contamination: 

• Highest potential for contamination: Much of 

northwestern Winnebago County and major 

river valleys where bedrock or sand and 

gravel are within five feet of land surface. 

• Lowest potential for contamination: Areas 

of fine grained till in lacustrine areas in the 

Pecatonica Valley. 

• Low potential for contamination: Parts of 

western Winnebago County where drift is 

thick. 

Figure 18 illustrates where soils in the County can best 

accommodate septic systems. (Again, this map is provided 

for reference purposes only. All information must be 

verified by the Winnebago County Health Department.) 

Cluster Septic Systems 

Cluster septic systems are an alternative wastewater 

treatment system that can be used for developments 

comprised of a number of dwellings. In a cluster system, 

each lot has a separate septic tank. The treated effluent 

from the tanks is transported, via a series of underground 

pipes, to a central drain field. This type of wastewater 


treatment is particularly appropriate – and, perhaps, 

necessary – for Conservation Design developments. 

Because these developments are comprised of small lots 

within a larger development that is primarily protected 

open space, individual septic systems can be difficult 

to accommodate. They require larger individual lot 

sizes than those permitted within Conservation Design 

developments in order to accommodate the drain field. 

In order to maintain the integrity of Conservation Design 

developments, cluster systems provide a means to treat 

wastewater and maintain the small lot size required. 

Wastewater Recycling 

Individual homeowners with septic systems can recycle 

their wastewater for other non-potable uses, including 

watering back yards, irrigation and even toilet flushing. 

A wastewater recycling component to a septic system also 

reduces the strain on the system. Water from the shower, 

bathtub, dishwasher, bathroom and kitchen sinks, and 

the laundry, as well as outside faucets, can be recycled 

for these purposes. This type of wastewater recycling 

is encouraged for all developments. In Conservation 

Design developments where there would be a cluster 

system, wastewater recycling can also be done and is 

the preferred type of system (subject to County Health 

Department approval). It can be used, for example, to 

irrigate the numerous open space elements. These types 

of wastewater recycling systems can be mandated – or, 

at least, incentivized – for new cluster systems, when 

feasible.

Chapter 9 Transportation 

Goal: Plan, construct and maintain an 

accessible, efficient, multi-modal, regional 

transportation system that meets 

the needs of the public and commerce, 

while minimizing risks to health, safety 

and the environment. 



Goal: Plan, construct and maintain an accessible, 

efficient, multi-modal, regional 

transportation system that meets the 

needs of the public and commerce, while 

minimizing risks to health, safety and the 

environment. 

Winnebago County is well connected to the region’s 

transportation system. Interstate 90 provides a direct 

connection to Chicago, as well as north into Wisconsin 

and Minnesota. St. Louis and Chicago are accessible via 

Interstate 39, which connects with Interstate 55 to the 

south at Bloomington. There are also two federal and 

four state routes that connect the County with the rest of 

the region. There is significant rail access throughout the 

County as well. The Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad 

connects to areas east and west of the County, the Burlington 

Northern and Santa Fe Railroads connect to the 

south as well as to the intermodal facility in Rochelle. The 

Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad connects to Wisconsin. 

The Union Pacific line connects to the east. The Chicago 

Rockford International Airport provides air access. 


A wide variety of established planning goals and strategies 

concerning transportation bring attention to the 

need to capitalize on the major highway corridors that 

pass through the County. Increasing highway-oriented 

development at major interstate intersections, and improving 

the function, design and construction of major 

corridors such as I-90, I-39 and US-20 were viewed as 

essential elements of the County’s development. Other 

strategies also included the provision of interconnecting 

County-wide bike and pedestrian paths, and the 

extension and improvement of public transit. 

Winnebago County is well connected to the larger region by the 

roadway network, by railroad lines and by the airport. 

120 


The “Principles of Balanced Growth: Winnebago County 

Balanced Growth Initiative” examined all aspects of 

transportation planning, including non-motorized transport 

and public transit. The strategies are meant to create 

“an effective intra-regional transportation system provides 

options to enhance the mobility of people, goods 

and services, and will include pedestrian facilities, bicycle 

facilities, public transit, and a system of roadways, 

inter-modal transfer facilities and passenger terminals.” 

To accomplish this, all means of transportation must be 

maintained in a safe and effective condition. 

The plan’s overall goal is to improve quality of life for 

all residents, with an emphasis on alternative transportation 

methods, such as public transit and bike paths. 

The added benefit of travelers using these alternatives 

is relief of traffic congestion and improvement of air 

quality since fewer vehicles are on the road. 

Overview of Transportation 

Transportation Network 

Winnebago County is well-served by numerous types 

of transportation. Some of the key elements of the network 

include: 

■ Interstate Highways: I-39, I-90 

■ Federal Highways: US-20, US-51, US-251 

■ State Highways: IL Rte. 2, IL Rte. 70, IL Rte. 75, IL 

Rte. 173 

■ Numerous arterials for high-speed and high-volume 

traffic, such as the US-20 Bypass, portions of State 

Street, Perryville Road, Rockton Road and Spring 

Creek Road 

■ Railroads: Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad, 

Burlington Northern Railroad, Santa Fe Railroad, Iowa, 

Chicago and Eastern Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad 

■ Chicago Rockford International Airport in the City 

of Rockford: In terms of cargo carriers, the airport 

is home to the second largest sorting facility for 

United Parcel Service (UPS), as well as Airborne 

Express, BAX Global and Emery Worldwide. It 

is accessible via I-90, I-39, US-20, IL Rte. 2 and IL 

Rte. 251. Passenger airlines also operate out of this 

airport. (http://www.flyrfd.com/airlines.asp) 

Planned roadway improvements, such as the new 

interchange, planned for I-90 and Perry Creek Road 

were also considered in the land use planning process. 

Figure 18: Transportation Network illustrates these 

various components of the transportation network. 

High-speed, high-volume arterials are not shown.

Another key element of the transportation system is the 

intermodal facility in Rochelle, Illinois (Ogle County) 

– 25 miles south of Rockford. Union Pacific’s Rochelle 

Global III Intermodal Terminal is a hub for the loading 

and unloading of rail intermodal shipments moving 

through western Iowa and Wisconsin. As described by 

Union Pacific: 

“The Rochelle Global III Intermodal Facility is 

strategically located on the growth edge of Chicago’s 

westward commercial frontier. A short distance outside 

the city, this in-demand area is experiencing enormous 

development and growth as industries look to locate 

warehouse and distribution facilities outside of Chicago’s 

capacity-constrained downtown area. This facility offers 

customers multiple ease-of-doing-business advantages, 

including direct interstate highway routes offering easy 

access to major east-west markets. 

This facility provides the capacity necessary to improve 

the efficient interchange of shipments to and from rail 

connections, and expedite the operations of over 25 trains 

and 3,000 containers/trailers daily.” 

As indicated by transportation planners during the 

planning process, access to this intermodal facility in 

Rochelle is critical to meet the shipping and receiving 

needs of County manufacturing businesses. The 

presence of the intermodal facility – as well as the 

Chicago Rockford International Airport – is critical to 

their function. 

Household Travel Characteristics 

Nearly all Winnebago County households – 92% in 

both 2000 and 2005 – own at least one vehicle and the 

majority of households own two, which indicates that 

cars are the main means of transportation within the 

County. While those households that own two vehicles 

decreased 2% from 2000 to 2005, those that owned three 

or more vehicles increased 1%. 

As further evidence of auto-dependence, in a survey 

of the years from 1980 through 2005, County residents 

commuting patterns have remained generally the 

same. The overwhelming majority of commuters drive 

to work alone, which has been increasing slowly over 

the years, while the few who carpool have continued 

to decrease. The use of public transportation is almost 

non-existent. Over time, the mean travel time to work 

for Winnebago County residents has increased to 21.4 

minutes, which correlates with the increased number of 

commuters who drive alone. 

Transportation 

Chapter 9 

Transportation Objectives 

The following six objectives expand upon the goal for 

transportation. 

1. Coordinate with federal, state, township and 

municipal agencies to promote a proactive balanced 

transportation system that is integrated with land use 

policy to enhance economic development, vitality and 

community character. 

2. Review the County’s transportation system and related 

facilities regularly to assess the levels of need and 

efficiently manage financial resources for upgrades. 

3. Enhance interconnectivity among air, rail, mass 

transit, highways and non-vehicular pathways, and 

encourage alternate means of transportation. 

4. Improve the safety and security of the entire 

transportation system throughout all areas of the 

County, both urban and rural. 

5. Minimize the impact of transportation on the 

environment in accordance with federal, state and 

local legislation, regulations and standards. Consider 

the non-tangible factors of aesthetics and quality of life 

issues when developing, modifying, and maintaining 

the existing and planned transportation system. 

6. Transfer jurisdictional authority of roads to townships 

and municipalities, as appropriate, to reduce the 

number of road miles under the responsibility of the 

County. 

Transportation Policies 


decisions regarding transportation: 

Transportation Policy 1: 

The County should adopt a Long Range Transportation 

Plan. The goals and policies of other Winnebago 

County transportation agencies (state, municipal, 

township, RMAP and SLATS) should be considered 

in the development of this plan. Once adopted, the 

plan should be continually updated to incorporate 

innovative transportation planning techniques. 


The County can better coordinate and implement 

various transportation goals by crafting a county – wide 

transportation plan for the County highway system that 

is more specific than the goals and objectives included 

in this Long Range Plan. Transportation planners 

that participated in this process encouraged that said 

plan should be updated at least once every five years. 

Winnebago County through their Highway Department 


121

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currently participates with the development of the 

metropolitan transportation plan with both RMAP 

(Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning) and 

SLATS (Stateline Area Transportation Study). Although 

the County’s transportation plan does not have to include 

the plans of other Winnebago County transportation 

agencies, continuation of the working relationship 

with both RMAP and SLATS is important to achieve 

consistency in the transportation planning process. 

Two approaches, neither exclusive of the other, 

were discussed in the planning process to assist 

transportation planning in the County. The first was 

the use of “Context Sensitive Solutions” (CSS), which 

is defined by the Federal Highway Administration, 

as “a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that 

involves all stakeholders to develop a transportation 

facility that fits its physical setting and preserves 

scenic, aesthetic, historic and environmental resources, 

while maintaining safety and mobility. CSS is an 

approach that considers the total context within which 

a transportation improvement project will exist.” More 

information on this type of approach is available from 

the Context Sensitive Solutions website: www.conte 

xtsensitivesolutions.org. The Illinois Department of 

Transportation (IDOT) has also adopted a CSS policy, 

available at: www.dot.state.il.us/css/home.html. 

A second strategy is to study the utility of, and then 

implement as appropriate, “Transportation Demand 

Management” (TDM) strategies to increase the efficiency 

of the transport system. There are numerous TDM 

techniques including: providing transportation options; 

incentives to use alternate transportation modes and 

reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT); parking and land 

use management techniques; and other policies and 

management programs. (See Sidebar: Transportation 

Demand Management) 

The County should also consider and plan for varying 

the widths of roadways to ensure safe travel patterns. 

Planned developments like Traditional Neighborhood 

Design and Conservation Design should include 

requirements or roadway widths to achieve desired 

circulation patterns and management of parking 

demand. 


The County should encourage alternate modes of 

transportation in order to reduce transportation costs, 

improve air quality, ease traffic and parking congestion, 

and provide accessibility for all individuals. 


Chapter 9 


There are a number of alternate modes of transportation 

outside of the automobile, such as public transit, 

pedestrian paths and bike trails. Land use decisions impact 

how – and how often – people use these modes of travel. 

Winnebago County must address the ability of citizens to 

travel through the County in the most economical way. 

Currently the Rockford Mass Transit District provides 

intra-city bus service through the Rockford metropolitan 

area. This bus service also includes the area that was 

served by the Loves Park Transit System. However, 

there is still a need to maintain fast, frequent and 

reliable intra-city bus routes, and, create inter-city and/ 

or commuter rail and bus service. A long-term goal is 

to move residents throughout the County by means 

other than an automobile to access employment centers 

and County resources. In order to fund potential public 

transit options, the County can explore available IDOT 

and federal grants, as well as financial assistance from 

the Federal Transit Administration (administered by 

IDOT), to create a public transportation system in the 

more rural areas of the County. 

In order to continue improvement of the mass transit 

system, the County can require new developments 

to accommodate turnout lanes for bus pickup points. 

These areas should be of sufficient size to accommodate 

a shelter and be an integral part of the sidewalk and bike 

path network. It is recommended that input be obtained 

on the proposed bus turnout and bus stop designs by 

Rockford Mass Transit District, as a professional transit 

provider, and from the transportation department of 

the effected school district. 

One of the policies of the “Boone and Winnebago 

Regional Greenways Plan” is to fund developmentof 

non-motorized paths for both recreation and as an 

alternate means of transportation. Primarily, the plan 

considers bike trails and pedestrian paths, which 

should be encouraged throughout the County. Two 

development regulations that would assist in creating 

this connectivity are: 1) to require new development to 

install sidewalks on both sides of the street and 2) create 

street systems that also promote maximum connectivity 

and a “walk-able” environment. 

New large-scale development should also include 

requirements for bike paths and bike parking. Bike 

paths throughout the County provide a connection 

to the larger region. There are several existing bike 

trails in Winnebago County. Some of the most 

significant are the Grand Illinois Trail that runs 

through Winnebago County, and the Pecatonica 


123


Alternate modes of transportation, such as bike paths, should be 

encouraged. 

Prairie Path that is joined to Stephenson County in 

the west, traverses the central portion of the County 

to connect to the Rockford area trails and then heads 

south to the Rock River Path and into Ogle County. 

To encourage walking and biking, the various 

governmental bodies can work together to create a 

“Safe Routes to School” program, which may be able 

to tap federal funding for engineering improvements. 

The National Center for Safe Routes to School 

offers assistance to communities in implementing 

improvements that encourages students to walk and/ 

or bike to school. By encouraging students to walk to 

school, the County instills new behavior in the County’s 

youngest residents and helps create a community that 

walks and bikes. 

Finally, there are land use decisions that encourage nonmotorized 

forms of travel and/or minimize the amount 

of vehicle travel required by a County household. 

Mixed-use development – where residential and nonresidential 

uses are mixed within a single development 

– are intended to foster this type of environment. The 

purpose of a TND development, as described earlier 

in this Plan, is to create a complete community where 

residents can walk to jobs and entertainment. The 

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Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) has developed trip 

generation tables to estimate the number of generated 

from new developments. ITE estimates that a residence 

generates an average of 10 trips per day. The intent of 

mixed-use TND development is to reduce the number 

of driving trips, allowing residents to walk to work or 

shopping and entertainment needs. 

Infill development, particularly in existing urban areas, 

also minimizes travel time as residents are brought closer 

to existing uses, such as grocery stores, shopping areas 

and restaurants. With new residents, commercial areas 

can also experience revitalization. Infill development is 

also a central component of transit-oriented development 

(TOD). By increasing the number of residents – and 

density – around existing public transit stops, which can 

include major bus stops if planned carefully, more of 

the public will be able to use public transit. If Rockford 

receives rail service to Chicago, TOD can be particularly 

effective around those train stations. 


In addition to specifically setting aside land for industrial 

users as a central element to business attraction, 

the County should identify and improve primary 

transportation routes for industrial users, including 

connections to the Global III Intermodal Transportation 

Facility in Rochelle, the Chicago-Rockford International 

Airport, Freedom Field alternative energy center, and 

other major employment centers. 


The County must pay careful attention to land uses 

surrounding railways as they are key drivers of 

When evaluating the transportation network and the surrounding 

uses, established truck routes should be considered to minimize conflicts 

with surrounding uses and reserve key sites for industrial users.

industrial uses. Truck routes are equally important. 

Planning ahead for areas of industrial growth and 

their transportation needs will also avoid conflict with 

incompatible uses that may want to locate in the area. 


The County should continually work to improve 

transportation system safety by targeting and mitigating 

high accident areas. 


Crash studies require good input in order to accurately 

reflect conditions. These reports are typically prepared 

by the police officer present at the scene of the crash, 

which, in Winnebago County, could be state police, 

county police or local police. A central clearinghouse can 

be created for the collection and tabulation of all crash 

reports within the County so that high-risk areas can be 

easily identified. In addition, railroad crossings should 

also be considered for special safety considerations. 

IDOT can assist in highway safety efforts through 

the Illinois Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan and 

with grant money available through the Highway 

Safety Improvement Program and the High Risk 

Rural Roads Program. These programs specifically 

focus on high-risk crash areas that result in fatalities 

or incapacitating injuries. It is important to note that 

the limited funding available for safety improvements, 

so it is allocated via a cost-benefit analysis. Fatal 

crashes and those that result in incapacitating injuries 

represent a higher cost than minor injuries or property 

damage; safety improvements that reduce fatalities 

are considered to provide more benefit. Additionally, 

the American Traffic Safety Services Association 

(ATSSA) and the National Association of County 

Engineers (NACE) have jointly published the “Low 

Cost Local Road Safety Solution,” which is a resource 

for low cost solutions to identified safety issues. 


Because transportation planning, maintenance and 

improvements are expensive endeavors, the County 

should create a budget that prioritizes future projects 

so that the County can plan well in advance for these 

projects. Efforts should be made to reduce transportation 

costs by planning for future improvements as early as 

possible. 


Chapter 9 


Transportation corridors should be identified, 

prioritized and budgeted for construction or expansion 

in order to accommodate measured growth and 

development. When structuring funding priorities, 

roadway classifications must be considered. The 

roadway network throughout the County is identified 

by functional classification and further identified as 

either urban or rural, based on mobility and access 

characteristics. Funding priorities for transportation 

must also factor in the needs of bridges. Criteria for 

establishing priorities in funding for bridges comes 

from the Federal Highway Administration, which sets 

standards for bridge inspection and ratings. Structurally 

deficient bridges or bridges that need upgrading of load 

carrying capacity are critical improvements that impact 

economic development. 

Another way to prioritize funding is the creation of a 

County rating system that includes input regarding 

objective issues such as surface conditions, safety issues, 

highway geometry and traffic volumes, as well as 

subjective issues such as importance to the community. 

The availability of state or federal funding should also 

be factored in. 

Finally, the County can also manage certain aspects of 

transportation costs by planning in advance of known 

required improvements. One example is to require, 

during platting, dedications for road right-of-way 

expansions to accommodate future transportation 

demand. 


The scenic beauty of open vistas, rural landscapes and 

river valleys along the County’s roadways are part of 

the County’s rural identity and should be protected, 

even as new development comes to these areas. 


The rural character of the County can be preserved 

through the use of overlay districts and special 

provisions within land development regulations, such as 

additional setback depths, view corridor requirements, 

native landscaping protections, regulations that prevent 

the clearing of frontage vegetation, and protections 

for key natural features in scenic areas and corridors. 

Development in these areas would be designed with 

greater sensitivity to the natural environment in order 

to preserve the natural features currently located 

along the corridors, and ensure that development 


125


complements the natural features. The “Boone and 

Winnebago County Regional Greenways Plan” can be 

looked to for guidance in identifying these areas. 

IL Rte. 2 in the unincorporated County has numerous 

stretches where a distinct rural character should 

be preserved, even as the roadway is expanded to 

four lanes in some areas. Before IL Rte. 2 – or similar 

areas – are developed, an overlay district can be 

drafted that includes landscaping standards, natural 

feature protection regulations and development 

standards that maintain the natural character along 

the roadway, incorporating elements such as larger 

setbacks, preservation of existing natural growth, view 

preservation, etc. A “Scenic Road Overlay District” 

could be mapped over this area and other areas of 

the County that would benefit from such treatment. 

The County can also establish a Rustic Roads Program, 

where the character of scenic rural roads is preserved. 

Kane County, Illinois has implemented such a program. 

The Rustic Roads Program preserves road corridors, 

defined by ordinance as: 

“A type of preservation district in which the geographic 

area is identified with a nominated or designated road. 

The road corridor minimally includes the area within 

the right-of-way including the road pavement, any 

structures such as bridges and signs, shoulders and 

vegetation, and may also include; a) all or portions 

of adjacent properties, b) features located on adjacent 

property such as buildings, structures, or vegetation, 

c) potential conservation easements or other easements 

that would protect scenic vistas and viewsheds, and/ 

or d) existing easements protecting privately owned 

drives or lanes.” 

Kane County’s Rustic Roads Program, which is part 

of the historic preservation ordinance, centers on a 

corridor management plan, which is prepared by “the 

nominator(s) of a road corridor, owners of properties 

within the nominated road corridor, local government 

jurisdictions and County staff” in order to create “a 

comprehensive understanding and vision for the road 

corridor and a plan to preserve and enhance it.” The 

corridor management plan inventories the existing 

characteristics, includes “a statement of purpose to 

reflect the inspiration and aspiration of the nomination, 

articulating why the road corridor should be designated 

and what designation may accomplish in the long 

term,” as well as corridor enhancement strategies. A 

similar ordinance can be drafted for Winnebago County, 

potentially using portions of IL Rte. 2 as a pilot project. 

126 


Another way to preserve scenic vistas is the acquisition 

of scenic easements. The federal Uniform Conservation 

Easement Act expressly allows for conservation 

easements that retain or protect natural, scenic and 

open space areas. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 

Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA-LU) identifies twelve activities 

eligible for the Transportation Enhancement Program 

whose purpose is to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, 

and environmental aspects of the nation’s intermodal 

transportation system. One of these is acquisition of 

scenic easements. The IDOT Land Acquisition Manual 

also includes provisions for acquiring a scenic easement. 

IDOT has pursued such a program along US-20 in Jo 

Daviess County. 

There are a number of ways to preserve scenic roadways – from 

the Rustic Road Program to zoning overlay districts. Development 

regulations can protect the scenic roadways within the County, such 

as portions of IL Route 2.

Transportation Demand Management 

Located in British Columbia, the Victoria Transport 

Policy Institute is an independent research organization 

“dedicated to developing innovative and practical 

solutions to transportation problems.” 

As part of their research, the institute has compiled a 

Transportation Demand Management encyclopedia 

on their website (www.vtpi.org). The encyclopedia 

is a “comprehensive source of information about 

innovative management solutions to transportation 

problems.” This encyclopedia includes a description of 

numerous TDM strategies, which are outlined below. 

Many of these strategies have been outlined in this 

Plan as part of the goals, objectives and policies. 

Improved Transport Options 

Address Security Concerns Strategies for improving 

personal security. 

Alternative Work Schedules Flextime, Compressed 

Work Week (CWW), and staggered shifts. 

Bus Rapid Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems 

provide high quality bus service on busy urban corridors. 

Cycling Improvements Strategies for improving bicycle 

transport. 

Bike/Transit Integration Ways to integrate bicycling 

and public transit. 

Carsharing Vehicle rental services that substitute for 

private vehicle ownership. 

Flextime Flexible daily work schedules. 

Guaranteed Ride Home An occasional subsidized ride 

home for commuters who use alternative modes. 

Individual Actions for Efficient Transport Actions 

that individuals can take to increase transport system 

efficiency. 

Light Rail Transit Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems 

provide convenient local transit service on busy urban 

corridors. 

Nonmotorized Planning Planning for walking, cycling, 

and their variants. 

Nonmotorized Facility Management Best practices 

for managing nonmotorized facilities such as walkways, 

sidewalks and paths. 

Park & Ride Providing convenient parking at transit 

and rideshare stations. 


Chapter 9 

Pedestrian Improvements Strategies for improving 

walking conditions. 

Ridesharing Encouraging carpooling and vanpooling. 

Shuttle Services Shuttle buses, jitneys and free transit 

zones. 

Small Wheeled Transport Accommodating wheeled 

luggage, skates, scooters and handcarts. 

Taxi Service Improvements Strategies for improving 

taxi services. 

Telework (Telecommuting, Distance-Learning, etc.) 

Use of telecommunications as a substitute for physical 

travel. 

Traffic Calming Roadway designs that reduce vehicle 

traffic speeds and volumes. 

Transit Improvements Strategies for improving public 

transit services. 

Transit Examples Describes successful transit programs. 

Universal Design (Barrier Free Planning) Transport 

systems that accommodate all users, including people 

with disabilities and other special needs 

http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/index.php - top 

Incentives To Use Alternative Modes & Reduce 

Driving 

Walking And Cycling Encouragement Strategies for 

encouraging non-motorized transportation. 

Commuter Financial Incentives Parking cash out, 

travel allowance, transit and rideshare benefits. 

Congestion Pricing Variable road pricing used to 

reduce peak-period vehicle trips. 

Distance-Based Pricing Vehicle fees and taxes based on 

a vehicle’s mileage. 

Fuel Taxes Increasing fuel taxes to achieve TDM 

objectives. 

HOV (High Occupant Vehicle) Priority Strategies that 

give transit and rideshare vehicles priority over other 

traffic. 

Parking Pricing Charging motorists directly for parking. 

Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance Converting vehicle 

insurance premiums into distance-based fees. 

Road Pricing Congestion pricing, value pricing, road 

tolls and HOT lanes. 

Speed Reductions Strategies to reduce traffic speeds. 


127


128 

Transit Encouragement Strategies for encouraging 

public transit use. 

Vehicle Use Restrictions Limiting vehicle traffic at a 

particular time and place. 


Parking & Land Use Management 

Bicycle Parking Bicycle racks, lockers and changing 

facilities. 

Car-Free Planning Strategies to reduce automobile 

travel at particular times and places, and create 

pedestrian oriented streets. 

Strong Commercial Centers Creating vibrant 

downtowns, business districts, urban villages, and other 

mixed-use activity centers. 

Connectivity Creating more connected roadway and 

path networks. 

Land Use Density and Clustering Locating common 

destinations close together to increase accessibility and 

transport diversity. 

Location Efficient Development Development that 

maximizes accessibility and affordability. 

Multi-Modal Access Guides Providing customized 

directions to a particular destination by various modes. 

New Urbanism Accessible, livable community design. 

Parking Cost, Pricing and Revenue Calculator Excel 

spreadsheet calculates parking facility costs, prices and 

revenue. 

Parking Management Strategies for more efficient use 

of parking. 

Parking Management: Strategies, Evaluation and 

Planning Comprehensive parking management guide. 

Parking Pricing Charging motorists directly for using 

parking facilities. 

Parking Solutions Comprehensive menu of solutions to 

parking problems. 

Parking Evaluation Guidelines for evaluating parking 

problems and solutions. 

Shared Parking Sharing parking facilities among 

multiple users. 

Smart Growth Land use practices to create more 

accessible, efficient and livable communities. 

Smart Growth Reforms Policy and planning reforms 

that encourage Smart Growth. 


Smart Growth Reforms - Comprehensive This 

report provides detailed information on policy and 

planning reforms that result in more accessible land use 

development. 

Streetscape Improvements Various ways to improve 

urban street design. 

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Using transit 

stations as a catalyst to create more livable communities. 

Land Use Impacts on Transport Describes how land 

use factors such as density, mix and regional accessibility 

affect travel behavior. 

Land Use Impacts on Transport - Comprehensive 

This comprehensive report provides detailed information 

on how land use factors affect travel behavior. 


Policy & Institutional Reforms 

Asset Management Policies and programs to preserve 

the value of assets such as roadways and parking 

facilities. 

Car-Free Planning Strategies to reduce driving at 

particular times and places. 

Change Management Ways to build support for 

institutional change. 

Comprehensive Market Reforms Policy changes that 

result in more efficient transport pricing. 

Context Sensitive Design Flexible design requirements 

to reflect community values. 

Contingency-Based Planning Planning that deals with 

uncertainly by identifying solutions to potential future 

problems. 

Institutional Reforms Creating organizations that 

support efficient transport. 

Least Cost Planning Creating an unbiased framework 

for transport planning. 

Operations and Management Programs Programs 

that encourage more efficient use of existing roadway 

systems. 

Prioritizing Transportation Principles for prioritizing 

transportation activities and investments. 

Regulatory Reform Policy changes to encourage 

transport service competition, innovation and efficiency.

Chapter 10 Telecommunications 

& Technology 

Goal: Plan for and install state-of-the-art 

telecommunication infrastructure, attract 

high-tech businesses, and train a local 

workforce that can staff such businesses. 


Photo by Wikipedia 

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Chapter 10 Telecommunications & Technology 

Goal: Plan for and install state-of-the-art 

telecommunication infrastructure, attract 

high-tech businesses, and train a local 

workforce that can staff such businesses. 

As part of the new planning environment, 

communities need to examine their interaction with 

telecommunications technology. When incorporated 

correctly, telecommunications technology can 

contribute to quality-of-life and provide an economic 

advantage. While it is necessary to look at the nuts and 

bolts of telecommunications infrastructure first – i.e., 

making the physical connection, it is also necessary 

to plan for how the access to this new technology can 

impact the County and the lives of residents. 


Planning for technology is a relatively new aspect of land 

use plans. In Winnebago County, there are few existing 

plans that analyze the implications and advantages of 

new telecommunications technologies. However, the 

“Principles of Balanced Growth: Winnebago County 

Balanced Growth Initiative” speaks to these issues 

by pointing out that “advanced communications 

technology is critical to economic development and 

quality of life in the region, and can be planned, designed 

and maintained to avoid disruption of desired land use 

patterns, and minimize adverse environmental or visual 

impact.” It also points out that local economies rely on 

market demand to be successful – the infrastructure 

and local workforce must be in place to respond to the 

market demand created by high-tech businesses. 

Overview of Telecommunications & 

Technology 

One of the key findings from the economic development 

analysis was a need for service and high-tech workers, 

such as customer service representatives, engineers 

and systems analysts. This finding indicates that the 

County is part of the national shift from large-scale 

manufacturing to service-oriented and high-tech jobs. 

This shift to a high-tech economy, what has also been 

called a “knowledge economy,” has critical implications 

within three key areas: 

130 

1. Physical Infrastructure 

Proper physical telecommunications 


infrastructure is a necessity. The built 

environment should be examined to see how it 

can accommodate the required technology for 

residents, and new and existing businesses. To 

make this transition economical, a vision for the 

whole system – with long-term and short-term 

goals – is needed as piecemeal infrastructure 

improvement only adds to costs. 

2. Economic Development 

Updating physical infrastructure is a key 

component of economic development. 

Communities who do not address infrastructure 

run the risk of losing both current and future 

businesses because it is not in place. Established 

businesses will leave if they cannot perform to 

full potential and new businesses will avoid 

areas that cannot accommodate their needs. It 

is also necessary to have the proper “people 

infrastructure” in place, including a local labor 

force that can support high-tech industries.3. 

A proper infrastructure is needed to create a “wired” community. 

Technology has become a key factor in determining quality of life for 

residents and the ability to attract new businesses to the community. 

(Photo by J. Smith/Wikipedia)

Human Resources 

The loss of manufacturing jobs and subsequent 

rise of high-tech jobs requires analysis of how 

vacancies in the job market can be filled by 

community members. Economic trends indicate 

the potential, in the long-term, that there will 

be a surplus of high-skill job positions available 

because there will not be enough properly 

trained people to fill them, particularly with the 

retirement of “baby boomers.” Better computer 

education in schools and community access to 

computer resources are essential to building a 

skilled workforce. 

It is important that the County work with municipalities. 

While cooperative planning is desired for all policies in 

this Plan, the strategies of technology planning cannot 

be successfully implemented without the cooperation 

of the municipalities where the majority of the current 

and future workforce lives, the infrastructure resources, 

such as broadband connection through fiberoptic cable, 

are located, and the community facilities, such as 

schools with computer access, are found. 

Telecommunications & Technology 

Objectives 

The following three objectives expand upon the goal 

for telecommunications and technology: 

1. Maintain high-quality telecommunications 

infrastructure that is sensitive to aesthetic and 

public safety issues. 

2. Prepare the local workforce, including students 

who will later enter the workforce, for a hightech 

economy. 

3. Maintain an on-going dialogue and working 

relationship with high-tech businesses located 

within the County and the region to assess 

the strengths and weaknesses of Winnebago 

County. Use this dialogue to pursue partnership 

opportunities. 

Telecommunications & Technology Policies 


decisions regarding telecommunications and technology: 

Telecommunications & Technology Policy 1: 

In order to create a properly “wired” County, 


Chapter 10 

a comprehensive vision for coordinated 

telecommunications infrastructure and required 

improvements should be developed. 


There are a number of steps that the County can take in 

order to accurately assess its telecommunications needs 

and create an environment friendly to new technology. 

The first is to conduct a total telecommunications 

infrastructure assessment, which will take stock of 

current infrastructure, and reveal potential opportunities 

and current deficiencies. This can result in a map of key 

target areas that would benefit from becoming “wired” 

with links to more extensive economic development 

initiatives. An assessment such as this must involve the 

municipalities. Key target areas would most likely be 

located within the municipalities and this “wiring” can 

serve as an incentive to encourage infill development. 

A more immediate need that should be addressed 

(independent of such a study) is to revise the 

current development regulations to permit the 

needed infrastructure and maintain compliance 

with Telecommunications Act of 1996 (TCA) and 

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 

regulations. Telecommunications regulations must 

comprehensively address antennas, towers and other 

facilities so that they comply with these regulations, 

but also take into account aesthetic and safety concerns. 

Public and private utility use standards should also be 

updated to address telecommunication requirements, 

such as aboveground and below ground fiber-optic 

cable infrastructure. Modern ordinances often include 

incentives to disguise cell towers and antennas, often 

Development regulations should be up-to-date with federal requirements, 

such as the Telecommunications Act, and should address the 

range of technologies that are found in a community from cell towers 

and wireless antennas to satellite dishes. (Photo by Wikipedia) 


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Chapter 10 Telecommunications & Technology 

called stealth design, and require co-location so that 

infrastructure does not blight the visual landscape 

but still provides the optimal level of service. 


Involve the entire County in a technology planning 

effort, especially municipalities. 


The County can create an official division for technology 

planning that functions as command central – all 

information is filtered through and shared with the 

various municipalities and organizations involved in 

the different efforts. This can open a dialogue between 

the County and the municipalities. Finally, this division 

can also function as an arm of the County’s economic 

development concerns where high-tech business can go 

to a central point for information. 

If the County does establish a vision as described in 

Policy 1, this division would serve as the keeper of 

that vision. The division would be able to track the 

implementation and completed efforts of different 

components (physical infrastructure, economic 

development, human resources), which could assist in 

attracting new business to the County. 


The County should specifically target new high-paying, 

technology-based industry. 


Like any economic development effort that targets a 

specific market, this should begin with an analysis of the 

types of high-tech jobs available in the community. The 

County should determine its economic development 

status and its potential in the knowledge economy. 

This can begin with a dialogue between economic 

development advocates and County businesses. 

There is a two-fold effort that can occur: 

132 

1. Identify which high-tech businesses are 

currently located within the County, as well 

as those in the larger region, and begin a 

dialogue to analyze the County’s strengths and 

weaknesses from their perspective. 

2. On the other side of the spectrum, begin a 

dialogue with high-tech workers in those firms 

to see why – or, more importantly, why not 

– they are attracted to the County. Businesses 


of any type will not locate where they do not 

think there is a sufficiently qualified workforce 

available. 


Having the proper workforce in place is essential to 

attract and keep high-tech businesses. The County 

should be able to supply high-skill workers to new 

tech-businesses, as well as attract new workers to live 

and work in the County from outside. 

Creation of a local workforce that can fill high skill positions in the 

knowledge economy firms begins with ensuring that the school curriculum 

emphasizes math, science and computer skills. 


Implementation begins with an analysis of how schools 

are faring in the digital divide and what type of training 

and exposure students need to be successful within a 

knowledge economy. Local schools should emphasize 

math, science and computer skills in the curriculum. In

addition, active participation by local firms in schools 

can acquaint students to the nature and workings of a 

knowledge economy. High-tech businesses can provide 

mentoring and educational programs for County youth, 

including part-time employment that includes on-thejob 

training. 

Finally, the larger resident population should be 

encouraged to learn new skills to keep pace with 

a changing job environment. One way is to work 

with municipalities to create community computer 

learning centers to teach high-tech skills and increase 

opportunities for all residents, such as in libraries or 

schools after-hours. including part-time employment 

that includes on-the-job training. 


Chapter 10 


133

The 2030 Land Resource Management Plan - Camiros

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