Comprehensive Plan - Carbondale, IL

Adopted June 22, 2010building placement, allowable frontage types and conditions, and allowableencroachments. The use of such standards may allow more general use typeswith a greater emphasis placed on design.c. Integrate into the BPR, Primary Business, district floor area bonuses for verticalmixed use buildings, shared and/or structured parking, and LEED certifiedbuildings. Also consider allowances and incentives for first floor retail andentertainment uses with upper floor office, institutional, and residential uses.d. Include attached residential dwellings as a special use within the BPR, PrimaryBusiness, district. Additionally, consider rezoning the fringes of Downtown formore intensive urban residential uses. This may include housing for matureresidents as a means for increasing the Downtown population while offeringconvenient access to community services and University activities.e. In the interim, before the master plan and regulating plan are prepared, amendthe BPR, Primary Business, district to require a site design study to evaluatealternative siting and configurations of parking, subject to the review andrecommendation of a Downtown Advisory Board.f. Appoint a Downtown Advisory Board for the purpose of overseeing the masterplan process and to review and consider the appropriateness of developmentand redevelopment projects. The Board should include representatives of thePlanning Commission, Preservation Commission, and Carbondale Main Street,as well as Downtown business and property owners and a design professional.g. Develop design standards to guide the construction of new and improvement ofexisting buildings to ensure compatibility of the architecture and cohesivenesswith the historic integrity of Downtown.h. Conduct a Downtown parking study to evaluate the existing and planned usetypes 2 and their respective space requirements. Utilize the findings to determinethe options to provide adequate parking. Study the alternatives and feasibilityof public versus private and surface versus structured parking.Comprehensive PlanStrategy 4: Improve connections to, through, and within Downtown and itssurrounding neighborhoods.RationaleWhile there are existing street connections from the surrounding neighborhoods toDowntown, many of them lack adequate sidewalks and street crossings. Also, due tothe current design, speeds, and volumes of traffic on U.S. 51/University Ave/IllinoisAve and IL 13/Main Street/Walnut Street, there are significant barriers of accessfor pedestrians and bicyclists. Therefore, to aid in the success of Downtown, theremust be improved linkages that are both direct and safe. Additionally, the existingrights-of-way need to become complete streets, meaning they are redesigned tobetter serve pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit vehicles. These improvements areparticularly warranted in Downtown as its function and character are intended tobe pedestrian-oriented.Actions and Initiativesa. Collaborate with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to identifyalternatives and seek new solutions to improve the street cross-sections,pedestrian crossings, and streetscapes along U.S. 51 and IL 13. Also, coordinatewith them in reviewing the Thoroughfare Plan (see Chapter 3, Community2 The planned use types would be based upon the recommended business use study.2.31Land Use Character and Community Growth