Photo via City of Peoria
By Philip Haldiman | Daily Independent
The city of Peoria recently took a big step in master planning more than a thousand acres of land in the northern part of the city known as North Peoria Gateway, adjacent to Vistancia’s commercial core.
Peoria City Council members approved the annexation of 458 acres of state land in that area and applied initial zoning of the property from a county residential zoning of about one home per acre to a similar zoning in Peoria, as required for annexation under state law.
Finally, council approved the rezoning of the 1,621-acre North Peoria Gateway from Peoria that residential zoning to a planned community development zoning.
City officials said this culminates an 18-month process to unlock a swath of land that will position north Peoria as a potential future hub of advanced industries.
Planning Director Chris Jacques said this will bring the expanse of land together under a unified and cohesive design, allowing the city to deal with boundary conditions, as well as tailor standards and land uses to maximize community benefits.
Planned community developments are common in Peoria, where Vistancia, Saddleback Heights and other master-planned communities are zoned as such.
Jacques said the approval is the culmination of a vision that has been in play for several years that has run through past councils to the current council in unlocking and entitling state land, particularly along Loop 303.
“This is an important area for next-level economic and community development growth,” he said. “We’ve developed into a desirable community, but our coordination with the State Land Department and most recently in the last 18 months, I believe is ushering in a new era in the city, and really, a new legacy, and a new chapter.”
