Plan Holders List

Plan Holders List

In 2008-2009, R.H. Batterman & Co. completed a Comprehensive Plan, Park and Open Space Plan, and crafted an impact fee ordinance for the Town of Beloit, Wisconsin, which has the third largest population (almost 7,500) in Rock County. The Comprehensive Plan included developing a Public Participation Plan for the Town, highlighted by several focus group sessions, mapping workshops, the development of a “Smart Growth Blog,” and an emphasis on keeping the community involved and informed throughout the planning process.

Challenges/Solutions:

In part because the Town’s physical borders are indistinguishable on the ground from the City of Beloit, Intergovernmental issues were critical in the Plan. With this in mind, significant recommendations from the comprehensive plan involved collaboration with the City of Beloit to lay the groundwork for a Cooperative Boundary Agreement, as well as the consideration of more collaborative planning and service delivery in boundary areas in the near and distant future. The Town’s economic base, also tied closely to the City of Beloit, was a key point in terms of diversification and focus.

Location: Beloit, Wisconsin
Client: Town of Beloit Plan Commission
Project Year: 2008 – 2009
Lead Batterman Staff: Ryan Garcia, AICP

In light of growing local concerns about the inefficiency of recent development patterns, the Village of Rockton, Illinois worked with Batterman to educate concerned citizens on alternative forms of neighborhood development and to ultimately establish a more “environmentally friendly” approach to developing neighborhoods than the typical suburban subdivision. Using issue-based brainstorming events as well as a series of Image Preference activities, a consensus was reached to prepare a “Conservation Neighborhood Design” ordinance that stressed minimizing development impact by reducing road widths, lot sizes, and building footprints, and maximizing common open space, walkability, and connectivity to both the natural and built community.

Challenges/Solutions

As can be expected when introducing “new” concepts, there was skepticism from the community on how CND could be implemented in Rockton. Providing concrete examples of successful conservation neighborhoods in the region proved to be invaluable not only in explaining the details of these neighborhoods, but also establishing legitimacy.

Location: Rockton, Illinois
Client: Village of Rockton
Project Year: 2009 – 2010
Lead Batterman Staff: Ryan Garcia, AICP

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) planning process for the School District of Beloit Turner and the Town of Beloit is a highly participatory and comprehensive strategic planning process aimed at creating and improving opportunities for students to walk and bicycle to school. For this project, Batterman assisted the district in developing and analyzing a web-based survey, drafting an in-class survey tool, hosting two public workshops and a Plan open house, and forming a SRTS Task Force.

Challenges/Solutions :

A lack of adequate infrastructure prevents most students from being able to walk or ride bicycles to school in the School District of Beloit Turner. In fact, every child in the district is eligible for bus transport every day although a vast majority live within 1 mile of their school. A key challenge for this project was identifying the most logical, feasible, and economical routes to get students to and from school on foot or on bike. Public involvement was a crucial component of this project, as recommended changes (such as sidewalks and bike paths) would have a significant impact on neighborhood residents in the future.

Location: Beloit, Wisconsin
Clients: Town of Beloit, School District of Beloit Turner
Project Year: 2010
Lead Batterman Staff: Ryan Garcia, AICPb