2020 COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN

BERWYN, ILLINOIS

Drafted by Ryan ArnoldCommunity Development Specialist Berwyn Development Corporation3322 S Oak Park AveBerwyn , IL60402

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Table of ContentsTable of Contents.............................................................................................p.1

Executive Summary........................................................................................p.2

Overview.............................................................................................................p.3Goal.............................................................................................................................p.3

Objectives.................................................................................................................p.3

Strategic Planning Timeline..............................................................................p.3

Survey Methodology......................................................................................p.6

Survey Results...................................................................................................p.6Strategic Planning Session and Focus Groups...........................................p.10

Identified Priority Areas..............................................................................p.12Government Communication and Public Relations.................................p.12Video Gambling.......................................................................................................p.13Community Divide.................................................................................................p.14

Parking........................................................................................................................p.15Youth Engagement................................................................................................p.15Multimodal Transportation...............................................................................p.16

Representation.......................................................................................................p.17

Economic Development......................................................................................p.18

Infrastructure..........................................................................................................p.19

Continued Community Engagement............................................................p.20

Conclusions and Further Recommendations.........................................p.20Appendix I: Survey Results..............................................................................p.21

Appendix II: Strategic Planning Process.....................................................p.32

Appendix III: Strategic Planning Results....................................................p.34

Appendix IV: 2018 Strategic Planning Goals............................................p.36

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Background on Berwyn................................................................................p.4

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Executive SummaryIn 2018, the Berwyn Development Corporation (BDC) – in collaboration with the City of Berwyn – heldastrategicplanningworkshop.Inthisworkshop,bothorganizationsidentifiedpriorityactionitemsfortheshort-,medium-,andlong-term(AppendixIV).Oneofthegoalsidentifiedwastheneedtoupdatethe strategic and comprehensive plans for the community. In 2019, as a step toward achieving this goal, the BDC conducted a community survey to gather feedback from residents. The information gathered was presented in a community strategic planning workshop. The survey and the workshop had three main purposes: (1) Engage the community; (2) Gather information; and (3) Identify priorityareas to inform the allocation of community resources.

The planning effort began with a resident survey conducted from July to October 2019. On October 12, 2019, the BDC hosted a strategic planning workshop at Morton West High School (See Appendix II for agendaanddetails).Ninety-tworesidentsattended.ParticipantsidentifiedBerwyn’stopsuccessesand areasforgrowth.Theresidentsthenworkedinbreak-outgroupstodevelopsolutionsfortheidentified priority areas. In November, the BDC hosted nine follow-up focus groups, providing participants an opportunitytobuilduponsolutionstotheidentifiedpriorityareas.

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Berwyn’s 10 Strategic Priority Areas

Planning workshop participants created a list ofoverfiftypriorityareasand ranked each priority (SeeAppendixIIIfor full list). Through this process and through major themes arising from the survey, the BDC identified ten strategic prioirty areas for Berwyn:

1. Improve Government Communication2. Reduce Video Gambling3. Address Community Divide4. Improve Parking5. ImproveTraffic6. Increase Youth Engagement7. Increase Representation for the Latinx

community and other People of Color8. Continue to Invest in Economic Development9. Continue to Invest in Infrastructure10. Practice Community Engagement

Participants proposed many recommendations for the priority areas. Below are the key recommendations that address overlapping priority areas.

Key Recommendations

1. Hire a communications director for the City. (Shortterm)

2. Create a new website for the City to make it moreuser- and mobile-friendly. (Short term)

3. Livestream or televise all governmental meetings.(Ongoing)

4. Provide more opportunities for residents toengage with decision-makers. Begin with quarterlytown halls. (Ongoing)

5. In 2023, conduct another resident survey andstrategic planning sessions to update and build onthe comunity strategic plan.DRAFT

OverviewThe Berwyn Development Corporation (BDC) is a local 501(C)3 non-profit organization contracted by the City of Berwyn to provide economic development and chamber services to the community. The BDC has served in this capacity since its inception in 1983. On January 1, 2019, the City updated the BDC’s contract to include more detailed, specific, and measurable goals. Included in these, the BDC was tasked with updating the strategic and comprehensive plans. The BDC chose to survey Berwyn residents in an effort to engage the broader community in this strategic planning process. This allowed residents to voice their concerns and opinions, as well as shape the development of this document. It is vitally important to the BDC that we include all of the valuable contributions of our community residents in our strategic plan.

Goal

The goal of this ongoing effort is twofold: (1) identify strategic priorities for Berwyn and (2) identify actionable items to work towards achieving strategic priorities. Note: This is part of a larger process aimed at updating the comprehensiveplanfortheCityofBerwyn.TheBDCwillengageBerwyn’sresidentsandtaxingbodiesateverystep of the process.

Objectives

The survey and strategic planning process had three objectives:1. Send out 1,800 surveys with a 10% response rate (180 responses).2. Identifycommunityleadersoutsideofthoseholdingelectedofficesbyengagingresidentsinastrategic

planning session on October 12, 2019.3. Use survey results and strategic planning outcomes to develop a community-embraced strategic plan.

Present the community strategic plan to City Council by March of 2020.

Strategic Planning Timeline

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Table 1

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Background on BerwynOnJune6,1908,Berwynbecameacity,receivingitsofficialcharterfromtheStateofIllinois.Overthefirsttwodecades of the twentieth century, Berwyn developed similarly to other Chicago suburbs. The WPA Guide to Illinois described Berwyn as a place where “harried commuters relaxed in the evening, weeded gardens, set hens, and mowed their lawns.” In 1921, the central portion of the City began its rapid development, attracting largenumbersofCzechfamiliesfromthePilsenand Cicero. Thousands of new homes were built each year. Berwyn has changed and grown over the years and continues to be an important suburb of Chicago.

The demographics of Berwyn is one of the things that has changed over the years. Berwyn is now about 60% Hispanic or Latinx. Berwyn prides itself on being a diverse and welcoming community that promotes diversity, inclusion, and a sense of community. With its history of development, connection to Route 66, and changing demographics, Berwyn has been and continues to be a beautiful microcosm of the United States. We believe Berwyn has the potential to lead the way in creating a diverse, inclusive, and thriving community that truly embodies the American dream. It is a city where small business owners, families, immigrants, and people from all backgrounds can thrive. Below is a quick look at the characteristics of Berwyn by the numbers.

Community Characteristics

Median Age

Percent High School Graduate

Percent Bachelor’s Degree

Median Home Value

Poverty Rate

Mean Travel Time to Work

35.1

79.80%

22.60%

$192,700

13.10%

32.2 Minutes

37.9

88.90%

34.10%

$187,200

13.10%

29 Minutes

37.9

87.70%

35.10%

$204,900

14.10%

26.6 Minutes

BerwynBerwyn IllinoisIllinois National AverageNational Average

Income Distribution

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35,377

14,501

3,498

1,931

550

66

26

Population: 55,949

White

Black or African American

Asian

Two or More Races

American Indian or Alaska Native

Other

Hispanic or Latinx

Median Household Income

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Community Characteristics (cont.)

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Survey MethodologyThe 2019 resident survey was based on the 2009 New Property Owner Survey. With the 2009 survey, the BDC measured the Why Berwyn?Campaign’seffectivenessinrecruitingChicagolandresidentstomovetoBerwyn.Seven hundred and fifty-ninesurveys were mailed to properties that had recently been purchased. Eighty-two property owners responded. The output of that survey was an internal marketing report.

The BDC wanted to use the 2019 survey as a tool to engage the Berwyn community in the development of a strategic plan. The 2019 survey targeted all Berwyn residents, and included questions designed to contribute to the strategic planning process. The BDC offered the survey in both English and Spanish.

Berwyn’staxingbodies,theBDC’sBoardofDirectors,andmembersofthenonprofitcommunityprovidedfeedbackon the content and design of the survey. Each had the opportunity to submit questions to be considered for inclusion.

In July 2019, the BDC mailed bilingual hard copy survey to 1,800 addresses. The mailing included a cover letter from Mayor Lovero and a paid return envelope. The process for address selection was completely randomized,andensuredanevendistributionofmailingsineachward.To incentivize responses, theBDC raffled offfourgiftcards–oneperweek–toaBerwynbusinessofthewinner’schoosing.With these efforts, theBDCsurpassedthegoalofa10%response rate for mailed surveys with 187 responses, or approximately 10.4% of those surveyed.

The BDC wanted to engage as many residents as possible and created English and Spanish versions of the survey on the online platform SurveyMonkey.TheBDCpromotedtheonlinesurveyonsocialmedia,andintheBDC’sonlinecommunications. Various publications including Berwyn Magazine, Suburban Life and El Día ran ads promoting the survey. BDC staff also distributed bilingual surveys to BNSF commuters in the Depot District with the incentive of a free coffee from local coffeeshop, Lunges 'n Lattes.Additionally,theBDCprintedsurveyinformationon500hand-heldpaperfansdistributedatBerwyn’sOktoberfest. These promotional efforts resulted in 279 additional completed surveys bringing the total to 466 responses. This is a 468% increased response rate from the 82 responses in 2009.

Survey ResultsTable2belowshowstheBDC’seffortsin2019resultedinasignificantincreaseinresponses.Four hundred and sixty-sixresponsesin2019as compared to 82 responses in 2009. Despite this increase, the BDC would like to see more survey participants in the next iteration of this process. For more details on survey responses, see Appendix I.

TheBDCmailedthesurveyto1,800addresses.TheseaddresseswereevenlydistributedacrossBerwyn’seightWards. Table 3 on the next page shows the distribution of responses from the wards. The survey was also available to the general population online via SurveyMonkey. In both cases, the survey was available in English and Spanish. The BDC received a total of 187 responses by mail, seven were in Spanish. Thus, the BDC surpassed the target of a 10% response rate for the 1,800 mailed surveys. Note: residents who received surveys by mail had the option to complete it online. It is possible that the actual response rate for mailed surveys is higher than reported.

6Table 2

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Table 3Showing data from hard copy surveys.

Survey ShortcomingsAlthough the hard copy data showed responses from all wards, the overall data showed respondents from south of Cermak Road were slightly overrepresented. This can be seen in Table 4 below. Furthermore, Table 5 below shows that the respondent pool overrepresented “white” respondents. It also shows that no other demographic group was adequately represented. The response rate from renters was also less than the BDC desired.InBerwyn,58% ofthepopulationarehomeowners. Our survey respondents were 94% homeowners.

Our analysis showed that demographic factors did notinfluenceresponses related to the major themes andpriorityareasthatemergedfromthesurvey.Thereisonemajorexception: respondents aged 45 and above differed in their perception of schools and taxes from respondents aged 44 and below. Across the board, respondents mentioned good schools and low taxes as factors that attracted them to Berwyn. Then, respondents aged 45 and above were more likely to mention higher taxes as area of concern while respondents aged 44 and below were more likely to mention continued investment as an area for concern. The takeaway here is that both schools and taxes are positives for Berwyn. Older residents expressed concern that taxes have gone up, while younger residents seem to be more concerned that their tax dollars are being spent well, especially in regard to investment in education.

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Despiteconfidenceinthesurveyresults,theBDCcommitstoincreasingresponsesandengagementfromunderrepresented groups. The BDC requested feedback on the survey from strategic planning participants. These are the main recommendations from the feedback:

• Engage with community members and the government at all steps in the process. This includes planning andimplementation. The goal is to increase awareness and response rates.

• Hold focus groups with underrepresented groups and develop an outreach plan within those groups.• Rather than ask “What is your sex?”, ask “What is your gender”. Include an option for “Prefer not to say”.• Be more nuanced with ethnic group labels. Consider using “European” instead of “White”. Include categories

for groups usually captured by the “White” category. For example, “Middle Eastern” or “Arab” and “NorthAfrican”. The aim is to represent all groups without “othering” non-white groups.

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Table 4

Table 5

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Results and Key Findings

The purpose of the survey was to engage the community in the development of a strategic plan for the City of Berwyn.WeaskedparticipantswhatinitiallyattractedthemtoBerwyn,whatinfluencedthemtostay,andwhatdevelopments they would like to see in the community. The responses to these questions informed the strategic planning workshop and helped the BDC identify priority areas. For more detailed survey results, see Appendix I.

Berwyn’s Assets

SurveyparticipantswereaskedwhatattractedthemtomovetoBerwynandwhatinfluencedthemtostay.Thesewere the major themes in the responses.

1. Location: Survey participants mentioned proximity to the city and access to public transit, and being in thesuburbs while still feeling connected to Chicago.

2. Affordability/Housing: Survey participants talked about beautiful bungalows and affordable homes, and lower property taxes than other areas they looked to live.

3. Sense of Community/Diversity: Survey participants saw Berwyn as a city that represents cultural and racialdiversity, and called it a welcoming and inclusive city. After moving to Berwyn, the sense of community andneighborhood togetherness that led many people to stay.

4. Environment: Participants cited safety, quiet atmosphere, and suburban charm as reasons they moved to andstayed in Berwyn.

Desired Developments

Survey participants were asked what improvements or developments they would like to see in Berwyn. Responses fell into three major categories: (1) Economic Development; (2) Infrastructure and Community Cleanliness; and (3) Diversity and Inclusion.

1. Economic Development:Survey responses expressed positive views of economic development in Berwyn. Below are the main desires thatarose from the survey for economic development:• Reduce the presence and/or visibility of video gambling• Increase the diversity of businesses present in Berwyn• Continue to invest in all corridors. Especially, residents want to see the Depot District grow into a Main

Street• Reduce business vacancies

2. Infrastructure and Community Cleanliness:Generally,surveyparticipantshaveapositiveviewofcityservices.AstrongmajorityofresidentsratedBerwyn’slivability as “good” or “very good” (See Appendix I). Even so, residents expressed a desire to see more action fromthe city on the following issues:• Alley and street maintenance• Code enforcement, especially related to community cleanliness• Parking enforcement• Focus on development of infrastructure for bikes and pedestrians

3. Diversity and Inclusion:Residents view Berwyn as a welcoming city. Survey participants celebrated progressive leadership in the city.The diversity of cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles in Berwyn attract and retain residents. However, diversitywas also identifiedasanareatoimproveupon.Thecityand community shouldworktoensureallculturalbackgroundsandheritagesare celebrated, recognized, and represented in decision-making bodies.

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“ Berwyn is so friendly! It’s really nothing like a suburb. The support for the arts and small business isfantastic. The fact that it’s a welcoming city and pretty progressive in a lot of ways makes me want to stay here. I feel connected to Berwyn even after only five years. ” - Survey Respondent

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Strategic Planning Session and Focus Groups

The next step was to hosting a strategic planning workshop on October 12, 2019 from 8 AM to 12 PM. Participating residents nominated themselves through the survey, or were nominated by a member of a taxing body. The aim of the selection process was to have a representative group of residents. The nomination and selection process is described in detail in Appendix II.

Participants reviewed the results of the 2019 resident survey, and produced a word cloud of adjectives to describe Berwyn. Below, the word cloud is reproduced in Figure 1. Theparticipantsthenengagedinaninteractiveworkshopinwhichpriorityareaswereidentifiedandranked. At the culmination of this workshop, participants brainstormed and presented recommendations for an assigned priority area. After the workshop on October 12th, the BDC hosted nine follow-up focus groups to continue working on solutions for each priority area. Interested participants from the workshop were invited to attend. These focus groups produced further recommendations for each priority area which are represented in this strategic plan document.

Figure 1This word cloud was produced by the participants of the strategic planning session who were asked to

describe Berwyn with three words. The larger the word, the higher the frequency of its submission.

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Identified Successes and Community Challenges

ParticipantsproducedlistsofBerwyn’ssuccessesandchallengeswhichBDCstaffusedtocreateanonlineinteractive survey. During the workshop, participants then voted on Berwyn's top successes and challenges. See Appendix III for a detailed description of the process and full lists and rankings.Theidentifiedresultsaresummarizedbelow.

Top 5 Berwyn Successes

This is what participants said are the top five things the city has done well in the past ten years:

1. Corridor Revitalization2. The Why Berwyn? Campaign and Marketing Berwyn3. Investment in Schools and Education4. Support of the Arts5. Parks and Recreation

Strategic Priorities

Atthestrategicplanningworkshop,communitymembersidentifiedsevenpriorityareas.Whencombinedwiththe priority areas from the survey, these are the resulting ten strategic priorities:

1. Government Communication and Public Relations2. Video Gambling3. Administrative Redundancy4. Parking5. Multimodal Transportation6. Youth Engagement7. Representation of the Latinx Community and

other People of Color.

Strategic Planning Shortcomings

Representation

TheBDC’sinitialgoalwastohaveagroupof150demographically representative residents. When it became clear that the nominees were disproportionately white, the BDC reduced the number of invitees to ensure that the group would reflect the desired demographic percentages. In the end, 108 residents were invited.ThegroupofinviteesmatchedthedemographicstatisticsofBerwyn.The BDC took steps to ensure each table would have a mix of different demographic groups.

Onthedayofthemeeting,due to a misunderstanding about registration, thirteencommunitymembersunexpectedly walkedintotheplanningworkshop. These individuals had been nominated, but had not been invited. They were allowed to stay and participate. These late additions were mostly white and male. Twenty-nine invited participants did not show up. These were mostly female and Latina. Thus, we ended up with 92 participants and the workshop was not as representative of the community as desired or planned, and the tables were not as mixed as planned.

Part of the reason nominees were disproportionately white is because self-nominations were made through the survey, and survey respondents were disproportionately white. In future surveys and workshops, efforts will be made to increase engagement with and participation from Latinx residents, other non-white groups, renters, youth, and residents residing north of Cermak Road.

Timing

The BDC received feedback that more time should have been given to brainstorming solutions for the priority areas. In response to this feedback, the BDC hosted focus groups on each topic. In the future, strategic planning workshops will be longer and the agenda will be more focused.

From the Survey:

8. Economic Development9. Infrastructure and Community Cleanliness10. Community Engagement

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Identified Priority Areas

I. Government Communication and Public Relations

Background

During the strategic planning session, the majority of participants stated they would favor better communication fromBerwyn’slocalgovernment. Thisissuewasalsomentioned in the survey, but participants in the planning session emphasized it as a top priority for Berwyn.

Both in the survey and the strategic planning session, residents expressed positive views of the City of Berwynandcalledelectedofficials“responsive”and“progressive”.Generally,residentsarehappywithpositivedevelopments that the government is overseeing.

A concern is thattherearetoo manysourcesofunofficialinformationespecially on Facebookandother socialmedia.Residentswouldliketosee the City take the lead in communicating relevant information to the community.

Recommendations

1. Hire a Communications Director for the City.

a. The creation of this role was also recommended by the City’s Diversity Commission.

b. This office would create and implement a Community Communication Plan.

c. The city should invest in local journalism to improve the sharing of information. Consideraddingasection to the Berwyn magazine for City Hall updates and informational pieces. This would fall undertheofficeoftheCommunicationsDirector.

d. TheCommunicationsDirectorwouldbethefirstpointofcontactwhenajournalistwantsaquote fromthe City.

2. Create a new website for the City.

a. Make it user and mobile-friendly.

b. Post highlights and summaries of council meetings and major decisions to make information moreaccessible.

c. Use the website to share the City’s financial information.

d. MaketheBDC’sguideforhowtostartabusinessavailableontheCity's website.

e. Get city processes, applications, and payments online.

f. Use online services like Nextdoor and SurveyMonkey to facilitate better communication between thegovernment and residents.

g. The City of Bloomington's website is a good example of a user-friendly municipal website that includesa section called "Transparency". This is worth exploring and replicating for Berwyn. (https://www.cityblm.org/home) 12

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Government Communication and Public Relations Recommendations (cont.)

3. Make governmental meetings more accessible.

a. Livestream or televise City Council and other governmental meetings with Spanish subtitles orsome other translation service.

i.UseFacebookLivefromtheCityofBerwyn’sofficialFacebook.

ii. Use social media to advertise meetings.

b. Experiment with alternative meeting times for City Council meetings to make these meetings moreavailabletothosewith schedule difficulties.

c. ExploreopportunitiesandpartnershipswithotherentitiesliketheLibrary,nonprofits,ortheParksDepartment to offer childcare during council meetings.

4. Make government services more accessible by providing translation services on the phone and in person.Bilingual staff should be accessible by the phone tree.

a. Consider creating a volunteer program to engage bilingual community liaisons to help residentsnavigate city services.

One of the main issues highlighted by residents is the many different sources of information (e.g. the city, the township, aldermen, the BDC, the different park districts). A recommendation is for the City to consider administrative merging. This recommendation is further discussed in Community Divide, Section III.

One solution for facilitating increased communication between residents, city decision-makers, and the BDC is to host regular town hall meetings for disseminating information by providing a regular forum for residents to discuss relevant issues, voice opinions, give input, and raise concerns. This is discussed further in Continued Community Engagement, Section X.

II. Video GamblingBackground

This issue was strongly rated as a priority area both in the survey and the strategic planning workshop. It was ranked as the second-highest priority in the community. It became evident that Berwyn residents are dissatisfied with the surplus of video gambling establishments and how it impacts community image. Gambling was also highlighted as a public health issue. It is not clear that the City's revenue from video gambling is worth the perceived negative impact on the community.

Recommendations

1. Changezoningregulationstodefineandregulategamblingestablishments.

a. Limit the number of permits granted, and increase permit fees.

b. Prohibit stand-alone gambling establishments.

c. Identify the types of establishments that can have gambling and where gambling can be located withinthe establishment. Keep “family-friendly” in mind.

d. Consider reasonable revisions of sign and/or zoning regulations to address negative perceptions and visual impact of video gambling.

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“ I genuinely love Berwyn - it’s a charming place with a great community. But the ability to project the city’scharm and attract the attention of potential home buyers, or just being seen as a family-friendly / classy place to patronize a local business is continually threatened by the feeling that every other storefront is some gambling parlor. [It] just makes the city seem bleaker than it really is. ” - Survey RespondentDRAFT

Video Gambling Recommendations (cont.)2. Reevaluate the tax structure between businesses and municipality.

a. Dedicate tax revenues from gambling to social and public health causes.

b. The City should communicate clearly and openly about tax revenue especially as it relates to videogambling.

3. Work to attract a more diverse business community. A Why Berwyn? Campaign for businesses, not only residents.

4. Enforce existing codes.

a. Survey all gambling facilities.

b. Develop a white paper to share with the community on the number of establishments, locations, types,sign violations, etc.

5. Consider a moratorium or a cap on the number of licenses granted.

III. Community DivideBackground

The perception of a divided Berwyn arose as an issue in survey responses. It was highlighted during the discussions at the strategic planning workshop. It is clear that residents perceive divisions in the community. There were three main divisions mentioned: (1) The physical and administrative division between North and South Berwyn; (2) the cultural division between “Old” and “New” Berwyn; and (3) the perceived or actual divisions between various cultural heritages present in Berwyn.

North and South Berwyn are divided by 22nd street. North Berwyn has a reputation of underinvestment and for having more crime and blight issues. Survey comments about issues in North Berwyn largely came from residents in South Berwyn, and that residents from North Berwyn were underrepresented in the survey participants.

“Old Berwyn” and “New Berwyn” refers to the differences between those who have been in Berwyn for a long time and new residents. There is a desire from residents to increase the interactions between these two groups to bridge divides. Additionally, some survey responses were racist or otherwise not in line with the values that Berwyn promotes and celebrates. It is clear that work is required to be done to bridge divides.

Residents pointed out administrative divisions, redundancies and a lack of streamlined communication about city happenings as contributing to divisions. The park districts were highlighted. ThereisadesireforthecitytocreateaOne Berwyn campaigntopromoteamoreunifiedcommunityidentity.

Recommendations1. The taxing bodies of Berwyn should establish an administrative merge with a focus on the park districts. In

general, the taxing bodies should eliminate administrative redundancies, and to increase efficiencyoffinancesandcommunication.

a. Merge the two park districts and the recplex.

b. LookintowheretheCityandtheTownshipOfficerhaveoverlapofresponsibilityandcommunication.

c. Mergers and reductions of redundancy would also address the strategic priority of simplifying andimproving government communication.

2. Continue to promote public arts and cultural events that bring the community together.

a. Promote events that celebrate all cultural heritages in Berwyn.

b. Encourage more block parties.

3. BDC marketing campaign: One Berwyn.

4. Increase the representation of underrepresented groups in decision-making bodies (see Section VII).

5. Hire a Community Development Grant Writer. 14

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IV. ParkingBackground

Parkingwasidentifiedasanissue in Berwyn,especially in NorthBerwyn.Theresidentialareasnorthof Cermak Road have more apartment buildings which creates more parking demand. Among business districts, planning participants identified the Depot District as having the greatest need for parking solutions. Berwyn is the densest township in Illinois, which makes parking a challenge. Exisisting services that exist to promote alternative transportation and ease parking include a map of bike racks on the BDC website, a parking deck for commuters in the Depot district, and private solutions like restaurants offering valet service. Even so, residents would like the City to explore ways to continue to improve parking in Berwyn.

Recommendations1. Consistent enforcement.

a. Citytotakeoverenforcement,orfindanewcontractorthroughanopenbiddingprocess.

2. Consider higher fees for second and third vehicles.

3. Find a way to further incentivize people to park in their garages and driveways.

4. Explore zone parking by block or by neighborhood. This would help match passes given out with how manyparking spaces are available.

5. Explore paintingdesignatedparkinglinesfor streetparkingin residential areas toensureefficientuseofspace.

a. This would allow the City to know how many parking spaces are available. This would inform passallocation if the City implements zone parking.

b. This would entail some communication with landlords, realtors, and property managers. This allowsfor coordination about how many passes are available for tenants.

6. Public Works should revise and reduce street cleaning hours where possible.

7. The City should work with property owners to invest in parking solutions.

a. Encourage shared parking between businesses and residents.

8. Re-evaluate zoning regulations to encourage shared parking and other transportation modes like bicycle parking.

9. Encourage and incentivize transit-oriented development and multimodal transportation.

V. Youth Engagement

Background

This priority area was a surprising topic because it was not mentioned in the survey. This topic was brought up in the table discussions on October 12. Then, it was ranked as the fifth-highest priority. This ranking informed the importance of engaging with the community in this way.

The main issue is that there is not enough programming and activities for high-school age youth. The existing programs are at capacity. A secondary issue is that there are multiple sources of information for existing youth programming.

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Youth Engagement Recommendations

1. SurveyBerwyn’syouthtoseewhattheywant.

a. The survey can include questions regarding park space. Is there adequate park space? Are the parkhours convenient? Do youth feel safe at community parks?

2. CreateaYouthCityCouncilorcreatehonoraryseatsonexistingboardsandcouncilsforyouthtofill.

3. Create a Youth Development Committee to watch for funding opportunities for youth developmentprogramming, or have a grant writing position at City Hall that would apply for funding for youth programs.

4. Coordinate with Berwyn Public Art Initiative for an after-school arts programs.

5. Create a workforce development program to connect the high school with Morton College and the businesscommunity.

6. A revamped city website should include a section for youth activities.

7. Support existing youth programs and encourage expansion when able.

VI. Multimodal TransportationBackground

Residentsidentified“traffic”asapriorityareaforBerwyn, referred to here as multimodaltransportation.Themajorfocus of this priority area is congestion caused by trains. The other areas of focus are improving pedestrian safety and bike-friendly development. This, and promoting public transportation can help decrease car traffic.

Recommendations

1. Add left turn lanes and lights at major intersections - especially on Ogden.

2. Requests to IDOT/RTA:

a. Assessandadjusttrafficlighttiming.Especiallymakesurethetiminglightsonnorth/southroadsprovide adequate time for traffic flowing on north/south roads.

b. Explore the possibility of extending the Pink Line to Berwyn.

c. Explore the possibility of installing diagonal pedestrian crossing at major intersections like Harlem andCermakandtimethelightstoincludetimeswhenalltrafficstopsandonlypedestrianscross.

3. Adopt a Complete Streets Strategy for Berwyn. This will address the following recommendations.

a. Install traffic calming infrstracutre, especially in residential areas when appropriate. This includesplanting more street trees, adding medians where possible, roundabouts, etc.

b. Promote walking, biking, and public transportation.

c. Install bike lanes where possible.

d. Considermoreblinkingpedestriansignsatbusyintersectionswherethereisnotrafficlight.

e. Public Works to draft a bike and pedestrian plan.

4. More police enforcement and control.

a. Enforce stop sign usage at train crossings.

b. Enforce speed limits.

5. Adopt a Safe Routes to School program (www.saferoutesinfo.org).

6. The City should look into the feasibility of an overpass at the BNSF west line train tracks. (The City iscurrently lookingintothisthroughtheChicagoRegionEnvironmentalandTransportationEfficiencyProgram:www.createprogram.org).

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Multimodal Transportation Recommendations (cont.)7. City should work closely with BNSF Community Development to discuss freight train schedules to limit trains

during peak commuting hours.

8. Ensure accessible sidewalks and promote walkable development in all neighborhoods and corridors.

9. Ensure transit-oriented development.

10. Increase partnerships with public transit and employers to offer alternative modes of transportation.

VII. Representation of the Latinx Community and other People of ColorBackground

It is clear from the survey and the strategic planning workshop that Berwyn is celebrated as a diverse community. People from all backgrounds and lifestyles feel welcome. This both attracts people to Berwyn and leads them to stay. Diversity ranked in the top things that residents love about Berwyn. “Diversity” was the top descriptor chosen when workshop participants described Berwyn in three words. (See WordCloud in Appendix III).

Diversity and inclusion are clearly areas of success for the City of Berwyn. However, thiswasalsoidentifiedasanareaforgrowth.Theneed to focus on representationwasevidentinthedemographics of survey respondents. Despite efforts to increase the number of Latinx respondents, the BDC did not achieve the goal of 60% Latinx respondents and all other non-white groups were under-represented. Diversity and inclusion must be constantly worked towards.

Recommendations1. All taxing bodies meet to discuss this topic and share best practices.

a. Work to understand and reduce barriers to representation and engagement for the Latinx communityand other People of Color in Berwyn.

2. Educationondiversity,inclusion,andequityforcommunityleadersandelectedofficials.

3. The City should make an effort to understand the needs of the Latinx community andPersons of Colorasexpressedbythosecommunities.Then,officialoutreach,communication,and eventscan be tailored toreflectthese.

4. Seek to increase diversity on school boards and the taxing bodies.

5. Normalize language appropriate services and translation in the city.

6. Create opportunities to celebrate, and heritage, experience, values, and diversity within various groups.

a. Networking events, Storytelling events, Ward meetings, ESL classes.

7. Diversity Commission should focus on increasing representation and fostering leadership in underrepresentedgroups.

a. ConductongoingsurveysspecificallytargetingBlackandLatinxresidentstounderstandexistingbarriers to representation and to help elevate the voices and issues of those communities.

b. Identify and engage community leaders from underrepresented groups.

c. Work with existing organizations, advocates, and social media groups that serve the Spanish-speaking

and Black communities.17

“ There is also a huge problem concerning diversity, inclusion, and equity in leadership. ” - Survey Respondent

“ Almost 60% of the community is Latinx yet flagship events (car show, pub crawl, cruise nights, etc.) do notreflect the cultural values and celebrations of the Latinx community. Although the Park Districts do a good

job doing some things around Latinx heritage, celebrating the traditions of African Americans, Asians, Native

Americans, and other groups are non-existent. ” - Survey Respondent

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1. More investment in all corridors, but especially in the Depot District to make it more of a main street.

a. Create corridor plans for development of the business corridors.

b. This includes business development and investment in landscaping; especially the planting ofmore trees.

2. Promote and celebrate schools to change the negative perception that some residents have, and continue toinvestinBerwyn’sschools.

3. More restaurants and shops.

4. Make the town more bike-friendly and increase walkability and pedestrian-friendly amenities.

a. Identify and apply for grants to do this.

5. Address vacancies and blight in the business and residential areas.

a. Encourageinfillredevelopmentandopportunitiesforreinvestment.

6. Enforce property maintenance.

VIII. Economic DevelopmentBackground

Economic Development Recommendations

Latinx and Persons of Color Representation Recommendations (cont.)

8. Identify Spanish speakers in each government unit. Ensure that the City Hall counters are staffed withbilingual people.

9. Create a Spanish directory for government services.

10. Promote visibility and engagement of the Black and African American community in Berwyn. A goodstart would be to recognize Black History Month, and to organize local events to commemorate it.

Ranking Process

The BDC presented survey results to the participants of the strategic planning session. Participants then identified what they saw as the main areas for growth in Berwyn, producing a list of fifty-one items. BDC staff combined repeats and similar items and created an online interactive survey with seventeen items. Participants used the survey to rank the topics based on priority.

(For full list, please consult Appendix III).

Some items included in this section were ranked highly at the strategic planning workshop. BDC staff decided to group some topics under the umbrella of Economic Development so other topic areas could be included in the final list. These are the topics that were moved into this section: perception of schools, empty storefronts, crime, bike-friendly development, and taxes.

A note on schools and taxes: these topics were identified as successes and priority areas. "Good schools" and "lower taxes" were mentioned by survey respondents as reasons they chose to move to Berwyn. However, both topics were also identified as areas for improvement in Berwyn. Residents would like to see more investment in schools, and would like to keep taxes low. Obviously, there is a challenge to accomplish both of these simultaneously. Even so, this recommendation section includes using taxes efficiently and investing in schools. It is also noted that greater transparency about tax revenues and spending would benefit the community (see Section I).

Strategic planning participants ranked corridor revitalization as the top Berwyn success in the past ten years. Even so, the community expressed a desire to see Berwyn continue to thrive. The items in this category represent major themes from the survey and strategic planning workshop.

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Economic Development Recommendations (cont.)

7. More police presence in areas where crime and perception of crime is a problem.8. Review 16th street corridor for zoning changes.9. Review 26th street corridor for zoning changes.10. Review Ridgeland corridor for zoning changes.11. Evaluate codes and ordinances to reduce barriers for development.12. Establish a one-stop shop to reduce red tape for developers.13. Identify and enhance gateways and consider Berwyn branding/wayfinding.14. Focus on business retention and expansion.15. Encourage use of TIF, Historic Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits, etc.

IX. Infrastructure and Community Cleanliness

Background

This was a priority area that emerged from the survey and was also discussed during the strategic planning workshop. This is different from some of the infrastructure developments included in the economic development priority area, and refers to city service aspects of maintaining infrastructure and addressing community cleanliness.

Infrastructure and Community Cleanliness Recommendations

1. Community mobilizing.a. Aldermen and block leaders should organize clean-up days.b. Organize neighborhood competitions for best yard to promote property maintenance, best

home improvement, best decorated home, etc.c. Campaign against littering.d. Institute a "Love Your Block" or similar small grant initiative to support resident efforts to

improve their neighborhoods.Note: Because it was mentioned in the survey, the City asks residents to contact PublicWorks (708) 749-4700 if they see Waste Management employees act carelessly whenretrieving garbage from the alleys.

2. Code enforcement for cleanliness and property upkeep.a. Property owners and managers are responsible for maintaining the alleys and areas around

their property.b. Residents are encouraged to report violations and to otherwise do their part to keep

Berwyn clean.

3. Alleys and streets need to be better maintained.a. The City will continue to evaluate streets and alleys, and prioritize work based on traffic

volume.

4. Complete the Depot District Infrastructure Project.5. Storm water backups.

a. Address basement flooding.6. Manage aging infrastructure.

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X. Continued Community EngagementBackground

The resident survey and strategic planning session were not intended to be stand-alone events. The community's enthusiasm for involvement was made evident from the strategic planning process. TheCity and the BDC should takeadvantageofthisby providing opportunities for residents to engage with each other and with city leaders.

Community Engagement Recommendations1. Community surveys.

a. The Berwyn Development Corporation will conduct a Resident Survey every three years that will serveto update the strategic plan.

2. Engage the community in the planning process for surveys and community engagement.

i. Hold focus groups with community members, especially with historically underrepresentedgroups.

ii. Focus groups should provide input in the outreach and the survey content.

3. Utilize community leaders such as pastors - especially of Spanish churches - and block leaders to increaseawareness and participation for surveys and other community engagement activities.

4. Have a greater diversity of distribution and collection points for surveys.

i. Include public and community locations like the library and YMCA.

ii. Include locations that will help increase renter participation. For example, laundromats wouldaccomplish this.

5. Town Hall meetings.

a. Quarterly meetings across Berwyn for ongoing community engagement and discussion of topicsrelevant to the community.

b. Use online technology to virtually connect the meetings.

6. Continue to explore ways to use technology to better engage with Berwyn residents.

7. Join Cities of Service to access funds, capacity building, and best practices for community development.(https://citiesofservice.org/)

Conclusions and Further RecommendationsThe main recommendation of this plan is to improve government communications. Special attention should be giventoprovidingtranslationservices.Thefirststepto improving City communicationistocreateaDirectorofCommunicationsposition.ThisdepartmentwouldupdateandmaintaintheCity’swebsite.Theywouldalso create and implement a communication plan for the City.

The second recommendation is for the city to consider zoning and sign ordinances for video gambling. It is clear that theresidentsofBerwynfindtheprolificpresenceofgamblingestablishmentsandadvertisingasadetractionfrom the appeal and charm of Berwyn. Additionally, the City should review the 16th St, 26th St, and Ridgeland Ave corridors for zoning changes.

Lastly, the BDC commits to further engaging the community in a transparent and interactive manner. This will be accomplished with a focus on regular surveys with improved outreach strategies and quarterly town halls.

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Appendix I: Survey Results

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218 respondents moved to Berwyn from Chicago. This was an overwhelming majority. The next highest responses were "Born in Berwyn" with 52, "Oak Park" with 42, and "Cicero" with 28. All

other locations had 4 responses or less.

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Overall, how do you rate the following city services?

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What is your age?

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Berwyn is proud to be a welcoming city for the LGBTQ+ population. It is interesting to note thatamongsurveyrespondentswhoidentifiedasGay/Lesbian/Bisexual,65%reportedbeing

married or in a domestic partnership.

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Appendix II: Strategic Planning Process

Selection Process

In order for a resident to be invited to participate in the strategic planning workshop, they either(1)were nominatedbyanelectedofficial,or(2)filled outthesurvey,indicatedthedesireandavailability to attend, and provided contact information for us to be able to communicate directly with them.

Those who were nominated were asked to fill out a nominee survey. This survey helped us gather information about who was interested in attending, whether they would need translation services at the meeting, and whether they had a smart-phone to participateinourinteractivelivepolling.Onlythosewhofilledoutthenomineesurveyconfirmingthattheywereavailabletoattendwereeligibletoreceiveafinalinvitationtoattend the planning session.

Not all individuals that were interested in attending the strategic planning session were selected to attend. Our main concern was that the planning session participants would demographically represent the community, which informed our decisions on who was invited to attend.

Our initial goal was to have a group of 150 demographically representative residents from the community. When it became clear that the nominees were disproportionately white, we reduced the number of invitees to ensure that we could meet the percentage goal. In the end, we invited 108 residents, and the group reflected the demographics of Berwyn.Thegroupofinviteesmatchedthe demographic statistics of Berwyn. As described below, there were unexpected attendees and no-shows so our numbers differed from what was planned.

October 12, 2019

• The Strategic Planning Session was held at the Morton West Freshman Center from 8 AM to 12 PM.

• Thirteencommunitymemberswhohadnotfilledoutthesurveyand had not been invited showed upto do a misunderstanding of the invitation process. These individuals were allowed to stay andparticipate, and were mostly white and male. Additionally, twenty-nine invited participants did notshow up. These were mostly female and Latina. Thus, we ended up with 92 participants. Unfortunately,the room was not as representative as desired.

• Participants were presented with an overview of the survey results and worked in groups to identifyand rank priority areas for Berwyn.

• The session went beyond the 12 PM stopping point. As a result, the BDC surveyed those that attendedthestrategicplanningworkshopifcontinuingtheconversationonspecifictopicswassomethingattendees were interested in participating in.

• On October 17, 2019, an email was sent to all attendees of the October 12th workshop asking them toconfirmtheirinterestinattendingfollow-updiscussions.Thosewhorespondedwereinvitedtodiscussions based on their topics of interest.DRAFT

October 12 Agenda:

• 7:30 - 8:00 Registration and Refreshments

• 8:00 - 8:10 Welcome and Who is Here

• 8:10 - 8:20 Table Ice Breaker

• 8:20 - 8:40 Berwyn Word Cloud

• 8:40 - 9:20 Berwyn Successes (Group Activity)

• 9:20 - 9:30 Break

• 9:30 - 9:40 Voting on Successes

• 9:40 - 10:00 Then and Now Community Survey Results

• 10:00 - 10:30 Community Challenges

• 10:30- 10:40 Berwyn Challenges (Group Activity)

• 10:40 - 10:50 Break

• 10:50 – 11:00 Voting on Challenges

• 11:00 - 11:45 Challenge Problem Solving

• 11:45 - 12:00 Next Steps

• 12:00 - Box Lunches and Tours of the New Freshman Wing

November 2019

• A recap of this process was featured in a 2-page spread of the November Berwyn Magazine (Spanish andEnglish). 19,000 copies were distributed in the community.

• From November 1 to November 21, 2019, intimate round tables were held. Invited participants wereindividuals who had attended the planning session and provided availability.

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Appendix III: Strategic Planning Results

Berwyn Challenges

The BDC presented survey results to the strategic planning workshop participants on October 12, 2019. Participants then identifiedwhattheysawasthemainareasforgrowthinBerwyn.BDCstafftookwhatthetablesproducedandcreatedareal-timeengagementsurvey.Tablesproducedalistoffifty-oneitems.BDCstaffcombinedrepeatsandsimilar items and created an online interactive survey with seventeen items. Participants used the survey to rank the challenges based on highest priority. The results of that ranking are represented below.

Thegoal was to identify the top five priority areas. In the end, the BDCdecidedtoaddresssevenstrategicpriorityareasratherthanfive.Although they did not rank in the top five, itwasclearfrom discussion thatTrafficandrepresentation for Latinx and other People of Color(POC)wereimportantpriority areas. Note: perception of schools, empty storefronts, crime, bike-friendly development, and taxes were combined into our Economic Development strategic priority which was already identified through the survey.

Key takeaway:

Government communication was ranked as the top strategic priority for Berwyn.

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Berwyn Successes

ToidentifyBerwyn’ssuccesses,weusedthesameprocessasdescribedabove.Tablesproducedlists ofwhatparticipantssawasBerwyn’stopfivesuccessesoverthepasttenyears.BDCstaffcollectedthelists, andcombined like items to create a real-time engagement survey with the following successes: Corridor Revitalization and the Why Berwyn? Campaign, Schools and Educational Development, Support of the Arts, Parks and Rec, Berwyn Pride and Diversity, Public Transit, Festivals and Events, Progressive Elected Officials,SeniorSupport,HistoricBungalows,HomeownerPrideandResidentialInvestment,AttentiontoChildren, Business Friendly Environment/Economic Development, Eco-Friendly Development, Security from Police and Fire, Pet Friendly, Communication and Social Media Outreach, Community Service, Sidewalk and Streetscape Restoration, and YMCA Restoration.

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Appendix IV: 2018 Strategic Planning Goals

Immediate (0-3 months)

BDCtomeetwithCitytostreamlinepermitting/businesslicensingprocess(developanintakeform/flowchartgraphic).

BDC to meet with aldermen to review Annual Report and determine outreach approach to wards, tosharesuccessstories,answerquestions,etc.developanewBDCcontractwithcitywithspecificdeliverables.

Short-Term (3-6 months)

1. Review Depot and Roosevelt TIF Districts and determine the need for extension. If extending, the processshould begin immediately. Potential options include:

a. Amend and extend the Depot TIF for 12 years to address the parking garage debti. The City/BDC will need to look at the remaining incremental value that would service the bonds

since MacNeal property will be coming off the tax rolls.

b. Remove hospital properties from the current TIF and create a new “Medical District” TIF to include theHospital property and surrounding areas to capture the low base EAV. Need to monitor TIF legislationregarding re-TIFing in the same area.

2. Loyola/MacNeal- Review land plan, proposed investments. Prepare a land use inventory and map of thehospital and surrounding properties. Include an ownership search of MacNeal/Tenet/Loyola properties in thecity.

3. Engage a market consultant team to review the area for potential as a Medical District, residential, medicaloffice,commercial.

Mid-term (6 to 12 months)

1. UndertakeacomprehensiveplanupdateoftheTIFareas(incorporatefindingsfromMarketStudy);landuseinventory; vacant, etc. Obtain access to the City GIS system.

2. Compile list of owners.

3. Undertake a residential market study for the entire city.

Long-term (12 months+)

1. City-wide comprehensive plan update.

2. Identify need, scope, and budget for City wide internet-WiFi.

3. Develop a retail and commercial marketing strategy for the City.

4. Review existing BDC programming to develop innovative business outreach and retentionstrategies.

a. Community building.

b. Ethnic Events.

5. Reduce vacancies on Cermak Road east of Oak Park Avenue.

6. Reduce vacancies on 16th Street.

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