Lakeville Comprehensive Plan & Streetscape

Comprehensive Plan: The relocation of U.S. 31, situated one mile east of town, prompted the community to initiate the development of a Comprehensive Plan. The Town of Lakeville secured a Planning Grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs for this purpose. This grant enabled discussions on the impacts of the highway relocation as well as addressing various other community objectives.

A significant portion of the Plan focused on addressing the new location of U.S. 31. Despite the new interchange falling outside their jurisdiction, the Town aimed to exert some influence over its development. JPR facilitated the establishment of an inter-local agreement between the St. Joseph County Area Plan Commission and the Town. This agreement encompassed the County’s adoption of a future land use map that extended beyond the Town’s current boundaries. It granted the Town the authority to review improvements occurring within the County but outside its jurisdiction, and established a mutual agreement between the County and Town’s Redevelopment Commissions for the establishment and management of a proposed multi-jurisdictional TIF District.

Streetscape: The relocation of U.S. 31 left a large state highway bisecting the downtown area. In 2009, JPR assisted the Town of Lakeville with design and beautification plans for the downtown portion of the newly downgraded Michigan Street/U.S. 31. JPR worked closely with both the Town Council and Redevelopment Commission to determine what the downtown meant to the community and how it should be depicted in the streetscape design.

The heavily themed design incorporated symbolic elements that were related to the natural wetlands and lakes surrounding the Town and included ornamental street trees, street lighting, decorative crosswalks, plaza spaces, and bike lanes.

Funding was obtained through a Group IV grant. JPR provided all necessary services, including the facilitation of multiple meetings, to ensure that the grant was successfully submitted and awarded.