Growth in our Community - Why are we growing and how do we plan for it?

There are many contributing factors to explain the increased interest in locating businesses and families in O'Fallon. Families are realizing how convenient it is to live in O'Fallon. With a 15 minute commute to downtown St. Louis, and a top ranked school system, O'Fallon is becoming the community of choice for families in the Metro-East area. For business owners, the City offers great visibility with multiple interstate locations, the most interstate frontage in the Metro-East and regional draw of shoppers. O'Fallon, once known as a predominantly residential community, has expanded to become a regional commerce center. Increased developments not only bring in additional revenue for municipal services but also provide restaurants, entertainment, and convenient shopping to O'Fallon residents. With more than 1,945 new homes and over $400 million in both residential and commercial development since 1997, this rate of growth has made O'Fallon "the fastest growing City in Southern Illinois."

Development is beneficial to any community. However, development that is haphazard, or not properly managed, can put a strain on municipal services such as streets, sewers, and police. Unmanaged growth can lead to incompatible uses, traffic congestion, and a greater financial burden on taxpayers. Growth management efforts are taking place in many other communities experiencing rapid growth. Many of these communities, which feel overwhelmed by the pace of change and are concerned about the impact on their schools and infrastructure, have taken proactive steps to implement land use policies that guide type, location, and rates of development. The City of O'Fallon is in a similar situation and is attempting to deal with growth in a responsible way. The City of O'Fallon has begun implementing policies designed to help preserve the City's small town qualities and to assist in effectively maintaining the level of service to the entire community. Some examples of these "smart growth" policies include encouraging development in areas with adequate infrastructure, focusing on targeted development incentives, ensuring new developments are built in conjunction with the natural environment, and revitalizing downtown.