Carbondale is beginning a project with a Chicago planning company to develop a plan that will guide the city’s business development up to 2017, a Carbondale planning official says.

Tom Redmond, Carbondale planning services director, said a new comprehensive plan that maps out the growth of community businesses will replace a plan which was adopted in 1979.

He said the city has outgrown the previous plan which did not anticipate growth in some areas, such as the area around the University Mall, 1237 E. Main St. He said the new plan will allow for unanticipated changes to be factored in without creating another plan.

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Redmond said the previous Carbondale plan, Complan 2002, was completed by a Carbondale Planning Commission employee. He said the plan took two years to complete.

He said the city hired Camiros Ltd., which is a planning company from Chicago, to write the new plan. Redmond said Camiros officials have said they will complete the plan within 15 months and will then submit the plan to the city for approval.

Redmond said the plan is designed to guide the development of the city by outlining areas the city does or does not want to grow. The plan will also reevaluate city ordinances pertaining to business growth within the city.

Redmond said the new plan will depend on the cooperation of three groups:Camiros, a 27 member advisory committee and city officials.

He said the Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee will include representatives from SIUC.

Kim Clemens, Undergraduate Student Government president and a member on the advisory committee representing SIUC, said she is glad the city is asking students to be involved in the development of the plan.

The Graduate and Professional Student Council has not named a representative to the committee.

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Another SIUC representative will be James Tweedy, vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Redmond said Camiros had previously completed a plan for Bloomington, Ind., and he said Carbondale officials were pleased with the work Camiros had done there.

Redmond said the citizens of Carbondale will be involved in each step.

The advisory committee will represent different groups within city, he said. But the citizens will also be able to address the planning directly.

One way the citizens will be involved is with a random survey to be mailed to 2,500 households in March, Redmond said.

He said all the meetings will be open to the public and said all citizens are invited to participate.

Camiros representatives, the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission and the City Council will be on hand for a public meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at the City Council Chamber, 607 E. College St.

Redmond said the meeting will outline the work Camiros will do and how the citizens of Carbondale can assist.