What makes a community thrive for decades to come? It starts with deep listening and collaboration. After 22 years, Lake Zurich has adopted a new comprehensive plan - Lake Zurich Together - marking a milestone in the Village’s evolution and setting a bold course for the future.
The Future is Local and Lake Zurich is Ready to Lead with Heart
Following 18-months community-driven planning, Village Trustees unanimously approved the Lake Zurich Together Comprehensive Plan. Built on months of deep listening, analysis, and collaboration, the plan is a dynamic, evolving roadmap that will shape the Village’s growth over the next 20 years. Teska, in partnership with Village staff, Epstein Global (Ryan Peterson), Egret & Ox (Todd Vanadilok), and, most importantly, the community, crafted a plan that truly captures Lake Zurich's spirit and untapped potential.
“You can tell the plan itself is very deliberate. You immersed yourself in our community, you understand our values --what is important to us, and what we are looking for. The plan is very well done.” - Trustee Riley
What Does the Plan Mean for Lake Zurich’s Future?
Lake Zurich Together is a living, breathing vision for the future. Village Mayor Tom Poynton reiterated the Village’s ongoing commitment to transparency and community engagement, ensuring that residents will remain at the heart of all decisions moving forward. The Trustees echoed this sentiment, noting the consultant team’s deep understanding of Lake Zurich’s values.
“Thank you for not only working with our village staff but for working with our residents, that was very evident.” – Trustee Weider
A visionary framework for the Lake Zurich Main Street District laid out potential development opportunities and illustrated the relationship between key Village nodes.
Inspiring meaningful community input through strategic and creative engagement is at the heart of our approach. We’re grateful for the invaluable insights and support from Village staff, District 95, and local stakeholders, businesses and organizations in making this initiative a success.
Key Elements
Lake Zurich Together is designed to evolve with the community, reflecting both current needs, local values, and long-term aspirations. It calls for diversified housing options, revitalized commercial corridors, and a holistic approach to improving connectivity, mobility, and safe accessibility. Five major themes drove plan policies and recommendations:
Community Design & Development: How can Lake Zurich evolve without losing its charm? The plan outlines design guidelines and a roadmap for land use, housing, small business development, and gentle density—ensuring that growth aligns with the Village’s values.
Placemaking & Programming: How can we transform Lake Zurich’s Main Street into a hub for connection and pride? This section identifies opportunities for placemaking, identity boosting efforts, and community events to foster vibrancy and visibility.
Connectivity & Mobility: How can we make it easier to move around while promoting health and sustainability? The plan proposes an on- and off-street bicycle network, along with expanded pedestrian pathways, to enhance mobility and encourage active transportation.
Corridor & Special Areas: How can we unlock the potential of key sites, gateways and corridors? This section looks at development and annexation opportunities alongside design and zoning to guide smart growth, infill, and improve the look and feel of critical areas in Lake Zurich.
Sustainability, Resilience, & Wellbeing: How can we advance environmental stewardship and community resilience? The plan offers recommendations on stormwater management, native landscaping, open space preservation, and green development practices, all while celebrating the community’s namesake—Lake Zurich.
What's Next? A Community in Action
The road ahead is already in motion. Lake Zurich Together uses a "now, near, next" framework that ensures immediate impact while fostering long-term growth, flexibility, and adaptation. From revitalizing Main Street to cultivating economic vibrancy through arts and culture, the community is already seeing progress that reflects the plan’s vision. The adoption of the 2025 Main Street Streetscape & Beautification Project, approved on the same night as the Comprehensive Plan, exemplifies tangible momentum. These efforts promise to create a more vibrant, welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.
Lake Zurich Together is a community-driven effort. Its success depends on continued collaboration—everyone, from local businesses and residents to Village leaders and planning experts, has a part to play in turning this vision into reality. Notably, as part of recent elections, all Village candidates running for election or re-election, including the Mayor, Village clerk, and trustees ran under the party 'Lake Zurich Together.’ This further acknowledges the Village’s collective commitment to the comprehensive plan’s vision and investment in a bright future centered on collaboration.
We extend our deepest thanks to the Lake Zurich community, the Mayor, Board of Trustees, Village staff, and the Planning & Zoning Commissioners for their dedication throughout this process. Lake Zurich Together is a product of collaboration, and Teska is proud to have been part of this journey. Dive into the Village's next chapter by exploring the project website and plan linked below.
We are grateful to all the community members, staff, elected officials, and our project partners Ryan Peterson and Todd Vanadilok for their dedication to this process and the adopted plan!
Ready to Shape Your Community’s Future?
If your community is ready to roll up its sleeves and begin the next chapter, we’re here to help. Teska’s collaborative approach blends local insights with creative strategy to bring your community’s vision to life.