EAST CHICAGO | Separating industrial areas from residential neighborhoods will be a major focus of city development efforts for at least the next decade.

The comprehensive plan for future land use approved by the City Council calls for massive business parks on the north and southeast sides, with regulated retail and commercial ventures along the major thoroughfares in between.

"Those communities with a plan are first in line for development investments," said John LaMotte, principal with Chicago-based urban planner The Lakota Group, which for the past two years has directed creation of the comprehensive plan, the city's first in nearly 10 years.

One of the largest business park areas in the Midwest could be assembled to the north along both sides of Dickey Road, LaMotte said, serving as a "supplier village" for BP's Whiting refinery and the ArcelorMittal Harbor steel works.

Millions of square feet of industrial space are also available along Gary Road on the southeast side, LaMotte said, allowing for the consolidation of transportation support companies there and the "greening up" of the nearby Calumet neighborhoods.

Besides a state-mandated framework for land use, housing and infrastructure improvements, the comprehensive plan is also a marketing tool, LaMotte said, "so people can see what's available in East Chicago."

"When someone comes to you and says, 'I want to do x on this site,' you can examine the plan for guidance," LaMotte told council members.

The blueprint incorporates the ongoing North Harbor revitalization effort, and includes expansion of the lakefront marina into a "mixed-use" village, LaMotte said, possibly incorporating part of the adjacent ArcelorMittal parking lots.

Sixth District Councilwoman Gilda Orange, who cast the sole vote against acceptance of the comprehensive plan, said many of her Indiana Harbor constituents are scared about what's going to happen to their properties.

"The plan for that area is still residential," LaMotte said, "but many of the buildings are not in good shape. Over the long term, could residents be relocated to a better neighborhood?"

In the near term, the city's next big initiative should be the modernization of zoning requirements to reflect the blueprint set by the comprehensive plan, LaMotte said.

"Getting commercial and business zones up and running is critical," he said.