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Visioning Statements

Demographics

1. St. Charles County's population will continue to grow as it has in the past;
   1. Most new residents will continue to be from St. Louis County.
   2. The golden triangle will continue to have the highest concentration of growth, but other significant areas will develop along Interstate 70 west.
   3. New homes will continue to be built at affordable prices.
   4. Outlying areas will continue to develop with large homes of 3 -5 acre tracts.
   5. Few residents will speak languages other than English as their first language.
2. St. Charles County population will continue to grow, but higher growth rates will be concentrated in the western part of the county.
3. Residents new to the county will require introductions to local business, services, governmental entities, and to the Library District.
4. Demand for services from residents of outlying areas of St. Charles County and from adjacent counties will grow as more people move to those areas.

 

Regionalism

1. There exists the very real possibility that complacency toward the county's success will diminish its future potential. It could, for example, be easy to assume that since St. Charles County has been a national level growth leader for some 20 years, development will continue automatically or of its own inertia. Similarly, the county's rising economic and demographic power could lead to essential isolationism, and internal view of the county as an independent entity, rather than as part of much larger statistical and demographic region.
2. St. Charles County will become a major player in metropolitan issues -- especially when the County surpasses the City of St. Louis in population (expected by 2008).
3. Governmental alliances with St. Louis County will be strengthened.
4. Business, agencies, and organizations will establish cooperative working agreements within the county, region, and state to facilitate the establishment of infrastructure and provisions of electronic resources.
5. The housing boom has fed the county's development for many years. The county has changed from a rural entity, to a bedroom community for St. Louis, to a major regional economic force. St. Charles County will have to be prepared for a diversification of its economic base.

Education

1. Education attainment will continue going up. There will be increased demand for support of post-secondary classwork, as well as elementary and secondary education.
2. The educational system needs to produce graduates that are problem solvers, critical thinkers and life-long learners in order to adapt successfully to a changing work environment. When there is job creation, there also needs to be a trained work force to fill those jobs. Not everyone needs a Harvard Ph.D., so there has to be an appreciation of community college graduates, building trade graduates, skilled workers, as well as four-year grads. Many families cannot afford higher education for their children, and deferring their entry into the work force for four or six years after completing high school. Elementary and secondary educational planners need to work closely with the business community.
3. The changing manner and method of delivering education will require greater technical and technological skills of the professional staff. Meeting the demand and providing continuing education opportunities will require more flexibility in scheduling, and greater out-of-class time for teachers. Tight controls will be necessary to balance expenditures with value-added, and to assure continuity in the quality of teaching.
4. Attaining educational objectives will require intense interdependence and cooperation among divergent groups. Parents, teachers, staff, administration, community, ancillary groups, libraries, and institutions will have to work together, each providing unique assets to contribute to the general good.
5. Colleges and universities will be challenged with providing education to more non-traditional students as time passes. Greater scheduling flexibility, increased student emphasis on skill development and "getting the paper" to prove job related continuing education will require a continual evolution of curriculum, teaching, and facilities.
6. All children will have an education that enables them to be productive citizens of the county as demonstrated by gainful employment and the exercise of civic responsibility.

 

Business and Economic Development

1. The county will maintain a solid tax base and relative affluence. Continual attention will be paid to increasing the number and strength of county businesses.
2. Economic growth in St. Charles County is fostered by a high-tech Corridor, access to adequate venture capital, encouragement of small business, as well as large, and retail and other support services.
3. More small businesses will begin than in the past, especially in the technology and service areas, to provide needed jobs and services to residents.
4. Venture capital is a necessary component of small business growth. A High-tech corridor will lure businesses such as Master Card to the area. The quality of life in St. Charles County is excellent: good schools; affordable housing; low-crime rate; and green space will lure people here. Excellent recreational facilities are being developed.

 

Telecommunications and Technology

1. Residents of St. Charles County will have the comprehensive telecommunications infrastructure needed to access a variety of local and non-local information.
2. Government agencies, business, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, et.al. in St. Charles County will provide as much public information as possible in electronic format to meet the citizen's needs.
3. Residents will receive the necessary education and training from a variety of institutions and organizations that will enable them to utilize electronic resources.
4. A majority of county residents will have the capability of accessing electronic resources from their homes.
5. The citizens of St Charles County have available technology based opportunities linking government, private businesses, and individuals, such as the internet, which are linked to local needs.
6. Technology is the way of the future and must be encouraged by local government. The library system is at the forefront. Schools and other institutions with resources should provide the training needed to take advantage of opportunities.
7. All residents and businesses in the county should have access to the internet to take advantage of the services and information it offers, along with expert assistance [of the library staff] in using such.
8. G.I.S. materials in the library should be current and comprehensive and available to all to aid in developing knowledge of the County.

 

Transportation

1. The transportation infrastructure should enable the citizens of St. Charles County to move freely within the county as well as have the ability to move to and from adjacent counties.
2. Transportation should include an improved highway system and light-rail (extension of the Metrolink) to ease traffic congestion.
3. The location of St. Charles County on Highways 70 and 40/61 give us great advantages. 40/61 needs to be upgraded to three lanes minimum from St. Louis County to the I-70 junction. Hwy. 94 should be improved from Highway 47 in Warren County to I370. Hwy. N needs upgraded all the way T. The Page extension will benefit both St. Charles and St. Louis Counties. Good feeder routes within the county are necessary. Lambert Field expansion is directly related to our growth. The East Side is ready and waiting to leap ahead.

Quality of Life

1. The citizens of St. Charles County have been able to maintain the quality of life they enjoy through environmentally sound practices that have fostered green spaces and trail systems throughout, as well as preserving historical sites.
2. As the county's population increases, many factors to the quality of life. Careful planning to avoid the mistakes of St. Louis County and considering the interests of all citizens (as opposed to narrow local pragmatism -- county / municipal relations, considering the interdependence of the metro region than the independence of individual entities) will enable us to grow in a positive way.
3. Recreational facilities will increase to accommodate larger populations and increased leisure time Every square inch of St. Charles County (the flood plain is reserved for farming and recreation) does not have to be developed. Land use that preserves landforms, fosters less dense housing in appropriate areas, and protects our historical heritage is going to keep St. Charles County as an excellent place to live, and to have a business. Once we forget that, people are going to exit from this county as they did from St. Louis and St. Louis County.