The playground equipment at the Conrad Fischer playground has been assembled and set and concrete footings were poured. The installation of safety surfacing will begin soon.
The Berens Park Synthetic Turf Project is completed and the fields will reopen the week of July 9, allowing summer camps and team programs to again make use of the fields. The project, begun in early June, moved swiftly and was completed ahead of schedule.
After ten years of use, replacement was necessary to continue to provide a safe and functional surface for play and to meet the high demand for field usage, by both the Park District and affiliate athletic groups.
The Board accepted and approved the Elmhurst Park District Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the year ending December 31, 2017 at its June 11, 2018 board meeting. The report was presented to the Board by the District's independent auditing firm, Lauterbach & Amen.
The financial statements report that the District continues to maintain a sound financial condition, reporting total net assets of $45.1 million. This is an increase of $1,655,520 from the prior year.
Based on feedback from residents during the Vision 2020 process, one of the amenities most desired is a dog park. And now is your chance to tell us what you'd like to see! You're invited to a planning open house on Thursday, July 12 from 5-8 p.m. at The Abbey, 407 W. St. Charles Road. It will be an open house format so drop in any time and let us know what you'd like to see in a dog park!
With school out of session, the Park District is beginning work on the redevelopment of Conrad Fischer Park playground, which will receive new structures and play surfacing this summer. On June 4, the old playground structures were removed by Kids Around the World, a non-profit agency that repurposes playgrounds and rebuilds them in developing countries. Elmhurst Park District has worked with them previously to repurpose playground equipment from several parks, including most recently at Plunkett Park.
At the March 12, 2018 Park Board meeting, Park District staff and the Board’s ad hoc IT committee provided updates regarding the District’s registration software, RecTrac from Vermont Systems, Inc. (VSI). The software ran at an unacceptably slow rate of speed during registration on February 24, 2018, causing concern amongst residents trying to sign up for programs.
One of the values the Park District emphasizes is being Community Focused – at the end of the day, it’s all about the community we serve. Improving the accessibility of our parks and facilities for all community members is an important part of maintaining that focus.
As the home to many Park District programs, including dance, preschool and gymnastics, it’s important that Wagner Community Center is maintained to ensure a safe recreation space for the community. An upcoming roof restoration project will contribute to keeping the building properly maintained. At the March 12, 2018 Park Board meeting, the Board approved restoring the existing roof system over the registration and staff offices, classrooms and Multipurpose Room A at the Wagner Community Center.
Plans for the redevelopment of Conrad Fischer Park playground moved forward at the Monday, February 26 Park Board meeting, with the Board approving the Playground Redevelopment Project and Safety Surfacing Project. The playground plan includes replacing the existing playground with new equipment which allows for more climbing opportunities, providing additional seating, replacing the wood chips with a new unitary surface and constructing a barrier around the playground. Modern, green and blue equipment will be installed and be designed for the 2-5 age group.
Visitors to the Salt Creek Park softball field will soon have a new way to practice their swing, as the Park Board approved the installation of batting cages in the park at the February 24 Park Board Meeting.
Installed in 2008, the two existing synthetic turf sports fields at Berens Park are popular sites for soccer, football and lacrosse. However, after ten years of use, replacement is necessary to continue to provide a safe and functional surface for play and to meet the high demand for field usage, by both the Park District and affiliate athletic groups.
Maintaining the parking lots and paths at District parks helps visitors access the parks safely and is an important task that aligns with the District’s goal of maintaining amenities.
At the February 12, 2018 board meeting, the Park Board approved a bid of $195,415 for a paving, seal coating and striping project for the west parking lot of Berens Park as well as the parking stalls along Oaklawn Avenue. The work will also entail repaving deteriorating paths at Conrad Fischer Park.
The Bicentennial Fountain and its surrounding area in Wild Meadows Trace, will receive some improvements in spring 2018, just in time for residents to enjoy the space this coming summer.
In an effort to make accessing Park Board documents more streamlined and user-friendly, Park Board meeting agendas, minutes and related material will now be available electronically through Board Docs.
This cloud-based service improves the District’s governance processes and its communication with the community, while saving staff time and taxpayer dollars. The easy-to-use service allows immediate publishing of Board meeting documents and policies, giving community users quick access to the most up-to-date information.
At the Monday, November 14 meeting of the Elmhurst Park District Board of Park Commissioners, members of the Elmhurst Garden Club presented a check to the District for $3,000 raised during the annual Elmhurst Garden Walk and Faire. The money will be used for plantings at park signs throughout the District with additional funds being used for the Recreation Assistance program which allows disadvantaged Elmhurst families to participate in recreational programs.
On Saturday, November 4, members of the Elmhurst Park District Board of Park Commissioners gathered to officially welcome the community to the new Plunkett Park playground. Unfortunately, due to storms, the grand reopening was moved inside to Courts Plus where the Board along with Executive Director Jim Rogers cut the ribbon with view of the new playground behind them.
Visitors to Berens Park and East End Park will soon have more room to run, play and picnic. Green space will be added to both parks this fall as part of the Park District’s goal to improve and maintain open space for Elmhurst residents.
Two single family properties recently acquired by the Park District, 447 W. Armitage Avenue (located adjacent to Berens Park) and 207 N. Hampshire Avenue (located northeast of East End Park), will be demolished and restored to open space during the week of October 10, 2017.
The Park Board approved a plan to ban tobacco use on all District property at the Monday, August 28, 2017 Park Board Meeting. Sugar Creek Golf Course and paid rentals at Wilder Mansion are exempt from the ban.
The approved ban comes after discussion at the March 13, 2017 Park Board Meeting, where Board Members directed staff to draft an amendment to the District’s Park and Facility Use Ordinance and to create an implementation and enforcement plan for a potential ban.
If you've strolled the Illinois Prairie Path in Elmhurst recently, you may have noticed a construction project underway at The Depot. This fall, the old pavers, which were uneven and beginning to chip, are being replaced with new ones, which will provide a continuous, smooth surface and improve ADA accessibility.