The Elmhurst Park District Park Board of Commissioners recognized Commissioner Anthony Pelosi for his years of service at the Monday, April 24 Park Board meeting. Anthony, who is stepping down after serving the Board for the past six consecutive years, was presented with a resolution to formally honor his service to the Elmhurst community.
With the goal of increasing accessibility to The Depot, a historic building situated in Wild Meadows Trace, the Park Board approved the replacement of The Depot’s pavers at the Monday, February 27, 2017 meeting, at a cost of $22,320. The new pavers will provide a continuous, smooth surface and improve ADA accessibility. The existing bricks have ¾” gaps or wider, are uneven and are beginning to chip.
The March 13 Park Board Meeting saw discussion over changes to the District’s Park and Facility User Ordinance, specifically an amendment to ban tobacco use on District property. Based on the information presented by the Board Policy Committee at the meeting, the Park Board approved moving forward with the drafting of an amendment which bans tobacco use on all District property except at the Sugar Creek Golf Course, which would be excluded at this time due to the intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Villa Park.
Plans for the redevelopment of Plunkett Park playground moved forward at the Monday, March 13 Park Board meeting, with the Board approving both the Plunkett Park Playground Redevelopment Project and the Plunkett Park Playground Safety Surfacing Project. Plunkett Park playground is next on the District’s replacement schedule and the project will ensure that the playground continues to comply with current safety standards and ADA accessibility requirements.
The Berens Park North Tennis Courts will be getting a facelift this spring. At the Monday, February 27 Park Board Meeting, the Board approved a resurfacing project for the tennis courts, at a cost of $121,946.17.
The scope of the project includes adding a layer of stone on top of the existing surface and overlaying with new asphalt and color coating. The tennis net posts and nets will also be replaced at a cost of $3,240. Work on the project is expected to begin in late May. The Berens Park South Tennis Courts will remain open and playable during construction.
The stormwater detention project at Golden Meadows is moving forward. The appraisal of $1,130,000 was approved by the Elmhurst City Council at their January 17, 2017 meeting. The appraisal was then sent by the Park District to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and is now awaiting their approval. Since the property was purchased with IDNR Grant funds, IDNR must approve the appraisal and sale of the property to the City of Elmhurst. IDNR prohibits stormwater detention as a use for park land purchased with IDNR funds, thus requiring the sale of the property to the City of Elmhurst.
The Elmhurst Park Board has approved the purchase of the property at 207 N. Hampshire Avenue, located northeast of East End Park. The District’s strategic objectives include acquiring property to increase open space in the community and property adjacent to existing park property is identified as particularly desirable in the District’s strategic plan. The purchase price of $415,000 for the property was approved at the Monday, January 17, 2017 Park Board meeting.
The Elmhurst Park District Board of Park Commissioners cut the ribbon and officially welcomed the public to the newly redesigned Ben Allison sled hill on Saturday, January 28.
Park Board President Vince Spaeth and Executive Director Jim Rogers explained that plans for the renovation of the sled hill were approved by the Park Board in February 2016 in an effort to provide ADA accessibility and a safer sled path that is not angled toward the street.
At the Tuesday, January 17 Board Meeting, results of a survey given to Pool Pass Holders in fall 2016 were presented. The survey gathered feedback regarding pass holders' usage of and satisfaction with facilities, amenities and staff.
The Park District looks forward to rolling out some operational changes for summer 2017 based on the results of the survey. Look for more information on these changes in late spring 2017 as new pool schedules become available.
The Elmhurst Park Board has approved the purchase of the property at 447 Armitage Avenue, adjacent to Berens Park. The District’s strategic objectives include acquiring property to increase open space in the community and property adjacent to existing park property is identified as particularly desirable in the District’s strategic plan. The purchase price of $292,500 for the Armitage Avenue property was approved by Resolution R-05-16 at the Monday, October 11, 2016 Park Board meeting.
The City of Elmhurst began its stormwater detention project in York Commons last week with the removal of trees in the proposed detention basin. During this time, the skate park is closed for use but the playground and soccer fields remain open. The Elmhurst Park District anticipates the skate park to reopen in February 2017.
In the third phase of flooring replacement at Courts Plus, the Park Board approved a total project cost of $52,779 to replace flooring in the upper and lower level hallways and offices and to install vinyl VLVT flooring in the upper level tennis viewing area, racquetball, offices, hallway and conference rooms.
At the Park Board meeting on July 25, 2016 the Board unanimously approved Resolution R-02-16 to approve the terms of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the City of Elmhurst and the Elmhurst Park District for the construction, operation and maintenance of stormwater improvements in Golden Meadows Park.
At their May 25, 2016 meeting, the Park Board approved a bid of $63,800 from Professional Paving and Concrete Co., Inc. of Glen Ellyn, Illinois to redesign the front entrance stairway at the Park District Administrative Office in order to increase accessibility and safety, and to repair the sidewalks and driveway entrances on First Street. This improvement project will also include paving the visitor parking spots directly across from the front entrance along the train tracks.