At the August 26 meeting of the Elmhurst Park District Board of Commissioners, staff presented project plan updates related to Vision 2020, the District’s strategic and comprehensive master plan, which is a road map into the future as the District prepares to celebrate 100 years in 2020.
At the August 26 meeting of the Elmhurst Park District Board of Commissioners, the Board made exciting progress on Vision 2020 as they unanimously approved a contract to purchase the Redeemer Center property at 123 E. St. Charles Rd. Vision 2020, the District’s strategic and comprehensive master plan, is a road map into the future as the District prepares to celebrate 100 years in 2020.
At the August 12 meeting of the Elmhurst Park District Board of Commissioners, staff presented project plan updates related to Vision 2020, the District’s strategic and comprehensive master plan, which is a road map into the future as the District prepares to celebrate 100 years in 2020.
Installation of new playground equipment at Salt Creek Park began this week. The equipment will feature more climbing opportunities as well as a Friendship swing, a multi-user swing that lets friends and family swing together! The park's redevelopment work also includes a water fountain, a looped trail around the park, connecting paths on the north and east sides of the park, and resurfaced street parking.
Redevelopment of Salt Creek Park is expected to be completed in late September 2019.
Playing pickleball in Elmhurst is about to get much easier. This summer, construction begins on six, dedicated pickleball courts in Elmhurst Park District’s Crestview Park.
This fast paced racquet game combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It’s played on a court with a paddle and plastic ball, similar to a wiffle ball. The sport, invented in 1965, is relatively new, but is rising in popularity.
“Over the past three years we have seen an increased interest in pickleball,” says the Park District’s Director of Facilities, Angela Ferrentino.
The Park District's Salt Creek Park redevelopment project has begun. On June 17, 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 Conrad Fischer Park.
Salt Creek Park playground will receive new equipment, safety surfacing and more shade trees.
With the roll out of Vision 2020, six key goals emerged including improved condition and maintenance of parks and amenities. To align with that goal, a fence improvement project will begin soon at Berens and Van Voorst parks. The project is based on athletic field park assessments that were completed during the Vision 2020 process.
Elmhurst Park District’s Vision 2020 project helped to shape the future of park and recreation services in Elmhurst as a direct result of community feedback obtained in 2016 and 2017. Since that time, Elmhurst Park District staff have put a plan in place to prioritize the initiatives the community desires. One of the things that came out of a community-wide survey was a desire for more community events for adults.
Staff has listened and this year will be hosting a new adult event called “Bags, Brew & BBQ” on Saturday, July 27 from 6-9:00 p.m. in front of Wilder Mansion.
In 2017, as part of the Elmhurst Park District’s Vision 2020 plan, the District acquired 0S762 Old York Road for the future development of the District’s first dog park. In 2018, Upland Design was hired to conduct a site feasibility study, community outreach and develop a site master plan, which the Park Board approved on July 23, 2018. The District will engineer, bid and construct the dog park when funding becomes available. Progress continued in late March 2019, as contractors began clearing the standing dead and “garbage” trees which were creating an unsafe environment.
In 2017, the Board acquired 0S762 Old York Road for the future development of the District’s first dog park. This was done in response to feedback gathered during the Vision 2020 process, in which the community expressed high interest in a dog park. Now, steps are being taken to ensure this potential project is ready to move forward once funding is available. At the January 28, 2019 Park Board Meeting, a tree removal project at Old York Road was approved which will help prepare the site and improve its landscape.
The Elmhurst Park District invites the community to attend the annual “State of the Park District” address on Monday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at The Abbey, 407 St Charles Rd, Elmhurst.
This presentation aims to provide a current look at District projects, accomplishments and future plans, with a specific emphasis this year on the Vision 2020 progress and resulting plans.
Networking will begin at 7 p.m. followed by the presentation at 7:15 p.m. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
A strategic plan is essential to the success of any organization. It drives long-range planning, directs decision-making, and assists with allocating resources. And in the case of the Elmhurst Park District, it can also be award-winning!
In 2016, the Board of Park Commissioners and staff set out to update the District’s Comprehensive and Strategic Plans. The project was dubbed “Vision 2020” as a nod to the District’s approaching 100th anniversary in the year 2020 and as a reference to “20/20”, having a clear vision of what’s in front of you.
From fall 2016 to early summer 2017, the Elmhurst Park District undertook the Vision 2020 process to update its current Comprehensive and Strategic Plans, which conclude at the end of 2017. Led by The Lakota Group, the planning team for the Vision 2020 process completed the Vision 2020 Plan key findings and draft final document based on the outcomes of the engage, analyze, envision, and implement phases of the process.
The Elmhurst Park District would like your input regarding the future of parks, facilities, and programs via the final community online survey for the Vision 2020 process. Your feedback on proposed priorities, alternatives, and recommendations will help the District gather information to further District’s strategic and comprehensive planning efforts. Please note that this survey is similar to the feedback collected at the May 4 Community Open Houses so if you were present at the Open Houses, you do not need to complete it.
Residents are encouraged to join the Elmhurst Park District for the third and final public open house meetings to discuss planning for the future of the District. The open house will take place Thursday, May 4 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Wagner Community Center (615 N. West Avenue) and 5-7 p.m. at Courts Plus (186 S. West Avenue). Participants can drop by at any time to provide feedback at interactive stations and react to drafted strategies for the Vision 2020 plan that were identified during previous phases of the process.
As part of its Vision 2020 comprehensive and strategic planning process, a community survey was administered last fall by the Elmhurst Park District to obtain feedback and help plan for future park and recreational opportunities. A total of 328 Elmhurst residents completed the survey, which provides a statistically significant overview for the community as a whole. In addition to the statistically-valid survey, the survey was available for the general public on the Vision 2020 project website.
Join us at a Public Open House at The Abbey (407 St. Charles Rd.) to discuss Vision 2020, the in-depth comprehensive and strategic planning process that Elmhurst Park District is conducting. Learn the findings of our recently completed State of the District report, including survey results. Visitors will also have a chance to provide input on preliminary vision strategies for the future of the Park District.