The Park Board had provided their initial positions in the previous meeting. At this meeting, responses were provided as outlined below:
Pioneer Park and Seminole property
Park Board Position: Pioneer Park's soccer field not to be used, the Seminole Avenue area to remain in consideration following consideration of the use of the former Brown's Chicken property. Response: The City had Burke Engineering look at the Brown's Chicken property and here are highlights: the property could be used as part of the the solution for the Seminole properties. However, it sits at a higher elevation and would require significant excavation and more piping because it is located further east than the Seminole properties at an estimated cost of more than $1 million. In addition, the property would have to be purchased at an estimated cost of $500,000 and it would then come off the tax rolls.
Golden Meadows and East End Parks
Park Board Position: An evaluation of the Elmhurst Hospital site needs to take place before any discussion as to the potential use of Golden Meadows or East End parks can commence. Response: Excluding park improvements, the projected cost for construction of the stormwater basins in East End and Golden Meadows, as originally proposed, is $1.3 million and $2.56 million, respectively. At the Park District's request Burke calculated the cost of piping the stormwater from Geneva Avenue, near East End, south of Golden Meadows so that the use of East End would not be necessary. Estimated cost for this concept is $12 million, document attached below.
Position paper regarding possible use of Elmhurst Hospital Berteau site follow up. The City found that their property to the west of the Hospital property has a deed restriction that was put in place in 1973 when the Hospital went through an expansion. It states that the City's property is to remain as open space for fifty years or until the hospital no longer operates on the site, whichever is longer. That means the City's property has to remain as is for another nine years and can't be part of a property swap with a developer. It is believed this deed restriction was put in place to provide a buffer between the Hospital and the homes to the west. The City is looking into whether or not there are any ways to work around the restrictions.
York Commons Park
Park Board Postition: Consideration needs to be given to using underground water storage in York Commons parking lot. Cayuga Avenue resident concerns need to be addressed. Response: City had Burke Engineering look at Van Voorst as an option. It could provide some detention; however, it would require extensive excavation and the playing fields (one soccer and one ball diamond) would be lost because it would require a severe pitch at the bottom of a stormwater basin because of where the park sits on the eastern edge of the watershed that flows to the west. Burke Engineering will continue to look at using underground water storage in York Commons parking lot and addressing the Cayuga Avenue resident concerns and will do so for the next meeting.
After these three points were thoroughly discussed, we discussed the cost per resident lot related to each of the proposed park sites. The Park Board representatives indicated they would move ahead with the Wild Meadows Trace plan, if the city was so inclined. It was agreed that the City will begin development of the framework of a master intergovernmental agreement that could have individual sections for each park site, as needed.
