Park/ City/ School Committee Update
City staff has reached out to staff from other agencies regarding potential stormwater solutions. To date, the stormwater issue has only reached the Park District Board; the School District is forthcoming.
Unfinished Business: City of Elmhurst Stormwater Management Potential Solutions
Commissioner Kubiesa stated that this item has been placed on the Agenda to continue discussions regarding the City's potential stormwater management solutions. Any questions/ideas gleaned at this meeting will be added to the list of inquiries from the May 8, 2013 Park Board meeting and delivered to the City Manager the following day. City staff will then have an opportunity to prepare answers to questions before the meeting or address them at the June 12, 2013 regular Park Board meeting when they plan on making a formal presentation of potential stormwater management solutions. In order to accommodate the expected number of visitors at the June 12 meeting, staff proposes to move the meeting to The Abbey at 407 West St. Charles Road. The June 12 Park Board meeting time will also be changed to 4:30 p.m. to allow for sufficient time to tour proposed park sites. Executive Director Rogers stated that in order to comply with the Open Meetings Act (OMA), a bus will transport the Board and visitors to proposed District parks.
During discussion, the Board raised the following additional questions and ideas:
· Hiring a consultant to advocate for and protect the District's interest.
· Receive copies of specifications for Washington Park to comprehend scope of project.
· Request Burke Engineering to provide a virtual reality presentation of proposed park sites to better visualize the plans.
· Does speed of drainage cause extreme dryness by depleting moisture or inability to hold water?
· At what rainwater level does the area begin to fill?
· How in depth have green/holistic solutions been explored?
· What are the ramifications when a field has incurred severe damage making it unusable for the season due to a broken drain pipe? Will the City repair the field at their cost and how quickly?
As the Board would like to know more about the before and after of Washington Park, in terms of grading and how that park compares to what is being proposed for East End, Executive Director Rogers will add the inquiry to the list of questions for the City and Burke Engineering. Board President Kubiesa encouraged each Park Board Commissioner to individually visit Downers Grove's Washington Park ball field, which was also designed by Burke Engineering for stormwater retention, to get an overview of what a retention field resembles.
The Board discussed the Park Commissioners attending neighborhood meetings held by the City, as private citizens and not as representatives of the Park Board, in order to remain informed.
Executive Director Rogers reminded the Board that a detention basin would change the characteristics of a park and restrict options to change the park in the future. With that said, President Kubiesa stated that the Park Board is a steward of open space and responsibilities lie in protecting those spaces.
