Algonquin park upgrades triple cost of project

Algonquin trustees are considering a project that would improve several features of a neighborhood park, though the proposed changes are thousands of dollars over budget.

Snapper Field, at 599 Longwood Drive, is one of the oldest existing parks in town, said General Services Superintendent Steve Ludwig. In addition to a basketball court, a playground and a baseball field, the park also has a pool and a splash pad.

Citing a need to replace its decrepit surface, the basketball court was on tap for an upgrade, Ludwig said. Those plans included the option to convert the court into an inline hockey rink during the summer and an ice hockey rink during the winter, he said.

The village budgeted $130,000 for the project this year. However, Ludwig said, village staff members are now proposing a plan that would triple that cost estimate.

The original plans, Ludwig said, failed to include some necessary upgrades: fixing draining issues and adding an entrance path, fences and lighting.

From there, village staff continued exploring options that could "take Snapper Field from a very disjointed, poorly laid out recreational center to something that works together more cohesively and that serves our population much better," said Public Works Director Bob Mitchard.

The various features of the park, for example, are spread out and don't have obvious pathways, Ludwig said.

"You can kind of tell, it's like a house that just has additions put on it that don't really mesh really well with the entire site," he said.

Part of the project would include walking paths and landscaping. Additionally, benches and other seating would be added near the basketball court, and trash cans, tables, a bike rack and some shade structures would be placed throughout the park.

Implementing those upgrades as a base project would cost $314,600.

"Being one of our original, really great parks, we thought if we put a little time and effort into this concept, we could actually tie together all the amenities," Ludwig said.

Adding seating and concrete at the splash pad and around the playground, as well as extending the pool deck, are some additional costs to consider, he added. That would bring the total project cost up to $426,600.

Acting as the committee of the whole, trustees voted in favor of the more expensive option for the project, which would include all proposed improvements. The village board will vote on the measure Monday.

"I'm in favor of doing everything," said Trustee Jim Steigert. "The longer we delay this, the more expensive it's going to become."

The cost of the project will come out of the village's park improvement fund, which currently has $589,600, Ludwig said.

Steigert said the park's upgrades are in line with the additional projects considered throughout the village, such as the downtown area.

"(The Snapper Field project) is a nice adjunct to the whole thing," Steigert said. "I'd like to see that big picture and bring it all together."