Carpentersville bike park evolving into community space

With the completion of a new entrance to Keith Andres Memorial Park, a volunteer cycling group has shifted its vision for the future of the Carpentersville property.

The Chicago Area Mountain Bikers organization has spent the past five years building and maintaining mountain biking trails and other infrastructure throughout the park, CAMBr North President Mike Angus said.

What started primarily as a regional cycling hub has been evolving into a local community space where neighborhood families walk their dogs, ride their bikes and enjoy picnics, he said.

"As we were looking at how people were using the area, we noticed a lot more locals coming into the park," Angus said. "It's migrated beyond the bike park now, and I think we're going to carry on with that mindset in place."

The village recently finished a $70,000 project to enhance the park's entryway near a starter bike hill off Sacramento Drive, Public Works Director Bob Cole said. Upgrades include an archway sign, an informational kiosk, a sitting area and a stone seat wall.

Additionally, a memorial column has been installed with a plaque sharing the biography of the park's namesake, Keith Andres, a Carpentersville resident who died in the Vietnam War.

Other beautification efforts have included planting trees and shrubs, seeding grassy areas and creating open space for people to relax, Angus said. A dedication ceremony for the new improvements is at 5 p.m. Saturday.

"Beforehand, it was just dirt. It looks a lot more appealing now," Angus said. "The memorial the village has put in has really increased the curb appeal to the bike park."

Starting with a work day Sunday, he said, CAMBr and other volunteers will then begin regrading the existing bike trails and expanding into undeveloped areas of the park. More pathways will be created, invasive trees will be removed, and benches and picnic tables will be added.

Eventually, Angus said, CAMBr also wants to obtain grant money to build a pump track, which uses gravity to move bikers around the loop without pedaling.

"Our intent, really, is to develop that entire property of land ... and make it a really nice area to do whatever you want to do there," he said. "What I want to do is create a far broader appeal."

Carpentersville officials last year also authorized a $160,000 engineering study to improve the drainage in a section of the park with frequent flooding and erosion. A report from that study will likely be forthcoming soon, Cole said.

"We've really been trying to piggyback on what (CAMBr) has been doing," he said. "We received community involvement, and that has spearheaded the village to take a proactive approach to make that a better park for our residents."