Southwest Naperville could see new park in 2 years
The last large park to be developed in Naperville could be under construction in a year, bringing a new trail, fields, courts, native plantings, a challenge course, a fitness area, a playground, a splash pad and a sled hill to the southwest section of the city.
Park board members gave the go-ahead Thursday to plans for the first phase of construction on Southwest Community Park, a 33-acre swath of former farmland at 3252 Wolf's Crossing Road.
Now staff members and consultants will develop cost estimates and final architectural and engineering plans for the park, in a growing area of the city with several new subdivisions.
Park board members complimented the plan for its 1.78 miles of asphalt paths that connect to nearby trails, its incorporation of feedback from roughly 2,000 people through a survey and meetings, and its multiuse elements, such as a sled hill with stairs leading up to a gazebo, which can be used year-round to climb for exercise or enjoy as a lookout point.
"We feel like this plan really reflects what the community has asked for," said Michelle Kelly, principal landscape architect for Upland Design in Plainfield.
A sand volleyball court was added to designs after resident meetings, which began in January.
"We didn't have one, and we had some good input like, 'Wait, we need sand volleyball,'" Kelly said. "So it got added in."
Although sand volleyball is part of Phase 1, two fields for baseball and softball, two small fields for soccer or lacrosse, and a potential indoor recreation center - with or without a pool - are not in the first round of work.
Those omissions prompted a question from Commissioner Bill Eagan, who said survey participants ranked baseball and softball as their second priorities for new park features.
"Why is sand volleyball Phase 1 but not ballfields?" Eagan said. "I like the plan overall. But from where I stand, ballfields need to be there."
An indoor pool was actually the highest-ranked park feature among survey participants, but Executive Director Ray McGury said Southwest Community Park is too far toward the edge of the city for pool construction to be logical and financially viable there.
Kelly said people who voted for an indoor water element chose a splash-and-play zone as their top choice and an eight-lane, 25-yard or 25-meter competition pool as their second choice. Kelly said this information can serve as background for officials as they ponder when or whether to build a pool elsewhere.
Officials plan to discuss pricing and funding options for Phase 1 of Southwest Community Park during a meeting June 28, with final architecture and engineering documents to follow. McGury said construction could begin in summer 2019 with the first phase potentially ready to open in summer 2020.
Also set to be discussed later is the park's official name; Southwest Community Park is placeholder until officials decide on a final moniker.