Naperville park board urges patience on parcel

Residents hoping to hear an update from the Naperville Park District about the fate of a 6-acre parcel were told to stay tuned.

"The (park) board understands and respects the residents' desire for the park district to acquire the property," said park district attorney Steve Adams. "The more this gets discussed publicly, the harder it is to get a reasonable price."

The value of the former farmland that rests between two park district-owned ponds between West Street and Plainfield-Naperville Road is estimated at around $3.3 million. Park board leaders said they are discussing all of the district's options regarding the potential purchase of the parcel.

"As soon as we have a decision to make on this item you will see it on the agenda," said board President Kristen Jungles.

Jungles said district officials have been in ongoing discussions with all stakeholders, including landowner Crestview Builders.

Several neighboring residents asked the board to publicly declare its intention to buy the parcel at Thursday's meeting. However, Adams said that doesn't serve any good from a price-negotiating standpoint.

The city council rezoned the land earlier this year to allow developers to build 22 townhouses, but with the caveat that no construction begin for a year while neighbors and park district officials look into purchasing the property.

At Tuesday's council meeting, Councilman Richard Furstenau suggested the city pitch in some dollars to buy the parcel for the park district if the council's rezoning vote upped the price of the land.

Some neighbors believe the city has a responsibility to preserve the space along with the park district.

"If the city council could bail out the (Millennium) Carillon, surely they could help fund 6 acres so the land could be preserved as a contiguous park," said resident Steven Collins.

The park district had been approached in the past about purchasing the parcel, but balked because it is considered too small for the park district's needs. But residents contend the parcel added with the ponds would make a 15-acre park, the smallest size park district leaders generally consider creating.

The plight of this parcel has shed light on a growing desire by some city and park leaders to purchase and maintain small open parcels in neighborhoods throughout the city.