Fox Valley Park District outlines ambitious plans

Cooperating with other agencies will be essential if Fox Valley Park District hopes to complete an overflowing capital projects list in the next few years, officials said today.

Toward that end, they played host to a joint meeting with Kane County Forest Preserve District leaders at Aurora's Vaughan Athletic Center, with each side summarizing project plans.

Both groups have undergone leadership changes since the last such meeting in 2003.

The growing park district, covering about 70 percent of Kane and smaller portions of DuPage, Will and Kendall counties, is diving into an estimated $72 million capital improvement plan.

Priorities include buying land, extending regional trails, and improving parks and sports complexes, water parks and facilities such as Blackberry Farm and Orchard Valley Golf Course.

Officials this week said they'll consider asking voters to approve a property tax increase in 2008.

The two agencies pledged to work together to preserve open space. In urban areas, saving a 1-acre parcel is as critical as saving a 100-acre parcel in rural areas, Fox Valley Executive Director Steve Messerli said.

"It's important for people in areas who see a lot of blacktop and chain-link fences to see some open space," he said.

Partnerships also will be necessary for trail projects, including closing a 1.3-mile gap in the Fox River Trail in downtown Aurora, leaders said.

The work is a joint effort among the city of Aurora, the park district and the Kane County Forest Preserve District.

Officials will apply for grants this year to help fund the $1.7 million plan, with work to begin next year.

Likewise, forest preserve officials will need help in building a north-south Mid-County trail system west of the Fox River that could begin in Aurora and extend to Elgin, leaders said.

That path, which would offer easy access to residents in growing areas, could be complete in the next decade, said Monica Meyers, forest preserve executive director.

Like Fox Valley, her agency is in the middle of critical growth and planning stages, she said. Roughly 90 percent of its projects include partnerships.

"It's even that much more important to include everyone in the process," she said.

Leaders also talked about the timing of possible future referendums, with Messerli saying they may want to avoid asking voters to pay at the same time.

Forest preserve leaders are reviewing a master plan to guide them through the next five to 10 years. Once that's approved, officials will have a better idea if an operations tax increase is necessary, Meyers said.

Board President John Hoscheit said the district should have enough funds to get through 2008, though a tax increase request could be considered in 2009.