Glen Ellyn to remove several hundred trees from park

Several Glen Ellyn residents say they don't want to see hundreds of trees removed from Ackerman Park as part of an upcoming flood control project.

"They have this nice wooded area with all sorts of wildlife and birds, and they're going to destroy it," said resident Melissa Creech, who lives across the street from the park.

More than 350 trees are expected to be cut down to make room from a proposed storm-water detention area.

Glen Ellyn trustees agreed in November that the dry-bottom detention pond is needed to help prevent flooding in the area.

The village has acquired a water detention facility just north of the Walgreens along Main Street from a property owner, who agreed to deed the parcel to Glen Ellyn years ago.

Now the village is planning to sell that property for about $500,000 after the regional storm-water detention area is built at Ackerman. Money from the land sale will help pay for the new project.

While the village is overseeing the flood control project, the Glen Ellyn Park District is donating the land. Two new soccer fields will be created as part of the project. One will serve as the detention facility.

Dave Scarmardo, the district's superintendent of parks, said most of the trees earmarked for removal are scrub trees and non-native plants.

"Some of them are dead, and some of them aren't," he said. "But any tree that we can protect, we're going to try to save."

Planning and Development Director Staci Hulseberg agreed.

"We've tried to reduce the impact as much as we can," she said.

Scarmardo said the park district needs the planned soccer fields.

"We've got over 2,000 soccer players and there's just not enough soccer fields for all our teams," he said. "Additionally, since we're going to be building the (recreation center) at Ackerman, we're losing a soccer field."

Scarmardo said the 66-acre park has thousands of trees that will remain.

And after the project's done, the plan is to re-plant trees in the area.

"Whenever we do projects," Scarmardo said, "if we remove trees, we always plant what was taken down, plus additional ones."

Village President Vicky Hase addressed the issue at this week's board meeting when residents showed up to express their concerns.

"We would love to save trees," Hase said. "But there are storm-water requirements that we need and soccer fields the park district needs."

Construction's expected to begin in May, and the project should be completed by July.

The village is planning to host a public meeting next month to inform residents about the project's details.