Crowd fights to save trees, stop flood control project

Frustrated residents tried to get answers Thursday about Glen Ellyn's regional storm water detention facility project at Ackerman Park that will entail cutting down about 340 trees.

Although the project was approved by the village and park district boards in November, many of the 75 residents who attended Thursday night's public information meeting hoped to put a stop to it.

"This is a bad plan, and this project must be halted immediately," resident Melissa Creech said.

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

Resident Marilyn Wiedemann said she's very frustrated with the project, adding the trees are the reason so many residents love Glen Ellyn.

"We have the right to tell the park district what we prioritize," she said.

Resident David Creech said the park district's soccer program could definitely use more fields, but it would be better to improve the fields that already exist rather than create new ones.

"First, we have to maximize the fields that we have," he said.

Village and park district officials said most trees that are planned to be removed are in poor condition, but residents' research led them to disagree.

As part of the project, more than 100 trees will be replanted in the area, Public Works Director Joe Caracci said.

Walking paths and other enhancements also are expected to be worked into the area in the near future to make it a more people-friendly park, he said.

The village already 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. The project should cost about $465,000, Caracci said.

Construction is expected to begin in June.