Glen Ellyn parks director says trees must go

Glen Ellyn Park District officials say their agreement with the village that involves cutting down about 340 trees for a flood control project and soccer fields is a necessity.

Executive Director Cory Atwell said the 66-acre Ackerman Park currently consists of 46 acres of fields and 20 acres of trees. The plan calls for the removal of 2.8 acres of trees.

"Ackerman has always been an athletic venue," Atwell said. "That's what it's always been, and that's what it'll always be."

In November, the village and park district entered into an intergovernmental agreement to create a stormwater detention area at Ackerman Park. While village officials will oversee the construction of the dry-bottom detention pond, the park district is donating the land.

In return, two soccer fields will be constructed -- one of which will double as the water detention area.

Atwell said the park district has five other parks, including the 26-acre Churchill Park, that serve as wooded areas. They won't be transformed into athletic areas.

"This is where you come and walk if you want to get away," he said.

Meanwhile, Ackerman is a busy park and is the district's only soccer venue, Atwell said.

Although people can practice at open grassy areas, when game time rolls around they need a full-fledged field.

Ackerman has 12 soccer fields and eight softball fields.

Now that some Glenbard high schools have no-cut policies for many sports, park district officials are anticipating more requests for open fields.

"Yeah, it'll be noticeable when (the trees) come down," Atwell said, "but we're just trying to put in fields we need."