Too soon to reject this garden option

The Naperville gardeners understand, respect and accept the opposition of the Naperville Central High School athletes and parents to bussing. This eliminates Options 3 and 4. The gardeners hope that the parents will do them the courtesy of understanding and accept that the gardeners have a valid desire not to be moved. This eliminates Option 1 and 1A.

We are left with Option 2. From the beginning of this process, questions, comments and suggestions relative to Option 2 seem to enter a black hole of communication - things go in but virtually nothing comes out. And yet Option 2 holds the potential of satisfying both groups' desires and seems to have been ignored by the school district and the park district. We believe that no discussion of compromise should be on the table until Option 2 can be accepted or rejected on its own merits.

The gardeners support the club sport programs. After all we are the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles of the athletes. Since all of the participants arrive by car to practice and play at the designated field we believe that an analysis of Option 2 will identify acceptable alternative fields.

The Save the Gardens group recently proposed Option 2A at, as an example, the Brush Hill park. However, a park district spokesman commented that it will create some issues because teams would be displaced, among those who use the site are the Galaxy Soccer Club.

Brush Hill field may fall in the "underutilized" category versus "not used," and is an example of the opportunity that may be available from a rigorous analysis of all fields and open space available throughout the city. But until this information is known, it is premature to reject Option 2.

Doug Dallmer

Naperville