New Naperville garden plots back on the table
The Naperville Park District is once again exploring possible sites around the city to create additional garden plots.
Planners say Country Lakes Park on the north side and Southwest Community Park and DuPage River Park to the south appear to be the most feasible. They will spend the next several months exploring issues of cost, infrastructure and access for all three options as well as looking for other possibilities.
Executive Director Ray McGury on Thursday pushed for getting solid numbers on demand and costs in hopes of avoiding some of the controversy that ensued when the district discussed garden plots in past years.
"I would feel more comfortable as a district and you as a board, to have those numbers so when we are challenged, and we will be ... that this is not flying by the seat of our pants," he said.
All 495 of the district's garden plots at West Street are full.
There are an additional 69 people on a waiting list to get their first plot and 13 more waiting for a second plot.
Because of recent drainage improvements, officials believe they can add 23 plots to the site to help accommodate some on the waiting list.
However, they still would like to create an additional plot site to accommodate residents in other parts of town and to make up for the plots they lost when they agreed last year to allow Naperville Unit District 203 to build athletic fields on part of the garden plot land on West Street.
For months before an agreement was reached, the issue pitted gardeners who didn't want to lose land against parents of Naperville Central High School athletes who wanted their children to be able to practice near the school.
The park district had planned to create new plots at DuPage River Park but that project fell through after residents near that park complained and the price tag came in more than anticipated.
Officials resurrected the issue at a park board workshop Thursday and said based on the current waiting list, they are now looking for a site with four acres to accommodate 100 garden plots.
Eric Shutes, director of planning, said the locations that seem the most feasible are Country Lakes Park on North Aurora Road just west of Route 59, Southwest Community Park near 248th Street and Wolf's Crossing, and DuPage River Park on Royce Road.
Neighborhood parks would not be ideal, he said, due to their lack of parking.
Staff has also considered Nike Sports Complex but using that site would mean losing a different amenity on the site. Brush Hill Park also came up but would have access problems.
Park commissioners agreed the staff should spend the time and money doing more research into the options.