Elgin parks and rec focus stays on neighborhoods

Elgin recreational leaders are thinking both big and small when it comes to their plans for 2011 and beyond.

The city's Parks and Recreation Committee on Tuesday signed off on its long-term plan for Elgin's park system.

The parks master plan will next go to the city council, either Oct. 28 or early November, for approval.

While a key cog in the plan for next year is to develop 22 acres of a 224-acre regional park on the city's far west side, Paul Bednar, the city's park development coordinator, said officials haven't forgot their focus on neighborhoods.

In mid-October, the parks department will open their newest neighborhood park, Unity Park, a half-acre site at Illinois and Hammond avenues.

"The biggest need we have is neighborhood parks. That was identified 10 years ago. It still remains our biggest need," Bednar said.

Committee members signed off on the master plan Tuesday after a final round of public input. No major changes were made to the plan, which is a key planning document needed for when the city applies for state and federal grants.

The city has applied for a $400,000 grant from the state to help spur the development of the regional park off Plank Road, just west of Switzer Road.

Bednar said city officials haven't received word on whether they will get it, but the bulk of the land was purchased several years ago with a different state grant that mandated park development by 2012.

A $1 million funding request has been submitted to the city council that would pay for two soccer fields, a basketball court, tennis courts, a parking lot, shelter and playground for late 2011 or early 2012.

The parks department has also asked the council to consider $2.1 million in improvements to the Eastside Recreation Center; $125,000 to replace the playground at Wright Avenue park; $130,000 for establishing a turf area and native plantings at the Eagle/Burnidge Park; $50,000 to plan a community park near Tyler Creek and $85,000 for a parking lot expansion and plantings at Hawthorne Hill Park.

"We don't have any absolute, positive things that will happen next spring until the council decides what they're going to fund," Bednar said.

Neighborhoods: Officials have to meet 2012 mandate on park development