More store away from Roosevelt Road

Although slow, some progress is being made with a determination of the Hubble site. It’s always seemed unrealistic to expect any developer to assume our flooding problems by taking ownership of the entire site.

The Wheaton Park District has offered a solution to this by presenting an option to locate a grocery store on part of the site, use some of the existing gymnasiums for its own programs, and continue to use the existing lowland areas for athletic fields. Until the flooding issues can be tackled more aggressively, this split development concept is the only one that seems to have a real possibility of happening.

A couple of minor suggestions: Consider closing Naperville Road between Roosevelt and Illinois Street to through traffic, and include a small, landscaped detention or retention pond in the low areas to extend the availability of the athletic fields after minor rains.

My only objection to the park district’s proposal is in response to the map shown in the May 18 edition. The placement of the grocery store close to the intersection of Naperville and Roosevelt roads seems to present the worst features of a store to a very public exposure.

Aside from potential loading docks and/or trash areas, large brick walls would contribute even more of a claustrophobic feeling to an already congested intersection. (Imagine the Target store right up next to Roosevelt.)

I’d like the developers to consider moving the store north, closer to the park district buildings. Attractive landscaping of the frontage and the parking areas would be far more inviting and would open the view to the green athletic fields beyond.

R. Duff Monaghan

Wheaton