Four options unveiled for Naperville Central athletic fields

Naperville school and park officials have devised four options to address Naperville Central High School's athletic field shortage.

One option involves moving some downtown garden plots to the city's south side, but both districts say that is not a predetermined solution. Any options likely will have a domino effect on other groups.

"As we collaborate and work with the school district there is going to be a change," park district Executive Director Ray McGury said Wednesday. "Nobody likes change. It would be nice to look the other way and hope things work themselves out, but they're not."

The problem lies in Naperville Central's 35-acre campus, which is smaller than that of many newer schools located on 60 to 100 acres, Naperville Unit District 203 Superintendent Alan Leis said. The school needs space for athletic teams, physical education classes and marching band.

However, it will lose field space next summer when Naperville Cemetery reclaims some of its land near the school. It also will need more space if lacrosse becomes an Illinois High School Association-sanctioned sport.

The district will solve some of its field woes by adding synthetic turf to Central's football stadium that will allow it to be used more often.

"The synthetic turf gives us more flexibility, but when you total it up it doesn't take care of everything," Leis said.

The school and park districts have four proposals for adding more athletic fields.

Option 1 would relocate a portion of the park district's 590 garden plots along West Street to the south side of the city. Former garden plot land would be used to create three fields that could be used for football, soccer and lacrosse.

Under the proposal, about 370 of the plots from the northern area of the garden site would be removed.

Roughly 144 of those would be relocated to a different portion of the West Street site. The park district would create 332 new plots at either DuPage River Park along Royce Road or Southwest Community Park near 248th Street and Wolf's Crossing, essentially adding 100 plots to the city in total.

It would cost the school district about $500,000 to construct the fields and $250,000 for the park district to redevelop the garden plots.

Advantages to this option would be the proximity of athletic fields to Central, scheduling flexibility, fields that can be used during Ribfest and additional garden plots.

However gardeners have been very vocal about their concerns over soil quality, irrigation and inconvenience of the new garden plot location. Park officials have said they would not do anything that would harm the program.

"It was not the intent to go pick on the gardeners," McGury said. "I want them to understand that. At the time, it made the most sense to look at that area."

He said other nearby sites such as the Von Oven Scout Reservation and Sportsman's Park have issues with ownership, layout and clearing trees.

Option 2 is to move athletic teams to the third field at Knoch Park that is used by youth football leagues. In this option, garden plots would not be moved and the fields would remain close to Central.

However, youth football would need to relocate, there would be more wear and tear on Knoch Park and the districts still would need to find alternate space for lacrosse and discus in the spring. Costs mostly would involve maintenance.

The third option is to move one or more of Central's teams off campus to other District 203 or park district sites or leased space. Possible alternate fields include Wil-O-Way Park, Prairie Elementary School or Arrowhead Park.

Advantages include not moving garden plots and less crowding at Knoch Park than the previous option.

On the flip side, students would have to be bused to alternate sites, some community teams would have to relocate, an additional athletic trainer and equipment would be needed and there is no long-term guarantee the fields will remain available. Total costs are not yet available.

Option 4 would be to create athletic fields at DuPage River Park or Nike Park, which would be a long-term solution that would not move garden plots or crowd Knoch Park.

However, students would have to be bused to the fields, new fields would have to be developed and an additional athletic trainer and sports equipment would be needed.

Leis said he personally prefers options one or two because the fields would be close to Central and not require busing students. The park district staff is not backing any one plan.

The districts will hold three meetings to let residents see the options for themselves and give input. The sessions will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 and Nov. 12 at the District 203 administrative center, 203 W. Hillside Road, and Nov. 10 at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave.

Anyone who is unable to attend can e-mail comments to athleticfields@naperville203.org. The district also will send a survey to people who rent garden plots. Several gardeners assisted in formulating the questions.

A recommendation could go to the school board as early as December, then to the park board. If the plan involves garden plots it also will need city council approval.