Naperville garden plot survey results to be unveiled

Having already decided there will be no expansion of garden plots in the coming year, Naperville Park District officials are eager to hear how or if the current 518 sites along West Street can be improved.

Brad Wilson, director of recreation, said Monday that staff members have begun compiling the results of the online survey that ended Sept. 17 and will make a formal presentation outlining the results to commissioners in the near future.

"It's pretty common for us to survey program participants to get a feel for how things are going, especially in this case," Wilson said. "We've freed up some waiting list spots with the additional plots but we just want to see if there's anything else we can do to improve the site at West Street."

The park district already has made some improvements to the West Street plots this year, Wilson said, such as better drainage and availability of water.

Questions asked of plot renters included whether they would support a permanent parking ban on one side of the gravel roads, whether they would support a refundable deposit and how they would like the district to handle abandoned plots that have become overcome with weeds.

The district reduced its number of available plots when it agreed last fall to allow Naperville Unit District 203 to build athletic fields on part of the garden site.

For months, 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 planned to create new plots at DuPage River Park but that project fell through after residents near the park complained and the price tag came in more than anticipated.