Sugar Grove trustees like design, site for Veterans Park

The old West Hotel site is the place preferred by Sugar Grove trustees to put a Veterans Park in Sugar Grove.

They discussed the location and potential design of the park at a committee-of-the-whole meeting Tuesday night. “The first question the board has to answer is ‘Is this the right place?’” said village administrator Brent Eichelberger, who is working with the Veterans Park Committee. The board agreed it was.

Trustee Kevin Geary proposed the park in May. At that time, alternate sites were also discussed, such as a village park at Cross Street and Route 47, or perhaps in the Sugar Grove Township Cemetery.

The village owns the hotel site, at South Main Street next to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks. It is across the street from the Sugar Grove American Legion post. Weighing in the site’s favor was the determination that it is unlikely the parcel would ever be commercially developed, due to its proximity to the railroad tracks.

The hotel was bought in the 1990s for historic preservation, but razed when determined it was too badly deteriorated.

Eichelberger also asked the board to weigh in on the proposed layout and members said they liked it. The design calls for monuments saluting the five military branches to be placed close to Main Street, in a semicircle. An access drive would run west on the northern edge of the property, to a proposed village parking lot on the western edge of the park. Picnic tables could be placed in the middle.

To get that access, the village would have to obtain access from the property owner to the north, William and Elaine Keck. Cliff Barker, a member of the post and of the Veterans Park Committee, said he has showed the park plans to the Kecks and they are willing to grant access.

The committee has come up with a three-phase plan to make the park. The first is to put in engraved pavers, three flagpoles and raised flower beds. The second would be installing the service monuments, and the third would be adding the parking.

No costs have been identified yet, and the village wants private donations to pay for the park’s development, with the possible exception of the parking.

Eichelberger noted that the committee is careful not to call the park a memorial. It is intended to honor all U.S. veterans, living and deceased.

Trustee Rick Montalto suggested, however, that the committee consider also including police and firefighters in those it honors. It was pointed out the Sugar Grove Fire Protection District has a memorial garden for firefighters in front of its station.

Yet to be determined are the nitty-gritty details of maintaining such a park, and whether the village should perhaps give or lease the site to the American Legion, or ask the Sugar Grove Park District to take it over.

The matter will return to the committee of the whole on a yet-to-be-determined date.