Elmhurst Park District seeks more input for proposed dog park
Elmhurst residents have not been shy about offering suggestions - both in person and online - for what they'd like to see in the park district's first dog park.
On Thursday, they'll get another chance to provide input when the district holds its second open house to collect feedback on preliminary concepts for the proposed off-leash park to be built on the 3.4-acre site of a former trailer park at 0S761 Old York Road.
The open house, scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. at The Abbey, 407 W. St. Charles Road, will give participants a chance to meet with architects and park staff members, view three concepts for the site, and let officials know which proposed features they like and don't like. The district also will make the plans available online.
The timetable for developing the park remains open-ended, although park officials say the project likely won't begin until after next year. They also say it's too early to say exactly how much the project might cost.
If and when it's built, the dog park would be the first manifestation of the district's Vision 2020 plan based on a community needs assessment survey and other studies conducted in 2016 and 2017.
Residents identified several priorities for outdoor facilities as part of that long-range planning process, including a desire for walking trails, natural areas and dog parks.
Officials decided to tackle the dog park first and this spring agreed to pay Plainfield-based Upland Design Ltd. $22,600 to analyze the Old York Road site, engage the public, and prepare preliminary designs.
The first open house attracted 48 people, some of whom actually sketched out their own ideas for the park. An online survey drew roughly 165 responses.
The combination of that input led to creation of three concepts for the park, director of facilities Angela Ferrentino said Tuesday.
"We took all the input from the first meeting and the online surveys and tried to meld them into concepts," she said.
When asked to rate possible amenities, for example, residents put a shade structure at the top of their list followed by a water feature and play features.
When asked about water features, most wanted a dog drinking fountain followed by some kind of spray water device.
Perhaps surprisingly, Ferrentino said, most respondents said they'd prefer either natural play features or no play features at all as opposed to agility obstacles.
Mostly, she said, people seem to be looking for a place where their dogs can socialize with other pooches and owners can socialize with other owners.
The proposed park site includes a small management office and a two-car garage that may or may not have to be removed. There are also a variety of invasive plant species that will have to be eliminated.
Upland, which also has a Chicago office, has designed dog parks for the Cook County Forest Preserve District and prepared a master plan for Southwest Community Park in Naperville.