Mount Prospect leaders split over design for new downtown park

Mount Prospect officials are considering two possible looks for a new park across from village hall.

The village this year purchased two properties near the intersection of Emerson Street and Busse Avenue with plans to redevelop them as the Edwin and Elsie (Meyn) Busse Park. Officials allocated $750,000 for construction of the park, expected to be ready in time for next year's Mount Prospect Downtown Block Party, typically held in late July.

The village board this week heard from its consultant, Nilay Mistry of Altamanu Inc., on two design options, one with a water feature and one without. In two online surveys, 49 percent of 200 respondents said they wanted a water feature.

The first design proposes a splash pad with pavers, multiple water jets, boulders and a recirculating water system with storage tanks.

The second replaces the splash pad with a pavilion featuring architectural features reminiscent of onion sheds that were seen dotting downtown in the early 20th century.

Each design would cost about $675,000, according to the consultant.

"We as a design team gained a lot of respect for the priority of maintaining history in downtown Mount Prospect," Mistry said.

Mistry called the water feature "quite almost polarizing," with many in the community strongly in favor of it and many others are highly skeptical of the idea.

The same was true among village trustees this week. Trustee William Grossi was among the skeptical, saying he worries about maintenance costs.

"Now we put it in and we have a dollar figure every year for maintaining the system, turning it on, turning it off, for something that's going to be used 2½ months," he said.

Trustee Colleen Saccotelli said she supports the water feature.

"I think people would use it during the day, especially in the summer, when kids are off school," she said.

"I'm a little concerned about the rocks. They look beautiful. (But) it's wet, and kids are climbing on them," Saccotelli added.

Trustee Michael Zadel asked about liability involving the water feature.

"We may get an adult or two with perhaps an adult beverage that shouldn't be in the water feature in that condition. And I would be concerned of slippage," he said.

Village Manager Michael Cassady said the village staff would work with the consultant to determine the possible maintenance costs of the water feature and come back to trustees with more details.