Park Board Minutes 2008 06-16-08 Bristol Bay public meeting Bristol Bay Phase I
Public Meeting 6. 16.08
Start time: 6: 10 pm
Introduction of Staff
Scott Sleezer, Superintendent of Parks
Dave Mogle, Director of Parks and Recreation
Laura Haake, City Park Designer
Robbie Hart, Yorkville Police Department
Guests: approximately 20
Dave introduced park design, described the park boundaries, gave an overview of the
amenities that we are looking to apply for a state grant to help fund the development.
Scott explained the park design process, approaching public with design after we come
up with a conceptual design for the public's input. The overall park size is 50 acres, 15 of
which are detention. The park will be developed in 2 ph ses, phase I including the top 2/3
of the park land from the Bristol Bay Drive towards Galena Road. This facility will be
primarily soccer fields, which can double for Youth Tackle Football fields. Stormwater
pipes from the development go underground but overland swales between the soccer
fields also move water. The park's linear shape is conducive to lay out soccer fields. The
road will be installed for the distance of Phase I, with a temporary cul-de-sac for
turnarounds. Traffic will increase from the use of the regional park, but in Phase II it will
include a connection to Galena. Parking will be included, but again must be phased due
to lack of budget dollars. As part of Phase I improvements it will include building 4
tennis courts, which can potentially be lit later. The design also includes a nice sized
playground, shelter, and a trail linking to the sidewalk in the cul-de-sac. In Phase II the
trail will continue to Galena Road. The trail and road are separate to prevent conflicts
with cars and people.
Phase II will include additional soccer fields and a skate park. The skate park is in a great
location because it backs up to detention and is away from homes. Two full court
basketball courts will be provided. Deceleration lanes will most likely be necessary at
Galena Road when the road through the park is completed, a significant project.
Approximately one-third of property and the road will remain to be developed in Phase
II.
Landscaping will be added year to year, and will continue to be developed as the park
matures. This park will be extremely beneficial for residents here and residents
throughout the City, providing regional soccer fields for an increasing demand.
Questions/comments:
(R: Resident, S: Scott, D: Dave, L: Laura)
R: Timeframe for park development?
S: The application is due by July 1 and we should hear in January, but this year we didn't
hear until May, so it depends on when the state makes the funding available. We expect it
to be a 2010 project. The park will not be developed prior to the receipt of the grant
funds, because we cannot spend money ahead of time. If we don't get the grant, we could
have to scale back the amenities in the park.
R: If you cut back on the park, where is the funding coming from? Where is money
coming from if you get the grant?
S: The grant is a 50/50 grant, which only gives us $400,000. Our half of the money would
be paid for out of land/cash funds. If we did not receive the grant, Staff would have to
approach the project again to determine what is most important, and we might come back
to residents to learn what is most important.
R: Road to access Galena would be a Phase II? Wouldn't that put traffic through our
development?
S: Yes, the road connection to Galena would be a Phase II because Galena Road
deceleration lanes would be expensive and at this time it is more important to put money
into useable amenities. Parking is available at the elementary school, and additional
parking will be provided in a parking lot. Grant from state will not help in funding the
entire cost of the road, and we will need amenities to make the project successful.
R: What will the traffic be like? How many more cars?
S: We recognize it will be more, but understand that the school pulls in traffic as well,
and we don't expect traffic to be a major impact.
R: Will there be police security?
S : Police are good at taking care of all of parks, and have a presence there. Staff has also
discussed the need for a gate for vehicle traffic to stop at entrance to park after the park is
closed.
R: Why does the school have a gate going back by the playground?
S : The school is trying to control the vehicle traffic. The area that is gated off is for
school buses, but the playground is not gated off.
R comment: Yorkville seems to be going off the deep end with the soccer fields, when
what we want is baseball. People from all over the place will be coming to this park, tons
of traffic, doesn't seem ethical.
R: Issues with stormwater management?
S: Stormwater is managed by underground pipes which connect to the retention area, and
the park and soccer fields will drain to the stormwater management area as well.
R: In Phase II could you put in baseball field? Bridge Park is close but residents have to
drive to the baseball fields. Bridge Park is over booked, and the kids play too late. That is
a Youth Baseball issue. Still need baseball fields.
S: We are currently planning baseball fields in other parks throughout town.
R: Do soccer fields run the community of Yorkville? No one plays soccer! Wasteful use
of land.
S : The numbers are huge for soccer.
D: Community survey indicated that soccer is a huge interest.
S : Right now there are 1100 kids in soccer and 1200 in baseball. We are facility short for
soccer fields, as a matter of fact, Beecher shares the baseball fields with soccer fields.
R: Understands we have a limited budget, and would love to have more soccer. My sons
play travel, and go to communities because they have areas made for soccer. Yorkville
doesn't have that and it would be nice to have.
S: Instead of mixing soccer and baseball, would like to have soccer complex and baseball
complex. The Regional Park at Bristol Bay is a slender piece of ground, and difficult to
lay out baseball fields. Whispering Meadows is getting a baseball field, possibly to be
used in the spring. Prairie Meadows will also have a baseball field. In addition, Youth
Tackle Football also needs space and can use the soccer fields shown in this design for
practice space.
R: When is the park next to the clubhouse going to be made?
S: We are planning in 2008, we will come back to residents with the theme and general
design for that park.
S : Yorkville designs our own parks, developer can build but will not design. We also
theme all of our parks, add amenities, budget, and then speak to residents in the
neighborhood about the overall design.
R: What is the advantage to having extra traffic for soccer in our development with all of
the open space?
S: The entire park development will occur in design phases, and it was conceptually
designed with soccer fields since the beginning.
R: People park on roads with small parks, residents complain about that as well.
R: Soccer fields are shown at the top of drawing? Where is the parking?
S: Parking is adjacent to the site at the school, and an additional parking lot is design to
be constructed as part of the park. Additional lots or nose-in parking will be added as
needed.
R: Will there be ease on the congestion through an exit onto Galena?
S : That will be part of Phase II.
R: Cost basis? Soccer fields versus baseball fields?
S : Soccer fields visually appear much more open, cost less, and we are limited due to the
stormwater management area. As part of any park, we have to mow, and the area is green
space one way or another.
R: Appreciate tennis courts.
R: Sunflower was supposed to have a baseball field.
S : That is Phase II, Harris as well.
R: Yorkville baseball in crisis because have no fields.
S: Have 1 field under construction now at Whispering Meadows, another developed park
with another ballfield, additional phases with future developments. Cannonball Estates
additional 4 acres with another baseball field.
R: More kids playing baseball, need fields.
S : In our grant for Raintree another baseball field is included. The bigger problem is that
now soccer is beginning to infringe on ballfields because we don't have the space. Fox
Hill has a ballfield, but it is spring ball, fall soccer.
R: Would like a large picnic shelter and more trees.
S: A larger shelter could be included with Phase II to hold special events, and we will
continually be adding trees to the park as budgets allow.
R: How will this affect the resale values?
S: Studies show that homes next to the park resale go up.
R: Plan is great. Do we have plans yet for the next two Bristol Bay parks?
S: Laura and I sit down and conceptualize, and we haven't decided on a theme yet for
these parks. The developer is obligated to pay the City $50,000 to build each park. It is
not much money, but developer gave a great amount of land.
R: Can the community help build the smaller parks?
S : Yes, we can have a community build or ask the residents to fundraise for things like
shelter, which we are doing for another park in town.
R: Many empty lots. Want parks to help build homes.
S: This design is what we envison for Phase 1, and in the past we have been successful
with our grant applications, but budgets are always cut and our need for soccer makes this
park a top priority. Projects become more elligable when they have amenities you are
lacking, which is why we chose soccer. Phase I is for the 2008 grant. Phase II is for a
future grant if we are successful in this phase.
R: Thank you for the postcards notify us of the town meeting, it was good timing - not
too far in advance to forget but long enough to plan ahead.
R: With the waterpark nearby, we are worried about the traffic.
S: The City understands that there is a need to think about 47 and Galena, now and with
parks down the road. Developer is talking with IDOT about getting access to Route 47.
R: Does the city have a plan for the whole area?
L: Yes, there is a comprehensive plan, and a meeting is on Thursday from 4-8 at the
Library.
R: Two roads leading to the development are currently blocked off.
S: Originally the City was working on a comprehensive road improvement plan for the 47
corridor, but since the economy downturn has slowed development, discussions with
IDOT to open the road must be continued from the developer for the intersection to
Route 47.
R: Will the path have a link for jogging in a loop?
L: Yes, but the loop will connect around the development. Trail is located in front of the
Fire Station, up Rosenwinkel Drive, and across Bristol Bay Drive to the park, where the
path through the park will eventually link into the development and back to the Fire
Station in the future.
R: Is the City hooking up with Fox Valley Park District?
D: It is merely a suggestion at this time, and residents are looking into the possibility, but
they are looking at all possibilities, such as becoming our own Park District instead of
Department.
R: Are the tennis courts and basketball blacktop?
S : Yes, they are lined through a special surfacing over blacktop.
S : Are there any further questions? Thank you all for coming!
Meeting ended at 7:04 pm.