As the new field center of Oak Park comes closer to groundbreaking, the residents of the region have expressed concern over its effects on the cost, location of the center and its effects. Park district of Oak Park officials met some of them in an attempt to reduce those concerns last week.
The project to replace the Century-Old Field Center Building began last March, when the park officials asked for the proposal design. They ended with plans for a new center, which would be twice larger and more accessible for people with disabilities.
However, in November, the residents shocked the tag of $ 2.8 million and worried about the ability of worse traffic around the field park, Berkshire and Division Between the Roads and next to the Hores Mann Elements. Other objections are taking more green space for a building.
During an online meeting last week, the members tried to address the concerns as the final decisions are near the Board Board Field Center, which should come on Thursday.
He said that although the new building would occupy more land than the previous facility, the area designed again asks for better flow of vehicles along with more useful green space in the park.
In addition, Park Director Jan Arnold said, with a large building, the park can adjust more students for district after school programs and can waver classes, which means that parents to children at once Will leave or not pick up.
“It’s not that this building is going to add traffic,” he said. “In fact, I believe it is going to help in spreading traffic.”
In addition, he said that the village is looking at the traffic crowd in the area and they should work on their own mitigation efforts this year, although their plans are neither input from the park officials.
Chris Lindgren, deputy director of Park District Properties and Planning, said, “Traffic tons are tons, they are doing the entire community with pedestrian safety issues.”
While the design has already been approved for the building, the two options mentioned in the meeting will reduce the position of the building. Neither the plan will affect the current sector center until the new is finished and will not be ready, and the old center will remain open through construction.
The main difference between the two schemes is “Option B”, which will be in the position of the new center in the direct north of the existing center, while “option A” will take the new building to Berkshire and cause more trees to get an ax will be. Option B means a loss of six trees, while the option A11 will remove trees, including seven memorial trees. Officials said that all trees would be replaced and two monuments need to be removed, regardless of whatever happens.
The existing Berm-Manav built hills of the park were built from the remaining soil when the basement of the original center was dug and would be taken to the center of the park.
“We are planning to put some barming in the area, so we still have mature trees that we have north side of the park, but in the center of the park,” said Arnold.
The other difference is the distance from Berkshire Street.
Keven Graham, an engineer of Terra Engineering, said, “Option is about 65 feet from A Berkshire.” Option B is 266 feet away from the road.
Graham said, “This is a real issue when it comes to leaving children or taking children at a community center,” Graham said.
With either the option, Arnold said, a street behind the center will be completely closed and the park lights will be led and will be on a timer system to prevent light pollution late at night.
Additional features in the park may include inputs from their main users – children.
“We have talked about voting children on the playground equipment,” Arnold said. Once the park board settles on option A or B, the district will work on sports equipment.
“Then we will work with the Hores Mann School so that the children can be included with selecting pieces of equipment,” he said.
Graham said, “Children in the past have a really good time.”
Once the land broke on the project, Arnold said that the new center should be open within a year.
“Ten -12 months old we are going to say,” he said. “Sometimes (us) get wet springs, weight falls, weight winners, so we are talking in the most, 12 months. It decides when we start.