Updated Elgin parks and rec plan calls for more bikeability between parks, more artificial turf fields

The Elgin Parks and Recreation Department needs to create a larger bike path system to connect parks to each other and to add artificial turf to more sports fields to bring in more tournaments, a consultant tasked with updating the master plan said.

The revised plan was unveiled last week, replacing the last one adopted in 2011, Parks and Rec Executive Director Maria Cumpata said.

“So this update is greatly needed. This master plan is a document that will guide our department for the next seven to 10 years and provide a roadmap of priorities,” she said.

One chief priority is improving the bikeability between the city’s parks and facilities, according to the proposal drafted by consulting firm SmithGroup based on input from residents, city officials and others in the community.

Only 13% of Elgin’s parks are connected by an existing bike trail, said Jake Blue, a landscape architect with SmithGroup, who gave the Elgin City Council an overview of the plan last week.

The trail area per 1,000 residents should be quadruped to make parks more bikeable and connected, he said. Elgin should “prioritize bike planning so 80% of residents can connect to your park system via bikes,” he said.

Other recommendations included creating bus stops within parks, developing a consistent style and appearance of park signage, providing park signs to guide visitors, making some Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at some parks and improved care of park vegetation, particularly tree canopies.

SmithGroup also is doing a market study on the Sports Complex, which is not yet complete. However, Blue was charged with looking at ways to improve traffic and parking there and recommended the city hire two additional full-time staff dedicated to bringing tournaments and other programming to the facility.

Another key recommendation was adding more synthetic turf fields or converting a portion of the existing fields to artificial turf and adding lighting to existing or new fields. Turf fields don’t have to be painted often, will attract more tournaments and can be used after rainy weather, Blue said.

The complex’s restrooms and concession stands also should be improved to help increase tournament play, he said.

As part of the master plan, park staff asked SmithGroup to do what’s called a capacity study on nine parks, Cumpata said. The ideas from the study won’t necessarily be implemented, she said. “It’s an idea of what they have the capacity to accommodate,” she said.

Blue outlined the potential improvements at the nine parks, some of which are regional parks and others are neighborhood-based.

Drake Field’s youth football league should move to a different location with better parking and restrooms and the existing space used for a mix of field sports with an improved playground and more court sports, he said. It would allow for more park flexibility.

Elgin Shores’ ball fields should be reconfigured to improve parking and traffic, Blue said. It also should have a drop-off location for kids and their gear, a new playground, more parking and a waterfront overlook for fishing.

Festival Park should have a raised stage for festivals, a central food truck plaza with lighting and a new walkway to the bike trail, he said. Lords Park should get improved parking and Wing Park should have improved accessibility and signage, he said.

The plan also includes proposed changes to Walton Island, Mulberry Grove Park, Summerhill Park and the Sports Complex.

Blue provided some interesting facts about existing parks and future parks. Six percent of the city’s land is used as parks, which adds up to 15.5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, he said. That exceeds the recommended 15 acres.

Fifty-nine percent of the population lives within a five-minute walk of a park and 72% live within a 10-minute walk, Blue said. The percentages are higher than the national average.

It means “your parks are very well distributed among your population,” he said.

There are four high priority areas — two on the westside and two on the eastside — that need new parks, Blue said.

While Elgin residents have good access to parks, parks on the westside lack programs for the 0-17 and 65 and over age groups, data showed. The city is doing a good job offering programs for ages 20 to 55, he said.

Once council approves the master plan, the parks and rec department can start working on projects outlined in the plan, officials said.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.