October Board Brief

Board Brief

Highlights from the September 27 Committee of the Whole Meeting and the

October 17 Regular Monthly Meeting of the Wilmette Park District Board of Park Commissioners

Project Phase Categories:

Our project work moves through a process that's broken into four phases: Defining, Planning, Execution and Completion. For detailed definitions of of each project phase, go here.

Status Updates

Projects in the Defining Phase:

Consideration of Pickleball Courts

District staff have completed much of the information gathering the Committee asked for at the last meeting. Staff have engaged the Village to better understand the regulations regarding Zoning Codes and Special Use provisions, and are waiting for a final document explaining these details. The document is expected to be available for discussion at the October 24 Committee of the Whole Meeting.

Consideration of Wallace Bowl Renovation

Woodhouse Tinucci Architects (WTA) has assembled a team of consultants including a structural engineer, landscape architect, and a sound/lighting expert, and will proceed with exploration of the project.

Consideration of Contract for Website Design Services

The Board approved a statement of work from OnPoint Insights LLC, as recommended by staff for the new Wilmette Park District website. Nine proposals were received in response to the RFP, and following a rigorous evaluation process, staff concluded that OnPoint will best serve the community by creating an improved website that benefits information sharing and the registration process.

Project Parks and Play: Explore the Possibilities

Project Parks and Play was officially announced earlier this month. The strategic planning initiative will guide the next ten years of parks and facilities, recreational activities and operations at the Wilmette Park District. Community signage, resident mailers and other means of communication are in the process of being produced to spread the word to all members of the community.

Residents will be asked to provide feedback throughout the process, and the input will help create a clear vision toward the end result, a strategic and comprehensive plan. All details, contact information and future updates/announcements can be found here.

Projects in the Planning Phase:

Solar Panel Project at the Community Recreation Center

Staff received two proposals for installing solar panels at the Community Recreation Center (CRC) utilizing a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). A PPA creates an agreement where an outside company pays for the installation of the panels, saving the Park District the upfront cost of installation, while in return the Park District agrees to purchase the electricity generated by the panels from the outside company.

Due to time passing since the original proposals were submitted, and due to market volatility related to world events and inflation, both companies will provide updated pricing.

Langdon Shoreline Protection Project

SmithGroup is expected to attend and present at the October 24 Committee of the Whole Meeting. They will be sharing concepts and ideas following the direction provided by the Board at their last discussion.

In their previous discussion, the direction given by the Board requested initial concept B, incorporating a stairs-only option, a path-only option, and a combined path-and-stairs option. All options must include an entry point for Park District staff to check beach passes, a place to store wagons and bicycles, and an option to move the path’s end route north.

Gillson Park Comprehensive Plan

Park District staff are assembling an RFP to seek engineering services to create detailed drawings for the conversion of Middle Drive to a pathway. In addition, the RFP will include a solicitation for a Landscape Architect to do a landscape plan for the remainder of the park that was not landscaped as a part of the beach house and parking lot project.

A variety of individual amenities were previously proposed by consultants as add-on options earlier in the project. The Board expressed a desire to discuss and review these amenities to decide which (if any) should be considered in the future. Four specific amenities were discussed at the October Regular Board Meeting, and it was agreed that additional amenities would be brought forward for review in November.

West Park and Platform Tennis Club Enhancements

Platform Tennis Court Construction: Additional bids for the site work related to the two new paddle courts is currently being value engineered.

Projects in the Execution Phase:

Keay Nature Center Project

The bid for this project has been approved by the Board, and work is underway. The entire project should be completed in 2022, including bump-outs for the nature play areas distributed around the park adjacent to the path. Learn more about the Keay Nature Center project in July's Board Brief, here.

Lakeview Center Renovation Project

The Lakeview Center project has begun and demolition work started the week of October 10. Lakefront staff is working out of the Community Recreation Center for the duration of the construction project.

Community Playfields Restroom Project

Work continues on the Community Playfields Restroom Project. The irrigation box was moved, concrete has been poured, and interior work is under way.

Thornwood Park Tennis Court Resurfacing

The Thornwood Park tennis courts have been curing for a few weeks and are ready for parks crews to paint and coat the surface.

Around the Park District

Parks crews were busy this month with various flower and tree plantings; tree treatments and removal from beaver damage and declining trees; and playground maintenance, split rail fence repair and turf work.
Building staff completed several projects including building a cabinet at the Paddle Hut; painting the north wall at the Golf Club Restaurant; installing carpeting in Mallinckrodt halls, offices and program spaces; and painting the doorways at the Center Fitness Club, and tearing down a wall to create the new Functional Training Studio.

To view Agendas and Minutes from our past Board meetings, click here. Minutes are posted after they are approved the following month, at a subsequent meeting.

Next Committee of the Whole meeting: Monday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mallinckrodt Center, 1041a Ridge Road in Wilmette (side entrance)

Next Regular Monthly Board meeting: Monday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall at 1200 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette.

All meetings are open to the public. Details are posted on the Park Board page on our website.

Meetings will be available on Channel 6 locally for Comcast subscribers. View a live meeting online here, or view previous meeting recordings here. Please check our website often for updates.