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Vernon HillsThe Story of A Small Park What do you do when you're just starting out as a park district? Do you passively wait for donations of land and hope for the better? Officials of the Vernon Hills Park District eschewed this approach. Drawing up master plans and rallying the community behind them, they aggressively sought parcels of land. The result: in seven years seven parks were established with a value of $4,830,460. By Carl P. Hartmann Vernon Hills, a village located in south central Lake County, had a population of only 1,000 when the 1970 census was taken. Ten years later its population had zoomed to 10,000, making it the fastest growing community in the county. Along with the growth came the need to acquire parks, and that record has been just as impressive. Created in 1973, the Vernon Hills Park District had an assessed valuation of $18 million to work with. Ten years later it had spurted to $100 million. In 1973, residents of Vernon Hills learned a park district from a neighboring village was taking steps to annex two Vernon Hills subdivisions known as New Century Town and Plymouth Farms. The Village attorney was instructed to fight the move, circulated petitions to form a Park District and on November 27,1973, a successful referendum created the Vernon Hills Park District.
Park commissioners found themselves in a unique position in that future growth was being controlled and planned by that phenomenon known as the Planned Unit Development (PUD). The Park District would have a strong role in determining its future park, recreation and open space requirements. At the start, the Park Board merely met and awaited the land to be donated, but Board President Dolores Sullivan was unwilling to accept such a passive role. Sullivan began attending IAPD meetings, speaking to other commissioners and professionals and soon had her fellow commissioners fired up about their real responsibilities. The District hired its first director in 1976 and engaged a parks and recreation planning firm to produce both a Master Plan and Master Site Plans. Community involvement was strong, providing the Board with valuable input, and a plan developed that was to serve as a guide for the future development and acquisition of open space. THE ROLE OF THE VILLAGE In four areas of the Park District, land donation agreements between Village Trustees and private developers had been completed prior to the creation of the Park District. The New Century Town annexation agreement provided 128 acres; the Deerpath PUD added 65 acres; and the Mil-60 Annexation Agreement (which is still open) will add 43 acres. No park land was included in the Plymouth Farms Annexation Agreement. In 1976, an agreement with a developer provided the District with a 3-acre parcel and house and garage, contingent upon the purchase of a 2-acre site at the opposite end of a 5-acre Village Park in between. The purchase was financed with a BOR grant and became a neighborhood playground, while the three acre site remains the administrative and maintenance headquarters of the District. In Chart I below is a list of major acquisitions and the method by which the Park District acquired the parcels of land. It may surprise the reader to learn that all open space negotiations between the Village Trustees and developers were without the benefit of a "Naperville Ordinance." The condition of the land at the time of being deeded to the Village also varied. The first Century Park parcel from Urban Investment and Development Company was graded, seeded, landscaped, and also included bike paths and tennis courts. At the other extreme, the 65-acre Deerpath Park site was 100% undeveloped. In all cases of land being acquired by developer donation, the parcels were deeded to the village since the annexation agreements predated the creation of the Park District. In all instances, the village then Illinois Parks and Recreation 31 May/June 1984 deeded the land to the Park District by using a Quit Claim Deed and the District began the process of developing the land. SMALL ASSESSED VALUATION EQUALS LOW BONDING OWER CAPABILITY When the G.O. Bond limit was still at .5%, the Vernon Hills Park District had adopted a .2% limit that it could have outstanding in any one year. It was necessary to maximize LAWCON Grants and developer cooperation whether it be in the form of dollars or in-kind services such as engineering or landscape architecture. A thumb nail sketch of the chronological development of the various park areas will highlight six years of progress, and chart II at right will illustrate the extent to which the Park District was able to stretch its financial capabilities: 1976-77 Two parcels of land were developed by Urban Investment and Development Company prior to being deeded to the Park District. The parcels, known then as Park A-l and Park B-l, are today Little Bear Lake and six acres which include the tennis courts across Hawthorn Drive from Hawthorn School. Development included the tennis courts; landscaping; security lighting; bicycle paths; a softball field; two arched bridges; and miscellaneous site furnishings. 1978 The Park District received its first Land and Water Conservation Grant (LAWCON) and used the $120,000, 50-50 matching funds, to begin development of Deerpath Park. 1979 The District was awarded a $34,500 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and built the playground and picnic shelter in Oakwood Park, constructed a bicycle path and planted some 45 trees and shrubs. 1980 In February, the Park District purchased the former Deerpath sales office from Christ Lutheran Church and remodeled it for use as a small community center. Marimac
Park was purchased in July a defunct former sewage treatment facility was the feature of the site for $54,000 from Lake County Public Works. Another $50,000 was required for demolition and grading, and the park site created a neighborhood park where no open space previously existed. A $200,000 LAWCON Grant enabled the District to complete the bicycle path system in Deerpath Park; construct a shelter; build a second playground; install four tennis courts; build two formal softball fields; construct a parking lot; and complete landscaping. 1981 With the Federal Government no longer funding the LAWCON Grants, the District turned to its own financial resources developing the playground at Marimac Park. A donation from Urban Investment which included $10,000 cash, landscaping, bike paths and turf development enabled the Park District to build the playground in Century Park. 1982 With the LAWCON freeze continuing, the District again utilized a donation in order to complete a previously unfinished project, the sledhill. (Continued on p. 43)
Illinois Parks and Recreation 32 May/June 1984
"It is readily apparent that the ability to work with developers growth is just ahead. The Master Plan is being updated and a new five-year development and acquisition program is a major component of the plan. The District has yet to develop adequate sports facilities including its first lighted ball fields, and another aspect of the plan includes opening the 65 acres of lake surface in Century Park for sailing, paddle boats, canoes and other non-motorized water craft. Over one-million dollars will be needed, and already the Park District is exploring ways to work with local businesses to assist in funding certain projects. It hasn't always been dollars that have helped. Sixteen-year-old Mark Miller needed a community service project as he worked to become an Eagle Scout. He laid out the two-mile course, then built and installed the Park District's first Fitness Trail. On April 30,1983, Mark received the rank of Eagle Scout in a Court of Honor at which Park District officials spoke. You cannot put a dollar tag on citizen involvement. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carl P. Hartmann, Director of the Vernon Hills Park District, is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in parks and recreation. He was employed for several years with the Waukegan Park District and later with Highland Park. He has been in his present position since 1978. Illinois Parks and Recreation 43 May/June 1984 |
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