Parks & Facilities • Northside Park Renovations
 Current Status – Aug. 27, 2010
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View Northside Park Renovation Closures (386KB, PDF)
After a few setbacks in July from the storms and the regional labor strike, there has been a lot of activity this month. We are anticipating being completed at the beginning of October, however access to some areas of the park will continue to be discouraged to allow the plantings to become established. Currently the paths across the two islands are open for general use.
Northside Park Construction Status
- Issues with the coffer dams around the weir and bridge 1 were resolved by directing water around both features.
- Piles were driven that will support the weir and bridge. This has been done for all structures throughout the park due to the soft soils. The piles are long sections of pipe that are driven down to more solid material between 20 and 30’ deep.
- The weir is being formed and will have concrete poured next week.
- The boat launch area surface was installed.
- Grading of the sled hill has been finished and it has been seeded and covered with erosion control blanket.
- There are a few sections of paths that were washed out during the heavy rains. We are looking at solutions to prevent this from occurring in the future.
- The playground has been removed and park district staff is laying out the new sidewalks surrounding the area.
- The park board has approved bids for the new playground surfacing and replacement of the basketball courts. Both of these projects will occur this fall.
Construction Related Concerns
The patience of Northside Park’s neighbors has been greatly appreciated during this project. We have been lucky to have a general contractor that is very conscientious and has looked to minimize concerns when they can. With number of people involved with this project, sometimes we don’t get the discretion that is hoped for. You are always welcome to contact the park district with concerns. However, if there is a problem after hours you are encouraged to contact the police for immediate assistance. An example of this would be a violation of the noise ordinance that prohibits construction related activity that exceeds 50Db prior to 7am.
Sanitary District Smoke Testing
Though not directly related to this project, please be advised that the Wheaton Sanitary District will be doing testing on the North end of Wheaton next week. It is likely that a harmless smoke will be seen coming from some manholes during these tests.
Questions or Comments?
Please contact Rob Sperl, Director of Planning, at 630.510.4975 or rsperl@wheatonparks.org. Our Executive Director, Michael Benard, is also available at 630.510.4945 or mbenard@wheatonparks.org for any questions or comments.
Previous Updates
Click on any of the dates below for past updates.
- June 18, 2009
- July 10, 2009
- August 19, 2009
- October 21, 2009
- November 12, 2009
- November 25, 2009
- December 11, 2009
- January 13, 2010
- February 12, 2010
- March 11, 2010
- April 9, 2010
- July 1, 2010
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Northside Park Renovation Overview
The Wheaton Park District will begin construction at the end of September 2009 on this long anticipated project. Since 1999, we have looked at various options to solve ongoing flood related problems at Northside Park. The initial phase of this project will reconstruct the deteriorating weir (dam) near the warming shelter. This will allow the City of Wheaton to widen the culvert at Main Street and reduce the frequency that it becomes flooded. We will also grade and plant the shoreline to prevent erosion, provide water quality benefits, provide forage and habitat for wildlife, and make the area less attractive to geese.
A Stormwater Management Permit for this project was required through DuPage County and the City of Wheaton. This permit includes details on the proposed work and extensive engineering of the watershed. This information is needed to ensure that the project will not negatively impact the existing ecosystem or flooding along the Winfield Creek.
As a part of the permitting process, several other agencies review the plans as well. These include: the Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources – Office of Water Resources, Kane/DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Similar to DuPage County, these agencies are involved to make sure there are as few negative impacts as possible.
Beyond the initial work phase of work, we are looking at all aspects of the park to ensure that it can meet the needs of the community for the next century. Since November 2008, a small group of neighbors have formed a Friends of Northside Park Committee. This group has been reviewing the current plans and coming up with ideas for work outside of the initial phase. This includes improving the roads and parking lots throughout the park, renovating the cabins, adding new path lighting, and replacing the warming shelter with an environmentally friendly interpretive center.
Thank you for your interest in this project. If you have any further questions or would like to be a part of future planning, please email or call the Wheaton Park District Planning Department at (630) 510-4975.
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