Parking project eyed near Doerhoefer Park

Downers Grove Park District officials are moving forward to add parking next to Doerhoefer Park after approving a motion last week to hire an engineering firm to design a layout that would accommodate anywhere from 60 to 75 cars.

The Venard property, a one-acre home site, was acquired by the Park District earlier this summer during a sheriff's auction. The site included a home and a garage that have since been demolished. Officials are now ready to move forward to secure an engineer and hopefully design and complete the project by late next spring or early summer.

"We'll be holding a public hearing sometime later regarding the parking extension project," said Director of Parks Todd Reese.

The board also listened to a presentation given by Miller Engineers and Scientists regarding the Barth Pond project, which would involve dredging and restoring the shoreline of the 7-acre property that Reese described as "vital to the recreational needs of the Park District."

Silting, he said, has lowered pond depth from five feet to as little as three feet and both the village and the Park District have approved an intergovernmental agreement to restore the area.

"The village is interested in this parcel as it represents part of their stormwater management, but we're in the business of recreation," Reese said. "There is boating, fishing, kayak and canoeing here, and the water has become too shallow and dirty. We are considering various cost options about what to do at this point."

Park officials may elect to transport the excess silt to neighboring farmland, Reese said, as the material is rich in nutrients. If that option is not available, the silt may go to a landfill site. Cost estimates for the project range from $200,000 to $340,000 for shoreline restoration, and anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million for dredging the pond.

The next step in the process, Reese said, is to report the findings from the Miller engineering firm to the village.