Team completes ADA-compliant garden courtyard at York

ELMHURST – A project that began in 2014 to beautify an underused courtyard at York Community High School recently has been completed after the installation of a walkway that is compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.

Before the project began, the courtyard was basically a pea gravel space left between the new and old buildings of York that was formed following the 2000 addition of the new building, said York English teacher Andrew Bendelow, who has been a moderator for York's Garden Club. The goal was to give students an attractive place where they could enjoy nature in their day, he said.

About 150 volunteers from the Elmhurst Garden Club, National Gardening Association and PT Holdings, an Addison-based company, worked together on Aug. 8, 2015, to complete work on the project, including the installation of garden beds, planting of new native species and addition of infrastructure.

However, Bendelow said, the courtyard was lacking, for the most part, the finishing piece that would make the garden accessible to students with mobility challenges: the walkway. Project planners wanted all learning spaces to be compliant with the ADA, he said.

Estimates for the walkway ranged from $15,000 to $20,000, according to a York Garden Club fundraising brochure on the project.

The walkway was finished over York's spring break, which ran from March 26 to April 2.

"The original plan has been fulfilled with this addition," Bendelow said.

He said York's buildings and grounds supervisor, Jerry Christopherson, and assistant principal Drew McGuire were "instrumental" in getting a concrete contractor who was working on another project at York to see if the project was feasible and complete it.

Literature classes can come out and do quiet reading and discussions, and science classes can come out and do experiments, now that all students are able to access the space, Bendelow said.

The Elmhurst Garden Club also worked on the project, with landscape designer Lisa Peterson providing the blueprints for the project.

"We've finally realized her vision for the space, so we're very grateful for her having donating her services," Bendelow said.

Jan Foster, a mentor for York's Garden Club, said the Elmhurst Garden Club's ultimate hope is to build use of the garden into York classes' curriculum. Foster also did grant-writing and helped secure funding from Whole Foods' Whole Kids Foundation, which is an organization sponsored by Whole Foods Market that is dedicated to improving children's nutrition and well-being.

"We're glad it's done," Foster said.

Funding for the project also included assistance through the District 205 Foundation, as well as donations from the Blue Freedom Gardens in Elmhurst. Various organizations, including the National Gardening Association, PT Holdings, Elmhurst Garden Club, Whole Kids Foundation, Home Depot, District 205 Foundation, Clover's Garden Center, Ames, Whole Foods and Jewel-Osco contributed manpower, plants or items to the installations of the gardens at York, she said.