First phase plan for Pickerill-Pigott opening goes to forest preserve commission

YORKVILLE – The first phase of the Pickerill-Pigott Forest Preserve opening to the public is one step closer to happening, following this week's forest preserve finance committee meeting.

The Kendall County Forest Preserve Commission finance committee voted, 4-0, to move a requested stormwater variance and a related payment of $1,250 for an application fee for the project to the forest preserve commission during the committee meeting Thursday, Sept. 26. Commissioner Amy Cesich was absent from the meeting.

Dave Guritz, executive director for the Kendall County forest preserve district, said he previously met with county planning, building and zoning officials to review the site plan for the forest preserve located south of Oswego and east of Yorkville. He said the site would require up to 0.3 acre feet of detention per the county's stormwater ordinance.

Guritz said he wanted to request a variance because the installation of detention would disturb the area's natural plant communities and there is already a large basin on site that drains out into wet woods and farmland north of the site. He said the district's site plan also would incorporate most of the existing footprint except for a proposed gravel parking area, a multi-use trail and a picnic shelter.

"We're not building a strip mall here," Guritz said.

The update comes after Guritz talked about the plan in opening the forest preserve to the public during an Aug. 27 forest preserve commission meeting. It also follows county officials wanting to explore the possibilities of including a memorial in site plans for Ken Pickerill, a former teacher and coach at Oswego High School who died on Sept. 12.

The Pickerill family donated the house they built themselves to the forest preserve district in 2017, along with a portion of what is now the about 100-acre forest preserve.

Guritz said the project is anticipated to cost $633,000. He said half of the project would be funded by grants and the rest would come out of the forest preserve district's fiscal year 2019 capital fund.

Guritz said he wants to keep the project progress moving so the district can put the project out to bid soon and the plan to open the preserve next summer can remain.

“The longer it takes to get in front of the County Board for consideration, that holds up the project and how soon we can get it,” Guritz said.

The next forest preserve commission meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1.