Kendall County forest preserve officials seek more Pickerill house cost estimates

YORKVILLE – Kendall County forest preserve officials are taking a second look at project costs for the Pickerill estate house to better address outdoor safety concerns.

The Kendall County forest preserve voted, 9-0, to approve a proposal from Kluber Architects and Engineers of Batavia, Illinois for additional construction and architectural rendering services costs for the house for no more than $4,950 during their meeting Tuesday, Nov. 19 at the county office building. Forest preserve district commissioner Elizabeth Flowers was absent from the meeting.

Dave Guritz, executive director for the Kendall County forest preserve district, said forest preserve officials originally requested construction estimations for the project to see what bare bones costs would look like to get the building open to the public. With other pending grant opportunities on the horizon, he said, forest preserve officials wanted to take an even closer look at what additional enhancements might be needed for the house, which is located off Minkler Road south of Oswego.

After looking at the house and patio construction proposed for a maximum of 150 people, Guritz said, it became clear that forest preserve officials also needed to look more at how the patio was configured and to further address shelter and safety concerns for potential attendees during a large event at the house.

"Part of this is to make sure that the public or private individuals that might be out there for a larger event are protected from the elements," Guritz said.

Guritz said the reexamination would include whether the patio could be enclosed and would also include artist renderings to be used for grant proposals. He said the forest preserve district is also looking at integrating other site amenities, including possible solar panels to help offset operational costs, into grant funds proposals as well.

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. The preserve is not yet open to the public.

County officials also wanted to explore the possibilities of including a memorial in forest preserve site plans for Ken Pickerill, a former teacher and coach at Oswego High School who died on Sept. 12. A plaque has been created to commemorate Pickerill's legacy and will hang in the old county courthouse in the meantime, according to county officials during the Tuesday meeting.

The update comes after the commission approved a requested stormwater variance and a related payment of $1,250 for an application fee as part of a first phase for opening the Pickerill-Pigott Forest Preserve to the public. The variance request is set to go before the Kendall County stormwater ordinance oversight committee during its Dec. 12 meeting.

Guritz had said the first phase preserve opening project is anticipated to cost $633,000 in total. He had said half of the project would be funded by grants and the rest would come out of forest preserve district capital funds.

Guritz had said the hope is for the preserve to be open by summer 2020.