It takes a community to design public parks

KANKAKEE – Bird Park on Kankakee’s west side is getting its first update in years.

The $1.2 million project will bring Kankakee Valley Park District’s flagship park into the 21st century.

Families and their children once again will be able to enjoy the splash pad, which was constructed more than 20 years ago.

It goes along with upgraded playground equipment, a meditation garden as well as improvements at the Don Palzer Band Shell and the baseball fields on the park’s north side.

“This is a great way for a family to enjoy a day at the park. There are many features, and it is free and open to the public,” said Ross Bruni, executive director for KVPD.

A $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will help fund the $1.2 million project.

The other $600,000 comes from funding that state Sen. Elgie Sims Jr., D-Chicago, helped secure in the state’s budget.

The board received input from the public, as there were 458 respondents to a survey about the amenities wanted at Bird Park.

During the park board’s March meeting, outgoing Commissioner Don Palmer made reference to parks, noting they should blend in with the area in which they are located.

He used the village of Frankfort in Will County as an example.

Frankfort has about 17 parks within the village limits.

Many have lighter-colored playground equipment, shelters and seating. Each park has a different color scheme that blends with the neighboring area rather than the bright primary colors blue, yellow and red.

“I think with Beckman Park, the colors just make it look like a carnival ride,” Palmer said. “I’m not talking about design, I’m talking about color preference.”

‘Thoughtful plan’

Bruni was asked his thoughts.

“I do believe, and we just had an equipment person out here, there are different styles for different areas,” Bruni said. “There has also been a philosophical change in providers from 10 to 20 years ago. Probably a lot had bright colors. You look at Beckman, and it looks like it was in that time span.

“As different communities developed, you can go out and see many different colors. What we have been talking about as we put the parks together, we are looking at a thoughtful plan to look at the area it is. Who is our audience?”

Bourbonnais Township Park District Executive Director Mike O’Shea said park amenities have about a 20-year life span.

“For me, I’m a big believer in having a plan or creating a plan with the help of the community,” he said. “We want to keep people coming out to the parks.”

This year, two more fitness stations will be added to the Perry Farm trail system, O’Shea said.

A few years ago, a ninja activity course and a zip line were added to Perry Farm Park.

“Parks are going to be there forever. They are going to last, and you need to keep them up,” O’Shea said.

Bourbonnais parks

In 2020, the village of Bourbonnais took the community input approach as it implemented a comprehensive plan to upgrade and update its park system using public input.

The latest and biggest opened last year – The Grove at Robert Goselin Park. There is a splash pad, picnic area, concession stand and playground. That is aside from the stage and fire pits.

Pickleball courts, a pavilion and other amenities are being added at Ed Hayes Park.

Two new parks are Cobblestone and Stone Mill.

Keno and Northwest, older parks, have been updated.

Developing new parks and improving existing parks aligns with broader community development goals, Bourbonnais Assistant Administrator Laurie Cyr said.

Those include improving neighborhood connectivity, supporting local businesses through increased foot traffic, and promoting Bourbonnais as a destination for families and visitors.

The plan is expected to take several years and is dependent on the village’s annual budget, Cyr said.

“Initiatives like creating multi-use trails and revitalizing underutilized parks have been a focus of the village, and we have heard this from input from the residents,” Cyr said. “We will continue to seek feedback from residents with public workshops, surveys and collaborative planning sessions to provide valuable insight into how parks serve the community.

“I don’t think it happened in the past. The village just did what they wanted. Now, we care and listen to the neighborhoods that are going to use the parks.”

Magic wand

Bruni said that areas around schools look to have equipment for multiple activities.

There are several KVPD parks that could use upgrades due to vandalism and the equipment aging out, he said.

Railroad Street Park in Aroma Park is one example.

“Some of that equipment could be from the 1970s,” Bruni said. “It’s about resources. We probably have 19 to 20 parks that if you had a magic wand, you wish you could replace the equipment, which has been there for many years.”