The Winnetka Park District announced plans to renovate a mini park at the intersection of Happ Road and Holder Lane in Northfield.
Despite the park being located in Northfield, the property falls under WPD jurisdiction, according to Director of Parks and Maintenance Costa Kutulas.
The .38 acre site, last renovated in 2000, will receive new playground equipment area families had a hand in choosing.
“Currently, the park playground itself has a few issues we’ve dealt with over the years – subpar surfacing, diminished play features that over time have been worn out in 24 years of service,” Kutulas said.
With the park being so small, the project will be kept in house, with Landscape Architect Rick Schram of the park district taking on the job alongside playground equipment supplier NuToys.
The playground will include a climbing structure, a Mobius-type climber, talk tubes, two bucket seat swings, two belt seat swings, and a sandy area with a backhoe digger. The playground structure is geared towards children ages two to five and utilizes two slides, a curved balance beam and more.
Three bids have been received for the project so far. Kutulas stated each bid came in at a slightly higher price tag than the $180,000 put aside in the 2024 budget. Bids will be reviewed and brought before the board in July for a final decision.
The project is expected to begin in August with a November completion. The Park District plans to host a grand opening for the new park in spring 2025.
Kutulas said a few area residents asked if a gate could be added to the park owing to concerns about traffic on Happ Road.
“Gates don’t always work as well as they might seem,” Kutulas said. “They are functional in a residential setting but once you get into a community setting, especially looking at different standards for ADA accessibility, we took a different approach.”
The Park District put an offset nook along the path and added a stretch of fencing that makes it appear from the playground as if the fencing stretches the whole border of the road. Kutulas said this blocks small children from taking off into the road.
Commissioner Cynthia Rapp appreciated the neighborhood input in the project, saying it helped to make for a stronger process.
Another, more controversial project is moving forward as well. Park District staff is expected to receive feedback from Village of Winnetka staff regarding the submitted permits for the Centennial Beach section of the overarching Elder/Centennial beach renovation any day now, according to Kutulas. The village is also working to wrap up its East Winnetka stormwater study with results expected in July. Once finished, the Park District can move forward with plans for Elder.
Tentative plans would see the Centennial permit go before the Zoning Board of Appeals on Aug. 12, Design and Review Board on Aug. 15 and the Plan Commission on Aug. 28. Once through all the boards and commissions, the permits go to Winnetka Village Council for an initial and then final reading before being approved.
Permits will then go on to necessary state and federal agencies. A full cost estimate is also expected for the Elder portion of the project in July.
