We understand that the Village's Trustees will be meeting on Tuesday (1/31) to discuss what work the Village will do in Gould Park this year.
Specifically, we are asking them to complete the following items from the original project plan that pertain to the Gould Park Playground Project:
Trees and landscaping, including a pollinator garden, for which the Village accepted community donations;
Nature play area and hammocks, for which the Village accepted community donations; and
Signs to acknowledge the community donations that have helped build the new Gould Park.
Just as important, we support the proposal that has been submitted by the Traffic Committee to put in:
A crosswalk across Washington Ave. to connect Virginia Ave. to Gould Park, to increase pedestrian safety for children walking to the playground and pool.
By way of background, the Village has not completed the planned Gould Park improvements in large part due to the stormwater damage to the Gould Park / Ashford Ave. retaining wall last year. All other work on the park was put on hold while the Village studied that issue. The Village is now poised to implement improvements, including the addition of a staircase to that wall, and we expect the Trustees will begin deciding on Tuesday what additional work to approve and fund this year. We believe they should resolve to complete the rest of the park plan, including the landscaping, based on a beautiful design that was done pro bono by local designer Lisa Guggenheimer, and all the other elements for which you all raised money--and which the Village accepted for that purpose--to make the new Gould Park.