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Woodstock council reviews $13.8 million Dupree Park master plan with pickleball courts, turf field and nature area
Summary
City staff presented a final Dupree Park master plan at the March 17 work session that proposes phased improvements including a 10-court pickleball complex (with four convertible tennis courts), a synthetic turf field and a learning meadow; total estimated cost across three phases is $13.8 million.
City parks staff presented a final master plan for Dupree Park at the Woodstock City Mayor and Council work session on March 17, laying out a multi-phase concept that would add courts, playgrounds, a nature area and a synthetic turf field.
Parks project manager Jonathan Borden (presenter name: Mr. Borden) said the plan grew from public input meetings and online surveys. He told council the first public input meeting drew roughly 60 attendees and that online responses showed strong interest in disc golf, pickleball and nature programs. "The top five facilities that came out of the public input trends was a BMX pump track, pickleball courts, trails and greenways, open green spaces and playground," Borden said.
Plan highlights and phasing: - Courts: A 10-court complex dedicated to pickleball plus four tennis courts (with pickleball striping possible) to yield up to 14 pickleball courts in total. The design seeks to serve both tennis and pickleball players. - Turf field: Borden proposed renovating the existing worn natural field to synthetic turf because the site lacks irrigation and experiences heavy wear; he and councilors discussed cool-surface options and materials without PFAS. - Nature area and learning meadow: The northeast portion of the park along Park Avenue and Arnold Mill would be preserved as a nature entrance and educational meadow with limited parking and ADA access points. - Youth complex: A combined playground, outdoor basketball court and a BMX pump track/skate area are included in the master plan. - Canine memorial and plaza improvements: An upgraded memorial area and a larger plaza near the concessions and shelter were included to expand event capacity.
Estimated costs and phasing: Borden presented three phases with order flexible by city priorities: Phase 1 (pickleball courts, playground, parking) estimated at $7,100,000; Phase 2 (open space, canine memorial, large parking) estimated at $5,500,000; Phase 3 (learning meadow) estimated at $1,300,000; total $13,800,000. "Those phases could be done in different order, it doesn't have to go sequentially," Borden said.
Council response and concerns: Council members praised public input and the iterative design. Councilman Wolf commended staff and the consultants for balancing competing requests: "I think this is a reasonable compromise and that we were addressing what we were being requested to do," he said, noting the dual-purpose court striping that would serve both tennis and pickleball players.
Council members asked about turf heat, durability and material safety. One member urged the city to specify cooler turf options and to ensure turf infill materials are free of PFAS; Borden and others noted modern turf systems include cooler options and alternative infill materials. Staff also confirmed that gates or bollards could be added to prevent after-hours vehicle access.
Budget and schedule: The city indicated that funding for Dupree's phases is not yet identified; the mayor reminded the public that the city is currently investing in multiple parks projects and that Dupree's construction will be phased over time. "The funding for those 3 phases of Dupree is not identified right now," the mayor said. "This is not a project coming 4 months from now. This is a long term plan." Borden said the master plan will appear on the council agenda for a future vote on adoption.
