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Resident raises Villa Park drainage and ADA entrance concerns; staff says restroom renovation and re-engineering planned
Summary
A resident urged the commission to address drainage on the north side of Villa Park where a planned ADA paved entrance was removed from current plans after engineers found it would direct stormwater onto private property; staff said the restroom renovation remains slated and the ADA entrance will be re-engineered as part of future work.
A resident raised concerns about stormwater and a missing accessible entrance at Villa Park during the public-comment portion of the Feb. 19 meeting.
Josh Tomachek told the commission he had emailed staff about the "north side of Villa," the northeast corner that provides access from Tess Avenue, and asked about the planned ADA entrance. Parks and Recreation Director Beverly Tucker Knight said staff had originally included a paved ADA entrance in the park master plan but removed that design after engineers found it would send stormwater down a private driveway on Tess and worsen local drainage problems.
"There is an open storm sewer trench back there that's kind of probably an ancient creek," Tucker Knight said. She explained the paved ADA connection was pulled from immediate plans to avoid worsening drainage onto private property and that the project remains on the department’s to-do list for re-engineering and future inclusion in park work.
What staff said
- Re-engineering and timeline: Tucker Knight told Tomachek the department will "reengineer that" entrance design and incorporate it into future work at Villa Park. She said restrooms at Villa remain slated for renovation within the next couple of years, but no firm timetable had been set.
- Notifications and outreach: Staff offered to add Tomachek’s email to the department’s Constant Contact distribution list so he would receive project notices and program information. Staff cautioned that mass emails come from Constant Contact and may land in spam folders.
Public response
Neighbors attending the meeting described persistent mud and surface runoff in the area described and thanked staff for the explanation. Jim Burston, another resident, said he watches Villa Park closely and concurred that drainage is a recurrent problem.
Ending
Staff said they will keep Villa Park improvements — including the restroom renovation and a re-engineered ADA entrance — on the project list and will notify nearby residents when design work and public meetings are scheduled.
