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Resident presents history and options for Saddle Club Park; trustees to mail neighborhood survey
Summary
Resident Sam Parker summarized decades of planning for Saddle Club Park, citing a 2004 study and options ranging from low-cost amenities to a playground. Trustees approved sending a targeted survey to nearby streets and may consider a $143,500 option to bring the park in line with Sabatino Park.
Sam Parker, a resident who presented to the village board, summarized past studies and recent neighborhood discussions about Saddle Club Park and urged a measured, affordable approach to improvements.
"There's this long-standing stereotype that it is a private park for residents of the subdivision only, and that is not the case," Parker said, arguing the village could make the site feel more public by improving access and adding amenities not duplicated at Sabatino Park.
Parker reviewed a packet of materials including a 2004 rehabilitation study that estimated about $236,000 for trails, meadows and ponds. He told trustees the original playground idea was shelved because of cost and suggested lower-cost options — native plantings to improve drainage, concrete game tables and amenities that differentiate Saddle Club Park from Sabatino Park.
A trustee's written note circulated at the meeting proposed an alternate estimate of roughly $143,500 to bring Saddle Club into closer alignment with Sabatino Park; trustees asked that dollar figure be included as a cost option in the upcoming questionnaire.
Trustees discussed distribution and scope for the planned survey. Staff said the initial mailing will target residents who back up to the park (Churchill Court, Arabian, portions of Pimlico) and may be expanded later. The board agreed to give residents a longer response window (roughly two weeks) than initially drafted.
The next step is the mailed questionnaire and collection of resident feedback; trustees said they will use the survey results to inform whether to pursue budgeting or design work. If the board elects an amenity requiring procurement or capital funding, that would be considered in future budget discussions.
