Lombard Park District

Lombard Park District 4 Executive Summary October 10, 2013 Paul Friedrichs Executive Director Lombard Park District 227 W. Parkside Ave Lombard, Illinois 60148 Dear Mr. Friedrichs, On behalf of the consultant team, Hitchcock Design Group would like to thank the Lombard Park District Board of Commissioners and Staff for their valuable input and effort during the Comprehensive Master Planning process. You're commitment to the District's success is evident, and this process would not have been effective without your invaluable insight. We'd also like to thank Lombard residents who participated in stakeholder interviews, focus group meetings and community survey. As greater numbers of residents enjoy the Park District's assets, there continues to be a high demand placed on existing parks, recreational facilities and District staff. In order to be strategic about the Park District's initiatives, the Board of Commissioners embarked on a Comprehensive Master Planning process to create a tool that will serve as a guide for the next five years. Through this process, significant insights were realized that will guide the Board and staff in planning service and asset improvements. The Park District is below the Level of Service park acreage standard, but the distribution of Neighborhood and Community Parks is excellent throughout the District and adequately serves the needs of the residents. The Community Survey process revealed that while residents are satisfied with the services, parks and open space, they are supportive of exploring additional open space acquisitions. The Level of Service analysis also illustrates that the Park District is below NRPA the planning standard for indoor recreation space area. This, in combination with the aging Sunset Knoll Recreation Center, creates an immediate case for new and expanded indoor recreation spaces. The Community Survey results also support the development of new indoor health and fitness amenities. While golf did not come up a high priority, residents value Western Acres as a valuable asset to the District. Western Acres should be maintained with drainage, clubhouse improvements and program expansions to attract more residents and visitors and allow the Golf Course to remain a productive asset for the District. The Park District should continue to update parks and amenities as their ages and condition call for it, address ADA accessibility issues, and restore and enhance their ponds and natural spaces within their parks. In terms of recreation programming, the Park District has excellent market position in Lombard with an almost 2:1 margin of participation in recreation programs and services. Lombard offers a well-balanced distribution of programs among all age groups and pricing are in-line with neighboring districts. The Comprehensive Master Plan includes primary, ongoing, and long-term objective to guide planning and policy. Strategies and recommendations can be found in Chapter Four of the Comprehensive Master Plan. Along with design considerations, basic maintenance tasks, and future planning initiatives for individual parks and facilities, the planning process revealed important District-wide objectives. These objectives were arranged into a timeline, or Action Plan, that will guide the District's growth efforts. This Action Plan can be found in Chapter Five. The plan should be thought of as a working list and the objective should be checked off as they are completed. This document should be reviewed on an annual basis and remain flexible to react to changing conditions. As an ongoing partner, Hitchcock Design Group is committed to participate in the annual Action Plan update to help further the Park District's success. . Sincerely, Hitchcock Design Group Bill Inman Senior Vice President

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