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Politics & Government

Joint Meeting Highlights Divisions Over Forest Park

Members of the Historic Preservation Committee voiced their opposition to much of the master plan.

 

Rather than pave the way to compromise, the Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Board and the Historic Preservation Commission made their different stances on what should be done with seem nearly irreconcilable at Thursday night’s three and a half hour long special joint meeting.

Members of the Forest Park Project Board presented a revised edition of their master plan, but were met with strong criticism from members of the Historic Preservation Commission, which questioned whether renovating Forest Park was necessary at all. Historic Preservation Commission Chairman Kurt Pairitz was particularly concerned with keeping Forest Park true to the vision of architect O.C. Simonds, who designed the park in 1901.

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“The (master plan) designs are beautiful, but we like what we have here now,” he said. “This is what O.C. Simonds saw when he was here 100 years ago, but if you change it, that won’t be what he saw.”

Forest Park Project Board Chairman Ralph Gesualdo pointed out the flaws with the park today, including bad parking solutions, haphazard placement of trees and the use of multiple types of benches and trash cans.

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“I think the defacing of the Simonds park has already happened,” Gesualdo said. “I think we’re talking about a healing process here.”

With 30 residents signing up to speak, City Manager Bob Keily used a timer to keep comments to three minutes.

Public comments were equally divided. Some residents expressed concerns over what the renovations would cost and said that they like the park as it is. Others voiced strong support of the master plan’s inclusion of paths that they said would allow them to enjoy the park without worrying about cars.

Look for an in-depth story Sunday on Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch.

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