Citizens for
Glen Ellyn Preservation |
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Keeping the Green Glen in The Glen Plan
Dear Members and Friends,
At the October 5 special workshop, the village president and more than one board member expressed the intention to delete a concept from the proposed Downtown Strategic Plan of a landscaped strip running along the south side of the railroad. It is this green swath of land filling the space between the railroad tracks and the Prairie Path, running through the heart of the downtown from east to west, that gave the final version of the concept plan its name: The Glen. It is the opinion of the board of Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation that the omission of this concept would be inadvisable and we have asked the village board to reconsider given the improvements in aesthetics, traffic flow and safety that could be provided by this feature.
There is no doubt that this long, narrow area has the greatest concentration of pedestrian traffic in the village. Hundreds of commuters pass through twice every weekday to ride the 49 trains that stop at the Glen Ellyn station. At the same time, scores of high school students travel along Duane, Crescent and Park, sometimes cutting through the parking lots along the tracks, going to and from school, while joggers, walkers and bicyclists fly past along the Prairie Path, which is the village’s most important recreational resource in the downtown. This convergence of so many residents provides a unique opportunity to plan features that will appeal to the many different users passing through what could be a vibrant part of the downtown.
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Currently a large number of these pedestrians walk along an unattractive asphalt parking lot that serves only about 125 residents who were lucky enough to get parking on such prime real estate. With commuters frequently weaving behind cars that are backing out of the parking spaces aligning the tracks, this situation can often be unsafe. In addition, anyone walking this east-west route passes the unsightly service entrances of businesses facing Duane. While there is a small park in the area, Prairie Path Park, lying between commercial properties and the Prairie Path, it is isolated by the parking lot, and so has suffered from underuse and vandalism. |
There is a misconception that the planned greensward would be a traditional public park. Unlike a park containing playing fields and playgrounds, it was conceived to be a belt of varied landscaping that would encourage foot traffic through town with planned places for commuters to wait and shoppers to rest, while offering views of the historic Civic Center and the Tudor revival architecture on Crescent. With the cooperation of businesses on Duane, it could also be a route into local shops through attractive rear entrances. It would wind along with the Prairie Path, acting as an invitation to stop and explore Glen Ellyn. The alternative suggestion of placing green space off of the heavily travelled thoroughfares does not serve the same purpose in encouraging visitors to remain in the downtown area. It is interesting to note the crowds of shoppers that often sit around the small fountain next to the tracks in downtown Wheaton, in spite of the train noise and close proximity to the busy street. The combination of the running water and its central location make it irresistible.
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To be designed and constructed in conjunction with a multi-level parking facility on the south, and possibly with a pedestrian underpass at the tracks, this strip of green would wrap around and soften all of these structures and would be the type of amenity that is becoming a necessity in attracting new residents and businesses. Similar work has been done in numerous communities, such as Palatine and Hinsdale, as community leaders recognize the need to compete for shoppers for their downtowns and for new residents for downtown condos and townhomes. |
With our landlocked village, we are extremely lucky to have this valuable piece of publicly-owned land in the heart of our downtown. Instead of continuing to serve only the few who currently park in this lot, 10 to 15 years from now this area could be an asset for all residents and business owners. While there is a need to provide service accesses for adjacent businesses, private property would not be needed to create this asset; however, nearby businesses would undoubtedly benefit from improved aesthetics and traffic flow.
In adopting such a plan, it is important to remember two things. First of all, this plan is a series of guidelines, not a design. That is, when it is finally the right time to implement this concept, it will be necessary to have a detailed, comprehensive design created by a combination of experts in landscape and urban design who will take aesthetics, proper traffic flow and safety into account. Secondly, this plan was created by a combination of professionals in areas such as traffic flow, landscape architecture, construction and historic preservation, a committee of resident and local business volunteers, and significant input from the general public through charrettes and surveys. This was a truly democratic process and, while future specific designs will need to be overseen by our Plan Commission and Village Board, we need to trust the expertise and problem-solving that went into creating the green concept of The Glen plan.
While it does not have the broad uses that a traditional park would offer, an inviting, beautiful landscape sweeping through the heart of town speaks clearly of the character of our village. Envisioned as a way to enhance the railroad and Prairie Path as assets rather than interruptions to the flow of the downtown, it offers aesthetic, environmental and economic value that flat parking lots do not. Since commuter and public parking and public gathering spaces have been taken into account in other parts of this plan, we have urged the village board to keep the potential for this unique green space as an important feature of the Downtown Strategic Plan.
Respectfully,
The Board of Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation |
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