Elmhurst's 'Park Desert': Official Wants Change

ELMHURST, IL — The Pick subdivision is Elmhurst's only residential neighborhood west of Route 83. And it is also considered a "park desert" — something an alderwoman would like to change.

The 12-block neighborhood is along the Salt Creek Greenway Trail. Recently, it got some attention when a developer bought a plot of land that included a small portion of the trail.

The Elmhurst Park District, which includes the Pick subdivision, tried to work out a deal. But the developer, Elmhurst's T.E. McKenna Builders, stood firm on the 17-foot-wide strip. In a settlement last week, the company got $75,000 from the park district for the land — nearly eight times the price it paid just a year ago.

In its long-term plan, the park district recognizes the need for a playground in the Pick subdivision. During the early negotiations, McKenna offered to donate the land to the district.

But the developer required that a playground be built on the property before any donation would be made, with the district renting the property until that happened. The district said it did not have $400,000 on hand to build it. The settlement happened after the district pursued eminent domain.

Earlier this summer, Ward 1 Alderwoman Jennifer Veremis, who lives in the Pick subdivision, met with 40 residents about the need for a park in the neighborhood. This discussion happened after the issue with McKenna went public, she said.

"We are a park desert," Veremis said in an interview with Patch. "Residents in our neighborhood have to cross Route 83 and St. Charles to get to Ben Allison Park. A park would be beneficial for our neighborhood."

She said she planned to work with the district not only on behalf of the Pick subdivision, but also users of the Salt Creek Greenway Trail.

The trail is part of the DuPage County trail system, but the local park district operates and maintains it.