La Grange Sees Tree 'Decimation' At Park

LA GRANGE, IL – The Park District of La Grange is cutting down many of the trees at the eastside Sedgwick Park because of soil contamination.

According to the park district's website, 67 trees have been identified for removal. Once the park district is finished with the project, it aims to have 108 trees in place of those lost.

"We are working to add as many trees as possible so that the total will exceed the 1.5 replacement ratio," Jenny Bechtold, the park district's executive director, said in an email to Patch.

At last week's park board meeting, residents said they were upset with the tree removals. Some of the trees have already been cut down.

"I have come here to express my dismay at the decimation of the trees at Sedgwick," resident Carrie Prystalski said. "It seems the board was not straightforward with the public concerning the number of trees that would be cut down."

In November 2024, voters approved a referendum for improvements at parks across town. At Sedgwick, that included upgrades to sand volleyball courts and the conversion of two tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts.

After the referendum, environmental testing was done as part of the planned improvements at Sedgwick. That testing found contamination in the northeast part of the park.

The park district said Sedgwick remains safe for normal recreational use.

By cleaning up the site to residential standards, the district said it is ensuring the highest level of protection for public use.

The cleanup will involve excavating soil, moving soil where required and installing a protective cap over the affected area, the district said.

The initial design for the Sedgwick improvements only called for cutting down a small number of trees.

But the number increased to comply with the state Environmental Protection Agency's remediation program, according to the district.

The contamination is believed to be similar to the issues at the site of an old gas plant at 47th Street and Bluff Avenue. That property is across the street from the northeast side of Sedgwick.

In the late 1990s, the state determined that the gas plant site had contaminated soil.

Resident John Pluto, who lives near the park, has been calling public attention to the problem, speaking at meetings of the village and park district boards.