Waiola Park will get second Little League ball field, but no games until traffic safety plan is developed

UPDATE - April 21, 8:02 a.m.: Click here to read a full report on Monday's Park District meeting.

The Park District of La Grange board of commissioners Monday night stuck by its decision to allow a second, temporary Little League ball field to be built in Waiola Park, but decided that no games be will played there until a plan for managing traffic safety on the streets surrounding the park can be developed in concert with the Village of La Grange.

The park board's action was taken in response to an outcry from residents who live around Waiola Park, several of whom criticized the board for not notifying them or soliciting their input last November when the board first considered the new ball field, and then approved it in December.

Board President Tim Kelpsas acknowledged the residents' concerns in remarks he made before reopening discussion on the ball field.

"This is a really, really sticky issue," Kelpsas said. "One thing that I personally feel bad about is not distributing, or causing to be distributed, some type of a notice in November in order to advise the residents."

Watch the video below to hear Kelpsas' remarks.

Click here to read a related story on the residents' outcry and watch a video of a meeting in Waiola Park where they shared their concerns and criticism with officials from the Park District and Little League.

Comments

[William Dobias]

It's interesting that when the Little League went to what was essentially this same Park Board to request that additional lights be installed at Sedgewick Park, the Park Board made the Little League go into the neighborhoods around the park with a survey about concerns before the lights were approved.

Yet, adding a ball field to Waiola Park was approved without requiring a similar courtesy to the neighbors of Waiola Park. Could that have something to do with the fact that one of the Park Board members, Ms Penicook, is a neighbor of Sedgewick Park and was possibly representing her other neighbors in the Board action? Or was the additional ball field at Waiola Park a quid pro quo in return for the Little League's support for the sale of part of Gordon Park?