Ribbon Cutting at Pilcher Park to Unveil New Bridges and Roads
On November 18 at 10 am, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the Robert Pilcher Statue near the Pilcher Park Nature Center to unveil the newly paved roads and trails. This project was first proposed in 2014 and has been implemented since in two phases. The resurfacing of these roads were in response to the community requesting better access for wheelchairs and ease of driving. Pot holes were an issue with older community members choosing not to visit the park. The Herald-News interviewed William Frederiksen, a New Lenox resident, who said that Pilcher Park is a "sanctuary", but potholes can make the drive unpleasant. “I know a lot of older people who don’t come out here anymore because of the roads, but I still do,” Frederiksen explains.
This $2.4 million dollar park improvement began last year with phase one, which included an addition of security cameras at the Nature Center, pavement of the parking lot on the main road, and replacement of seven metal culverts to wooden bridges. Phase two began with a main focus on the improvement of the roads throughout the park.
Pilcher Park is Joliet's biggest park, spanning about 640 acres. In addition to it being the largest, it is also the oldest. Upkeep of this park has been a very recent concern, as neighbors of the park have been complaining about the appearance and maintenance of the park. Other complaints heard by the parks system were disability advocates, expressing the inaccessibility of the park to those who were disabled. “We’re not going to wait another 10 or 15 years and meet again,” new Executive Director for the Joliet Park District Tom Carstens said. “We’re going to meet on an ongoing basis and keep this park going where it needs to go.”
Carstens first learned about the importance of the park early last year when he was transitioning from his job at the Frankfort Park District to his current position in Joliet. “I told the Lions that I was leaving to go to Joliet,” Carstens said. “One of the veteran Lions took me aside and told me, ‘When you get to Joliet, one of the first things you have to do is fix Pilcher Park.’ ” Two years before his acceptance of the job in Joliet, the park district had passed a $19.5 million bond referendum that included money for fixing Pilcher Park, which helped his efforts.
In addition to the bumpy roads and accessibility, the issue of dumping has been a continuing problem at the park and an installation of a security gate at night and security cameras will be put into place in efforts of reducing the garbage found in the parks. This issue will be continually addressed as the Joliet Park District continues to improve the park.
