Yorkville Parks Department Seeking Public Input on Whitewater Park

What features would you like to see at the new whitewater park located next to the Glen D. Palmer Dam in Yorkville? The wants to know.

The department is holding a public meeting Thursday to receive input about the riverfront park's final design phase. After receiving this input, the parks department will draft a final recommendation on which members of the Parks Board and Yorkville City Council will vote.

If the plans are approved, the Parks and Recreation Department will seek grants from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to complete the park.

Late last year, the whitewater rapids chute (one designed to present strong challenges to novice and experienced kayakers and canoeists alike) opened near . The parks and recreation department is now considering adding a parking lot, walking trails and playground to the area.

Bart Olson, city administrater with the United City of Yorkville and the head of its parks and recreation department, said that the public input is key. The city has invited members of the Illinois Paddling Council to give their suggestions. The city and the council have already worked together closely, most notably on the design of the whitewater chute.

"This is an important step in the process," Olson said. "We want to know what the community wants from this park. We are ready to listen to the suggestions of the public."

The public-input meeting will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation Department's administration offices at 201 W. Hydraulic St. All residents are invited to attend and share their opinions.

Tom Lindblade, president of the Illinois Paddling Council, hopes to attend the meeting. But even if he's not able to, there will be at least one representative of the council in attendance, he said.

Members of the council have several suggestions for the riverfront park: Additional parking is key, Lindblade said, to allow kayakers and canoeists better access to the whitewater chutes. Lindblade said he would also like to see some type of seating installed so that visitors can watch whitewater competitions at the park.

Lindblade's long-term goal for the park is to see local high school paddling teams -- most of which currently hold their practices in their school swimming pools -- move to the park's whitewater chutes to both practice and compete.

"I think what Yorkville has done so far is tremendous," Lindblade said. "It's probably the best thing that has happened to paddling in Illinois for a long time. I think it will do amazing things for downtown Yorkville, too. When it gets warm, this will be a major attraction for the area."