Some Question Planned Wilder Bandshell Site

ELMHURST, IL – A petition questions the proposed site for the bandshell in Wilder Park in Elmhurst.

The Elmhurst Park District plans the bandshell for northeast of the Wilder Mansion, which is considered among the most architecturally significant buildings in town.

The bandshell was among the projects in the $90 million referendum that 57 percent of Elmhurst voters approved in November.

Before the election, the park district included the bandshell site near the mansion in its materials.

However, Elmhurst resident Andrea Hutchinson is among the petition circulators asking the park board to seek the public's feedback on the bandshell site. The Change.org petition had collected 250 verified signatures as of Thursday morning. A paper version had drawn more than 100, Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson, a neighbor of Wilder Park, said she was glad that the referendum passed in November and was looking forward to a public discussion.

But she said the park board decided on the location without public input at a meeting late last month. She said she was told in April that a series of open houses and community meetings would start in the summer.

No formal vote was taken last month, but a majority of members – Kevin Graf, Claire Kubiesa, Susan Smentek and Meghan Scarsella – indicated they supported the current site, according to the district.

In an email to Patch, Jim Rogers, the district's executive director, said no vote would be taken because the majority decided to stick with its original referendum proposal.

According to the petition, the selected site has long-term implications for Wilder Park, including:

• Sight line impacts on the Wilder Mansion.
• Effects on existing park amenities and green space.
• Potential removal or disruption of mature trees.

"By bypassing the promised public engagement process, the Park Board risks eroding community trust and giving the impression that resident voices are not valued," the petition said.

Rogers said the board selected the site near the mansion because performances, concerts, movies and other events have been held there for decades.

The location, he said, also meets criteria such as topography, lawn seating, closeness to parking, impact on existing trees, obstructed views and the bandshell's orientation.

In an interview, Rogers disagreed the district failed to seek feedback.

"We solicited a tremendous amount of input about the bandshell during the referendum," he said.

Rogers also said the district did not bypass the promised "public engagement" process on Wilder Park, where several improvements are planned.

"It has been delayed because the board chose to re-examine the location of the bandshell," he said.

As for the mansion, "The park board have been champions of the building for years."