Plans for the estimated $17.5 million expansion project for the Elgin Sports Complex, which will add more sports fields to the westside park, was approved Monday by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The commissioners voted to recommend the proposal to the City Council — which has the final, official say.
“We’re excited to get to the point where the land can be opened up for public use,” Paul Wiese, of the Chicago design firm SmithGroup, said at the Planning and Zoning meeting Monday.
SmithGroup has been working with Elgin for about a decade on the project, which has included design, studies and community meetings. Marketing studies showed a need for additional sports fields for local use and to attract others, including tournaments, to the area, Wiese said.
The Elgin Sports Complex is a 407-acre regional park with several sports facilities, including the Highland Golf Course, soccer, softball fields, two sand volleyball courts and a BMX racing course, Senior Planner Damir Latinovic said. Currently, it has 990 parking spaces with one entrance off Mclean Boulevard, he said.
In 2013, Elgin purchased 87 acres adjacent to the complex from the state. The city is planning an expansion east of the existing complex, Latinovic said. Two buildings have already been demolished on the site.
Phase 1 includes building two synthetic sports fields, a 1,991-square-foot concession building with public restrooms, a new maintenance building and a 1,920-square-foot open-air pavilion, Latinovic said. It would also include 271 parking spaces — bringing the total to 1,261 — a central plaza for events and a walking trail around the new sports field, he said.
The city seeks an amendment to the Planned Community Facility District and is asking for exceptions to some code requirements dealing with building street yard setbacks, Latinovic said.
Plans also call for extending Sports Way and creating a second entrance to the complex on Route 31, Latinovic said.
“If you have 1,500 people trying to get out of one exit, it takes a while, so it’s going to be really exciting to have two ways in and out of this property,” said Maria Cumpata, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Monday’s meeting included a public hearing where resident Darlene Castelvecchi asked the commission to consider what effect the development will have on neighbors. She has a home on Morgan Street.
“I understand things have to change. We get it. Development is going to happen,” Castelvecchi said. “But changes cause a ripple effect. My concern and that of some of my neighbors is that you will have an increase in pollution, noise, and misplaced wildlife. I would like you to look at the bigger picture and ask how this will affect the surrounding area.”
Elgin has more development planned on the site. Elgin Mental Health owns a powerplant next to the property, which is being replaced, Latinovic said.
When the power plant is removed, “we will move forward with trying to acquire that property,” Cumpata said.
The department would do another master plan to create more fields of possibility through a public-private partnership, she said.
The council authorized the Parks and Recreation Department to seek bids for the project. And the council is expected to consider the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation when making a final decision.
Gloria Casas is a freelancer.
