DeKalb Park District seeks input on Prairie Park improvements

The DeKalb Park District is hosting an open house this week, hoping to solicit community feedback about ways to improve the experience at Prairie Park.

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, park district staff will be joined by representatives from the Plainfield-based landscape architect company, Upland Design, to conduct a master plan open house. The open house is meant to solicit community input on ways to improve the experience at Prairie Park, 401 Clifford Drive. Those interested should meet near the Prairie Park sign on Clifford Drive.

Mat Emken, superintendent of parks and development, said the district hopes use public feedback to generate a plan that can be used to apply for Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant funds through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The district has used such grants in the past to aid in funding parks and recreation improvements around DeKalb.

“We’re hoping to get $600,000 worth of state money to help offset costs of any renovations we do at the park,” Emken said.

Wednesday’s open house will be the first of two planned events by the park district to solicit community input. Another event is planned for some time in August.

The approximately 107-acre park comes with amenities such as a disc golf course, some picnic tables, and a walking trail.

Emken said the park is larger than some might realize.

“It’s a very large park, but in terms of actual amenities, it’s pretty much just the disc golf course,” Emken said. “We thought maybe this would be a good opportunity to add some extra stuff.”

The district has already received state grant funding for the renovation of League of Women Voters Park off of Lincoln Highway this year, officials said.

Emken said it makes sense for the park district to turn its attention to Prairie Park next.

“It doesn’t have a lot of amenities, but it’s a large space, so it seemed like a good candidate,” Emken said. “It’s in a neighborhood that doesn’t have any parks right there by it, which is also a good idea.”

Emken said the park district’s end goal is simple.

“This is more ideas and thoughts, and then, it’ll be a lot more specific amenity choices at the next one,” Emken said. “And then we’ll put it all together, and we’ll need to submit the grant application by the end of September.”

Emken said the district hopes people come out to participate in the open house.

“It’d be great to have the users of the park have [an] opportunity to voice their opinion,” Emken said.

For those unable to make it to the open house, Emken said the district plans to have a survey on its website for people to fill out.

“They still have the opportunity to participate, even if it’s not in person,” Emken said.