Edgewood City Council talked about the aging senior center in Freedom Park and brainstormed ways to improve it Monday night at the regular council meeting.
The senior center, which was completed in 2002, is a metal building, and is showing signs of wear and tear.
“I wanted to discuss improving the appearance of the senior center project, because it was high on your priority list,” Mayor John Link said to council. “And I guess I’m going to bring it out tonight–I wanted to know do you think it is still high on our priority list. Brian (CAO Brian Dehner) gave you pictures, and I thought I’d like to maybe to know about it.”
He said he thought council member Dale Henson was upset about brick on the building, but Henson clarified that when council was deciding on the design of the building, he had not wanted to put brick on the building.
“What I said was, of all the decisions we have made up here, about that building in particular, I said I regretted not putting the brick facade on from the very beginning,” Henson said. “Although as I sit here and look at the cost of the brick facade, it is pretty hefty.”
Councilmember Jeff Schreiver remembered that he had been in favor of the brick facade in the late 1990s when they were making the decisions, and he also remembered that the cost was high. Dehner said at the time the cost was $90,000, and today it would be a lot more.
Dehner gave councilmembers a packet with drawings done by CT Consultants, and three basic choices of what the city can do to improve the condition of the senior center, but no costs were immediately associated with each choice.
The first picture showed the senior center building as it is, and lists the problems that the city is having with it, such as the leaking roof, the chalking paint, the overgrown landscaping, the unsealed parking lot, and the general overall non-professional look of the building and surrounding area.
The option council liked the most was the second option of three, and council told Dehner they all thought the preliminary numbers for cost should be gathered and put into the budget. Dehner said it still could be next year before anything is done.
Council liked the ideas of repairing the roof, sealing the building, painting it, and adding a stone wrap on the bottom part of the building. Of course, they also wanted the foundation planting to be changed, and the driveway sealed, but they would also create a better place for the dumpster so it was hidden but at the same time accessible.
Link pointed that they have been doing the inside a little bit at a time, and the next step would be freshening up the foyer and the restrooms.
It was agreed that Dehner would work out cost numbers and get the information out to the councilmembers for a future meeting.
Children’s garden in President’s Park?
Edgewood resident Cathie Stapleton came to the Edgewood city Council meeting Monday evening to propose creating a children’s garden in President’s Park.
Stapleton passing out papers showing what she was proposing to the people at the meeting — it contained sketches of the actual garden that would be located near where a new playground is planned.
“I saw a Children’s garden in Colorado,” she said. “And I thought we could do that here.”
She did say she was discouraged about the location in President’s Park, even though the pictures showed it was a good niche for the garden. City administrator Dehner had told her, however, that there wouldn’t be enough room once they put the playground in.
Dehner said they could put the garden in Freedom Park, or in the area at Tupman and Dudley, which is a small picnic area near Hinsdale school. Stapleton felt that since there was no playground at the Tupman location, kids would not be as likely to go to a children’s garden there, and she does not want to limit the garden to only a school project.
Stapleton pointed out that there is a children’s garden at the Boone County Arboretum, and she said there used to be one at St Agnes. She said she didn’t think it had to be expensive, but they would need water.
“I have friends who are master gardeners,” she said. “If you think it is a good idea, I’ll work my butt off to make it happen.”
Council members thought it was a good idea, and Schreiver agreed it should be put on the city’s wish list. Dehner told Stapleton to call in a few days, and they would go out and view possible areas, take pictures, and see if the children’s garden could fit into any other areas.
Stapleton agreed to call and tour other areas.
Resolution for grant
A resolution passed which authorized the mayor to sign papers for a Safe Route to School grant to put sidewalks along Elmwood Drive.
The city was awarded the grant about a year ago, but the first phase, the engineering phase, is ready to begin, and the mayor had to sign the papers for the engineering phase. The grant is an 80/20 grant, and this will be the first of three contracts for the sidewalk work to begin.
Public hearing
A public hearing was held just before the meeting in conjunction with the use of land and water conservation funds. Last year the city applied for a land and water conservation grant for $75,000, which is a matching grant, so that the city can improve the Freedom Park walking trail. They heard nothing about the loan since their application, so the city thought they didn’t get the grant.
This year the city was preparing to apply for the loan again, when they got word that due to money left over, Edgewood would be receiving the grant.
Before they accept the grant, however, the city always needs to have a public hearing, which they had not held before, so instead of canceling the public hearing for the new application, they held it for the acceptance of the first grant, on Monday night before the regular meeting.
No one spoke at the meeting except Recreation Director Hannah Maydak, who explained how the asphalt trail will be replaced by a rubber surface that is solid but has some cushion. She said wheelchairs will be able to travel on it, and the surface should repel water.
She explained that if there is money after the trail is complete, the city might use it to improve the workout stations.
