Field Playground

Field Playground of Oak Park, Illinois.

Background

In 2007 reconfiguring of two ballfields led to large-scale devastation of the natural beauty of Field Playground.

Offerings of the Recreation Department of the village of Oak Park at Field Playground

Through most of the 20th century, Field Playgrounds, as well as the other playgrounds administered by the village’s Recreation Department, provided summer-long free activities for kids. These included, at Field, softball games, capture the flag, tether ball, ping-pong tournaments and other activities outdoors as well as four-square, nok hockey, arts and crafts, and Friday night tween dances indoors. Founded by Josephine Blackstock in 1921 and nurtured by Lily Ruth Hanson, the playgrounds were named after the authors of childrens' books, consistent with the love of children which marked the careers of these women.

The Field Playground of the 20th century was designed with seven congenial features. The fieldhouse was designed by John S. Van Bergen, who beat out Frank Lloyd Wright in the design competition. The hill at the north end of the park was most probably part of a natural moraine, the deposit of an ancient, receding and melting glacier. A spacious play area southeast of the John S. Van Bergen fieldhouse included a merry-go-round, jungle gym, LONG slide, tether ball pole, teeter-totter, and other features. A basketball court was next to it. During the winter the blacktop area of the basketball court was flooded for FREE ice-skating. Skaters would change shoes in the basement area of the fieldhouse, entering from its south end. North of the fieldhouse was a sand-covered play area with both high and low swings. Northwest of that play area was a large sand pit and to its west was a large shallow wading pool that was a popular summer attraction. There was literally a beach environment in Field playground!

The hill at the north end of the playground had multiple uses. With its many bushes and trees, it was a great place for hide-and-go-seek. In the 1950's and 1960's Village Classics productions produced Shakespeare plays featuring Equity actors and local kids. The actors included TV personalities Val Bettin and Angel Casey, actors such as Richard Elrod and Lee Henry, and local kids including Clifford Osborn, who later became president of the park board. Chicago theatre professionals Josephine Forsberg and Ed Udovich were producers. Using the hill flora as forests, Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Richard III, using the pseudo forest for battle scenes, were among the plays produced. During the winter the hill was used for sledding.

Village-wide Offerings of the Recreation Department

Many children at each center rehearsed a circus act for the end-of-summer Playgrounds Circus held for two evenings at Stevenson Playground, complete with clown acts, a professional dog act, and a circus band. A village-wide track meet, distance balloon flight competition, and other activities brought the kids from all playgrounds together. A free band concert and fireworks display was held at the Oak Park and River Forest High School football stadium from at least the 1960’s until cancelled by the current administration of the park district in 2021. The sled hill at Ridgeland Common also brought all the kids together in one of the most effective forces in racial integration. It was used for such as astronomical eclipse viewing, solstice and equinox celebrations, viewing of the fireworks, and stamina training. It and its old growth trees were bulldozed down for an astroturf playing field by the current administration.

When the Recreation Department was split off from the village to create a separate taxing unit of government in the late 20th century, such free activities ceased and the focus became pay-for-play. Offering "classes" for pay became the direction of the park district.

Group Think and Commissioner Wish Lists

The new park district board consisting of only five members led to abuse and overspending. The phenomenon of group think, famously exemplified by the disastrous Bay of Pigs attempted invasion of Cuba in 1961, operates. At the risk of social ostracism, dissent is discouraged and unconscionably poor plans can be created. The 2024 plan to raze the hill and destroy trees, the gazebo, the north tot lot, and most emotionally-wrenching the John S. Van Bergen fieldhouse, is an example.

The history of the new park board shows that group think allows individual commissioners to effect their wish list. In the 1980's the board was composed in part by Catherine Deam, Margaret Kell, and Nancy Norton, to be joined by Karen Garbe. Garbe pushed for a gymnastics center. When asked the purpose, she stated words to the effect, "My kid is in gymnastics and I'm tired of driving three days a week to Des Plaines for practice." Another commissioner pushed for the skate-board park at Stevenson Playground because his kid was a skate-boarder. Another pushed for hockey at Ridgeland Common because his son was a player and he was a coach. Such abuse of taxpayers results from the lack of dissent that occurs with group think.

These three members of the board had been seated nearly ten years and thought they were not responsible to the residents.

The phenomenon does not occur with seven-member boards. Dissent can occur if two members of a board begin to question proposed policy. By combinatorial analysis, twenty-one possible two-person interactions can occur within a seven-member board. Within the five-member board of the park district, however, only ten possible interactions can occur.

Pesticides, Property Tax Reductions, Trees, and Intergovernmental Cooperation

In 1991 the CARE Party of Oak Park, led by president Les Golden showed the good things that happen when group think is stopped. A park board majority was obtained and the local press was lavish in its praise.

2007 Devastation of Field Playground

That is the context of the 2007 devastation of Field Playground. Although the creation of a soccer field was thought to be the driving force, it was actually boys’ youth baseball. The director was upset that the existing configuration led to balls hit into right field on the south field and into left field on the north field would skitter along the blacktop adjacent to Horace Mann school, turning singles and doubles into home runs. His solution was to displace the location of the fields. That was the driving force behind the destruction of the groves of trees and ambiance of Field Playground and, with the remediations detailed below, an estimated $2.5 to $3.0 million cost to taxpayers.

The executive director of the Oak Park Park District, the head of buildings and grounds, the landscape architect, the contractor, and the subcontractors are responsible for multiple design flaws, lack of oversight, and substantial costs of remediation. Yet no one was held accountable. No one was fired, demoted, or fined, and no lawsuits were filed. The only entity held accountable were the taxpayers, who had to pay what we estimate to approach $1 million. The remediation continues.

These two groves of Maple trees were among the dozens of various species at Field Playground destroyed to relocate two ball fields. Notice the shading effect of the trees, a natural buffer against global warming.

In 2007, more than $1.4 million of taxpayer money was spent to reconfigure the ballfields at the location in response to the desires of boys' baseball and soccer commercial interests. The funds were obtained from local taxpayers and a matching grant from the Department of Natural Resources of the State of Illinois, so-called IDNR. That $399,000 was obtained under fraudulent circumstances, the grant proposal from the Oak Park Park District's executive director Gary Balling not mentioning that every old growth tree in the location was to be destroyed. A local environmentalist/whistle blower discovered the cover-up, contacted the local Illinois state senator and the press, and began a sequence of events leading to the disgrace of Mr. Balling and the landscape architect, Altamanu, a husband and wife team of John McManus and Josephine Bellalta.

File:FieldNorthGroveofTrees.jpeg

Groves of old growth trees at the north portion of Field Playground destroyed in the 2007 devastation.

Cost of Remediation of 2007 Design Flaws and Lack of Oversight at Field Playground

The costs are estimates only and are based on recollection and reasonable costs of labor and materials. Feel free to provide your own estimates.

Woodbine Avenue entrance ADA-violation

We discovered that a wheelchair could not pass through the entrance and reported it to the Oak Leaves local newspaper. Ms. Grayson wrote about it and the executive director said, “We take ADA violations very seriously.” He noted it would take “an afternoon” to remediate. It took a three-man crew an entire week to remove the fencing and concrete and to replace it. Cost: $10K, $20K, $30K?

South flooding; berm/swale; sidewalk squares

The landscape architect’s design placed a berm west of the south ballfield. With real soil, the planted trees thrived. Unfortunately, the crushed rock ball field, double sidewalks, and berm left no area for drainage and flooding occurred in the area, into the alley and under the concrete. Between twenty and forty sidewalk squares, destroyed by freezer/thaw, were replaced, the berm trees were destroyed, the berm soil was removed, soil was excavated, and a swale was created. Cost: $20K, $30K? Twenty or so sidewalk squares south of the fieldhouse are degraded, the result of poor quality of materials. Cost to replace $5K?

Decorative iron grating

The landscape architect’s design included decorative iron gratings from near Division to around the fieldhouse. They were removed. Cost $15K, $20K?

Crabapple trees

About twelve crabapple trees were planted east of the south sidewalk north of the south ballfield. Although the contract called for use of topsoil, lack of oversight led the subcontractor to use clay. As an article in the Wednesday Journal local newspaper stated, “If it looks like clay and feels like clay, it is clay.” Planted in clay rather than the contracted topsoil, at least half have died are were cut down. The six that have not died are stunted in growth. Compare the two healthy trees planted on either side of the driveway entrance from the alley. They were planted in the existing soil. Cost of planting and cutting down $5K, $10K?

Water sprinkler system

A water sprinkler system was installed in the soccer field. When the head of youth soccer discovered that the spigots were actually within the field borders, he complained that a trip hazard was created which could lead to broken ankles, legs, arms, and head injuries. The spigots were then covered with artificial turf, but that turf was ripped out by use. The spigots were then removed, the holes were filled in with soil, and grass was planted. Cost to install water pipes and the system in the entire field and then to remediate $50K, $100K, $200K?

Maple trees east of fieldhouse

After we discovered the plan to destroy the old growth stands of beautiful trees, a rally on the hottest day of July, 2007, which was covered by Chicago TV, the Chicago Tribune, and local media led to a postponement of the project pending local hearings attended by State of Illinois officials who had provided a matching grant. Three trees were saved, the “Field Playground tree” and its neighboring large maples. The executive director of the park district had four-inch thick gym mats installed around the trunks of those maples to prevent ballplayers from getting injured if they ran into them while fielding balls. Those trees were 300 feet from home plate, farther than any eight-year old can hit a ball! The heat and high humidity captured between the mats and tree trunks led to insect and fungus infestation. When the state was infomed of the problem, the park district was ordered to remove the mats, but it was too late and the maples had died. Cost to remove $2K, $5K?

North flooding and cistern placement

As with the south flooding, the impermeable tot lot surfaces and ballfield surfaces led to flooding at the north end of Field Playground that actually led to partial flooding of the alley. To remediate the flooding, ditches were dug along the north ballfield foul lines and an approximately 10,000 square foot area of turf was excavated into which a water-collection cistern was placed. Cost $10K, $20K?

Splash pad

For decades children cavorted in a wading pool located near the alley fence where the west tot lot is now located. In 2007, that glorious feature was dug up and trashed by a back hoe as we watched. Instead a splash pad was created using a 1950’s era vertical mechanical switch to activate the water spouts. Once activated, the water spouts would remain active for two to three minutes, whether or not a child was actually on the splash pad. Children as young as two years old quickly discovered the great fun of pushing the activation switch and watching the water jet out. The switch mechanism would get clogged from leaves, dirt, and the seemingly inevitable chewing gum and paper wrappers. Many evenings the water could be heard spurting out throughout the night. Another resident has noted leaking from the splash pads jets. We suggested to the head of buildings and grounds that electric eye sensors be used to determine if someone was on the pad so that the water could be turned off if no one was present. His response was “the design is final.” To determine the amount of water wasted, we placed an empty milk container to gather the water from one of the spouts. Multiplying by the number of spouts and with assumptions as to the number of days and hours per day that the water spouts were active, we determined that each summer 3,000,000 gallons of water were used without any child actually being present on the splash pad. Assuming a cost to the park district of $10 per 1000 gallons of water this comes to an annual cost of water not used for actual enjoyment to $30,000. Over the 17-year life to date of the splash pad that is equivalent to about $500,000. The problem continues. We welcome others to measure the water flow and provide their own estimates.

Tot lot surfaces replacement

The crushed rubber/toxic chemical bonding agent tot lot surfaces have 15- to 20-year life expectancies. Within five years, both had crumbled and had to be replaced. Cost of initial surface material and labor, removal, and new surfaces $15K, $30K, $50K?

Bocce ball court

The landscape architect must have thought that an Italian-inspired bocce ball court should be included. After a few weeks, the audible clacking of colliding bocce balls ceased and the court became no more than a concentration of McDonalds packaging, shards of birthday balloons, fruit juice packages, used diapers, and the such. Cost of construction and then removal $10K, $15K?

2024 Development Proposal

In February, 2024, the park district announced a call for proposals for a new structure for Field Playground. It stated a maximum cost of $1.8 million. Several residents contacted the park district and requested, as had been done in 2007, public input hearings. None were held. The public was scoffed at.

View of the well-maintained John S. Van Bergen fieldhouse at Field Playground. Note the new roof. The park district wants to demolish it. View looking northwest.

Three firms became finalists and one was selected.

On October 23, 2024, the district held a public meeting to present the winner of the process and his plans. The cost was now presented as $2.8 million. The new structure was to be placed within an large excavated region of the hill, and, although it was not noted, the fieldhouse would be destroyed.

The Plan

The actual plan accepted was so outrageous that only group think could have allowed its acceptance by the park district board. The same dynamic that occurred in the 1980's occurred again. Three members of the board had been seated nearly ten years and thought they were not responsible to the residents.

The gazebo as well as all the trees pictured would be destroyed in the new plan. One of the most popular features of the playground, it is used for birthday parties, weddings, family reunions, and parties. View looking northwest.

The size of the proposed structure was 4600 sq. ft. This footprint is nearly four times as large as that of 2500 sq. ft. two-story homes in the area. It was to house one large room for recreation, a bathroom, and, unbelievably, staff offices. Offices of those administering ONE ROOM! At a cost to the Oak Park taxpayer of $2.8 million.

The park district had said that only four or five trees would be destroyed, and that they were "invasive species." In fact, at the meeting described below it became known that twenty-seven trees would be destroyed and that they were largely maples and birch trees, neither of which are invasive species.

The popular gazebo, used for birthday parties, weddings, family reunions, citizen meetings, and parties in general would be destroyed. The east tot lot would be destroyed. The 2007 feature of two tot lots was one of its good aspects. Separated, the young tots would not be able to access the devices for older kids, and the older kids would not be able to bully the tots. Yet the two tot lots were sufficiently close that a parent or babysitter could monitor children in both areas.

It should be noted that the park district, in order to minimize the emotional effect of its destruction, is now purposely referring to what for more than 100 years has been the hill as a "berm." The connotation of "hill" is large, natural, and permanent. That of "berm" is small, manmade, and impermanent. We hope that we do not fall into their semantic trap, and continue to refer to the hill by its historic name.

Meeting Response

Nearly 100 residents attended the October 23, 2024, public meeting in the fieldhouse of Field Playground. Channel 2, CBS-Chicago, sent a reporter and crew. The crowd was hostile. Citizens did not want the John S. Van Bergen fieldhouse demolished. They did not want the popular gazebo, the tot lot, and the sled hill and its twenty-seven mature trees destroyed. One resident told the architect and park district representatives, "Don't touch it [the fieldhouse]!"

Some noted that the proposal was another episode of the current park district administration lack of respect for Oak Park icons and tradition. The park district had leveled the popular sled hill at Ridgeland Common, which for generations had been a location of pre-school racial socialization, and replaced it with a toxic, global-warming-producing artificial turf playing field for white soccer-players. The park district had ended a more than sixty-year tradition of July 4th Fireworks and pre-fireworks concert at the Oak Park and River Forest High School football stadium.

Generally, residents were upset at the lack of communication with residents and that the process was behind closed doors. Residents were incensed that their sylvan park and quiet neighborhood might be turned into a pseudo business district.

Alternatives to Destruction of the Fieldhouse and Hill

First, Mann school exists adjacent to Field Playground to the east. Although a local day care organization provides after-school activities at Mann, the vast majority of the activities are held in the lunchroom. The dance classes could be held in the gym or south commons area of the school. Evenings after 6:00 pm, weekends, and the summer months would still be available. This is true intergovernmental cooperation.

If new construction is still desired, several alternatives have been proposed. The least expensive and destructive would be to create an addition to the fieldhouse to the west for the offices. Still far less expensive than the park district proposed plan while saving the fieldhouse would be achieved by placing a second floor on the existing fieldhouse.

If the park district insists on spending $3 to $4 million on a new building, it could be placed on stilts over the Mann school parking lot.

In the spirit of intergovernmental cooperation, an additional structure could be placed on the airspace above the Horace Mann elementary school parking lot, sitting on vertical piers. The fieldhouse, hill, gazebo, and north tot lot would all be saved in this way. The architect for the park district noted that many such structures have been built in the Chicago area. It would benefit the school in various ways. The lifespan of the surface, now shielded from rain, snow, and ice, would be greatly extended. Snow plowing would no longer be needed, saving cost. Staff and teachers would no longer need to remove snow and ice from their windshields after a winter storm. The facility could be used to store tools, seed, and fertilizer used by the PTO gardeners. For the park district, drop-off access would be safe. Youth baseball could store their equipment in the facility rather than in ground-level, rainwater permeable wooden boxes.

Citizen Follow Up

Various citizens began a petition drive, created a dedicated website, and began a search for candidates for the April 1, 2025, election.