Hyde Park Herald – January 20, 2016

This letter is prompted by the Dec. 16 article “Project 120 Update” as well as by your comments about Jackson Park in your end-of-year coverage.

We and many others in the community have many concerns about Project 120, as was made very clear by the large number of participants raising questions at the Nov. 9 public workshop on the current proposals for Jackson and Washington Parks and the Midway Plaisance. These concerns include:

  • What exactly is Project 120 proposing? The plans appear to change on an on-going basis.
  • What are the specifics concerning the concert pavilion proposed to replace the existing parking lot east of Darrow Bridge close to the Museum of Science and Industry? Who would control, operate, staff, and maintain it? Would this be another privatization of public park space? What about noise and parking? If part of the goal is to provide a visitors’ center with displays and restrooms why not improve the existing Park District restroom facilities in the area and work with MSI to develop a display about the history of the Wooded Island and its environment there?
  • When and how will the public have the opportunity for decisive input beyond these sporadic workshops?

We hope that we are not wrong in trusting that significant public debate will be required to make any of the major changes to our beloved local parks that Project 120 appears to have in mind.

Sincerely,
Brenda Nelms Margaret Schmid
We can be contacted at jacksonparkwatch@gmail.com

Original link: http://hpherald.com/2016/01/20/26453/

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