Design firm previews Key Parks master plan, emphasizing ADA access, restrooms and habitat restoration

Upland Design presented a courtesy review of a draft Key Parks master plan for five parks—Cushman Arboretum, Oak Ridge Park, Old Mill Grove, Staples Park and Zurich Park—outlining priorities identified through stakeholder meetings and a mailed survey.

Liz Defoe, principal and project manager with Upland Design, said the project included a statistically valid mailed survey with 318 respondents plus 52 online responses, and listed top priorities that emerged: walking and biking trails, restroom facilities, shade and improved ADA access. "Of the 318 residents that completed the survey, 96% of them said that they visited parks in Lake Zurich," she said, summarizing the questionnaire results.

The draft plan proposes site‑specific recommendations such as boardwalk overlooks and habitat restoration in Oak Ridge, a new parking area and pump track at Old Mill Grove, improved restroom and concession facilities at Staples Park, and preserving large open multipurpose fields at Zurich Park while adding shade and a restroom. Designers proposed inclusive ADA features—examples include an inclusive swing that allows wheelchair roll‑on access—and options to use permeable paving and bioswales for stormwater management.

Trustees praised the community engagement and discussed priorities, grant opportunities (including OSLAD, Recreational Trails, Land and Water Conservation Fund and IDOT programs) and phasing tied to the village's capital improvement program. Several trustees cautioned about long‑term maintenance costs for new amenities such as restrooms and pickleball courts and noted the need to balance park investments with other village capital commitments, including the Lake Michigan water project.

Upland Design said it will present the plan to the Park and Recreation Advisory Board and return to the Village Board for adoption in late February or early March after trustees provide feedback on priorities and phasing.