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No trees are expected to be removed as part of the project. Some plantings will be removed to accommodate the new accessible entry path
Yes. The project will include a landscape plan for the area surrounding the tot-lot.
No, the drinking fountain’s location will not change, but the drinking fountain will be replaced.
No, the playground will remain in its current location on the South lot.
Following the Playground Feasibility Study last spring it was determined through the community engagement process that there was more support for the playground to remain within its current footprint.
While there was interest in moving and expanding the playground, the community valued preserving the open space, the scale of the tot lot, the secluded woodland feel of the tot lot and expressed concern for traffic and parking if the playground were to move and grow.
This project focuses on the tot lot, though the Park District is accepting comments for what the community would like to see on the North lot.
The plan proposes to use pour-in-place rubber safety surface, often referred to as the soft surface.
Construction is expected to begin early Spring 2024 through the end of Spring 2024, though the schedule is weather dependent.
Yes, the existing fence will be replaced with a new fence.
Yes, in efforts to create a safer and less steep entry to the playground, the path will extend back further behind the playground which will move the entrance and create a gradually sloped pathway.
No, the playground will remain a tot-lot, for the 2-5 age group.
Through the listening sessions, we heard support for adding pieces that would be enjoyed by older kids. We also heard the need for a greater variety of play equipment, with pieces that are more challenging to stimulate the older tots.
The Park District is required to follow ASTM CPSI requirements regarding age-appropriate equipment. The proposed playground includes climbing opportunities and an expression swing that may engage older children.
The Annual Asphalt Project has been completed, thank you for your patience!
The cart paths on holes 2-5, 8 and 9 are going to be repaved this year. So far, the path along holes 2, 8, 9 and part of 5 have been grinded down and are expected to be paved this week.
This week, crews will begin grinding the path along holes 3, 4, and the rest of 5.
Heller Nature Center’s parking lot has been repaved and is ready for striping. As a result, the parking lot is currently closed off where the new pavement begins, and we ask that you please not park in the lot until the striping has been completed and has finished curing.
The parking lot is expected to be open late Wednesday or in the morning on Thursday. In the meantime, visitors can park on the entry road that leads up to the parking lot.  Â
According to the USDA Forest Service, management solutions are urgently needed to cope with the large number of oak trees that are declining in our northern forests. Trees affected by root diseases like Phytophthora and Armillaria can lose capacity to absorb water and nutrients. This further weakens the trees and favors secondary issues such as infestation by two-lined chestnut borer. This spring, District staff observed secondary infections of Hypoxylon cankers in red oaks.
The Park District has been working to address oak decline since 2019 when it began a series of annual preventative treatments in our trees at Sunset Woods Park. Recently, the District reached out to The Morton Arboretum for assistance in the effort.
Starting this August, the District is participating in a Morton Arboretum study to treat and track the health of declining oaks. Arboretum staff visited Sunset Woods and Heller Nature Center to test for Phytophthora, a soil-borne root rot disease. Species of Phytophthora produce spores that can survive for years in moist soil and can travel through water to infect a living host.
Selected trees were treated for Phytophthora using a phosphonate fertilizer that has fungicidal properties. For some trees, treatment also included an application of a growth regulator to allow the trees to direct energy away from their canopy and into their roots. This approach will also be used by the District at Sunset Woods in areas where soil has been compacted due to heavy use. A total of eight trees (four white oaks at Sunset Woods and four red oaks at Heller Nature Center) are part of the ongoing study.
Separately, the District has tagged trees in Sunset Woods Park for treatment for root disease. In the next few weeks, the District will treat those trees using a hand-held spray to apply phosphonate fertilizer around the bark and root crown (where tree meets soil). Also, 60 of the trees will be treated for two-lined chestnut borer.
Fortunately, many of the trees in Sunset Woods are Swamp White Oaks that are tolerant of wet conditions. Also, the District has been proactive about planting new trees. For example, since 2015, Arbor Day volunteers have been planting 20 trees a year in the park. No mow areas around the park also help protect vulnerable trees from damage. For more information, contact Rebecca Grill, Natural Areas Manager, rgrill@pdhp.org.
Park District crews added a layer of protective mulch around select trees in Sunset Woods Park, as a follow-up to the air spading project that addressed soil compaction. Properly applied, the mulch layer helps regulate soil temperature and moisture to promote root health.Â
Select oak trees adjacent to the Sunset Woods playgrounds will receive an extra level of attention to promote healthy root growth and long-term health.  Arborists will use a process called air spading to loosen the soil around the roots of the trees.  Â
Compaction of the soil is a primary cause of tree decline. Compaction occurs when soil is compressed by heavy or regular traffic (even constant foot traffic) causing the all-important pores between soil particles to close. These pore spaces hold air, water and nutrients which are essential to tree health.Â
The fruits of your feedback have arrived!
The Park District is excited to share the final playground renovation design for Moroney’s Weil Tot Lot. Following several rounds of community engagement, the collected feedback was translated into the final equipment selection and playground layout. See updated playground design rendering here.
The Park District would also like to share the redesigned playground entrance pathway, which will be ADA accessible and ease the slope into the playground. Through community engagement, the desire for stroller parking was heard, and will be included at the entrance path. See updated entrance pathway plan here.
Next Steps: We are on track to bid out this project in December and construction is anticipated to begin in the spring.
Over the last few months, the Park District collected neighbor comments on the playground equipment options for the Weil Tot Lot at Moroney Park. We would like to thank you for stopping by the August/September Listening Sessions and for your participation in last week’s Community Meeting. Currently, we are integrating neighbor feedback into the playground design, below is a summary of the key takeaways.
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What is most loved about the current playground?
• House structure
• Teeter totter
• Location – due to the natural shading and the playground’s seclusion from the street
Is there a theme or color palette that will best suit Moroney?
• Neutral, organic color palette with a few bright pops – natural color palette that will fit into the neighborhood
• Theme – while many were impartial on the subject, a nature or forest theme was a popular suggestion and a theme could add value by giving the playground an identity, as this is how kids refer to the place rather than an actual name
What playground elements are a must have?
• Swings, and swing type options
• Climbing opportunities
• A lookout platform – somewhere kids can climb up high, see the trains pass
• Room to run around and explore
• Sensory play options – i.e., music play
• Understanding that the playground is intended for the 2-5 age group, achieving a balance of diversity of play value to meet each child (ages 2-5) at their level of play, particularly the older end of the age range that may be ready for more challenging play elements.
• Large play structure, with a few independent surrounding elements
• Opportunities to bounce and jump
• Spinner and/or teeter totter
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The Park District’s next step is to incorporate this feedback into the final design for the playground. Once the design is complete, we will share it with the community.
Our preliminary listening sessions for the Weil Tot Lot replacement projects concluded with a community meeting at Rosewood Beach Interpretive Center. We once again shared the various equipment design layouts and looked for resident’s feedback.
The playground design process is collaborative. Park District staff had a booth at the Ravinia Farmer’s Market to review equipment layout design options.
The playground design process is collaborative. Park District staff held a listening session in the park from 9am-11am to review equipment layout design options.
The playground design process is collaborative. Park District staff held a listening session in the park from 1pm-3pm to review equipment layout design options.
Complete this form if you would like to receive project updates or if you have any questions.
The crews have completed demolition and are starting to frame for the new curbing and sidewalk.
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Exciting habitat improvements are happening in the eastern portion of Sunset Woods Park where the Firehouse Activity Center once stood. The woodland area, which surrounds the bridge that connects the park to the east side of town, will be part of an ecological restoration project by Park District contractor, Davey Resource Group. Work involves the removal of woody and herbaceous invasive species, followed by planting and seeding of native plant species. In addition to the woodland restoration, an upland meadow will be created by the installation of native seeds. Dead standing trees, away from walking paths, will remain in the woodland as they provide excellent habitat for a variety of bird species. Work will begin in January 2022 and end in December 2022.
Initial restoration of the Sunset Wood project area is complete. Native grasses and flowers are blooming in the meadow, wetlands and woodlands. District staff and contractors will continue to maintain the area in the years to come to establish native plants and control invasive weeds.
More than 1,800 native plants were installed along the stream in the Sunset Woods project area. Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, Wild Geranium, and Columbine wildflowers were included along with Oak Sedge and Little Blue Stem grass.
Seeding took place the week of March 14 in the woodland and meadow areas of the project. Crews tilled the area and then hand-spread seeds. The woodland area was raked and seeded. Erosion control blankets are in place to protect the seeds. Grass trail edges will be mown to provide additional walking room.
Complete this form if you would like to receive project updates or if you have any questions.
