“Improvements” to Gillson - Are They Really Better?

Why does the Park Board continue to ignore public opinion, pedestrian safety, and protecting Gillson’s trees and important History?

There is safer, better option — the Alternative Path.

We are concerned about the Park District’s plans for Gillson road and sewer improvements, expected to begin in fall 2024. We have long favored repairing Gillson’s neglected roads and sewers. But, the Park District’s plans go beyond repair. They plan to change the historically significant design of two of Gillson’s roads—Middle and Harbor Drives.  

Among the features that qualify Gillson for listing on the National Register of Historic Places are its distinctive curved road circulation pattern and wide roads, which were part of the Prairie School desire to allow visitors to “wander” through the park as they enjoy its benefits. All the roads in Gillson are 20 feet wide, providing symmetry and easy travel. The original unique road pattern and wide roads have remained intact for almost 100 years. 

Now, the Park Board intends to upend that by narrowing Middle Drive along the tennis courts from its original 20 foot width to make it a pedestrian walkway, 7 feet wide. We are glad to have better walking opportunities in Gillson. But, we see no need to narrow the Middle Drive. That ruins Gillson’s original design and unbalances the road symmetry. Moreover, such a drastic change will likely harm, and may even kill, the many mature trees that line Middle Drive, some of which are original to the park. Keeping Middle Drive 20 feet wide would make it more user-friendly for pedestrians and align with the original road design.

Even more alarming are the proposed changes to Harbor Drive — the southern roadway into Gillson. The Park Board plans to move a significant part of the road seven feet north to accommodate a 5 foot wide sidewalk and curbs on the south side. To do this, they will incur the expense of creating a new roadbed and moving sewers and electric lines. They will need to build a lengthy, unsightly concrete retaining wall along the north side. 

This will not only alter the original beautiful curve of Harbor, but will also jeopardize the many trees along Harbor and likely loss of all of the trees in the triangle across from Sheridan Shore. When visitors enter the park, they will see a huge mass of concrete and fewer trees---both completely out-of-sync with the naturalistic, green style that the original landscape architects worked so carefully to achieve.

We support the alternative walking and biking path that has been offered as a superior option to the Board’s destructive plans. Here’s why we like the alternative path:

Public opinion supports the alternative path: For years, in Park District survey after survey, residents have asked for better walking and biking in Gillson. In the most recent survey, Wilmette residents overwhelming chose more trails as the #1 outdoor amenity they would like in our parks. More specifically, over 300 people have signed the Bike Walk Wilmette petition supporting the alternative path preferring it to the Park District’s plan when presented with both plans. See petition and more information here. Why doesn’t the Park District listen to what residents want?

The alternative path promotes safety: The alternative path would be totally separate from traffic and wide enough to accommodate the way residents walk in Gillson — in groups, with dogs on leashes, and pushing strollers. The Park District’s proposed sidewalk is much too narrow to allow safe passing, and the proposed bike lane is right next to traffic without any protection. The Park District ignores the transportation experts whose research shows unequivocally that keeping walkers and bike riders away from traffic on their own multi-use path is far safer than bike lanes and sidewalks adjacent to traffic. This makes common sense, and safety should be a primary goal of the Park District. Why doesn’t the Park District rely on these experts and work to protect residents of all ages and abilities walking and biking in Gillson?

Trees are protected by the alternative path: The alternative path will not impact Gillson’s mature trees, which are far more valuable than any new saplings that might be planted in the future. Isn’t the Park District responsible for protecting our natural resources?

The alternative path preserves history, too: The alternative path preserves the historic design of Gillson. In fact, the original 1937 design for Gillson includes a path in the exact location that is proposed for the alternative path. Why does the Park Distirct choose a plan that disregards and adversely affects Gillson’s original design and our community’s history?

The alternative path is more cost-effective: The Park District has not disclosed the cost of their plan to change the roads and add a long concrete wall. Because their plan is much more involved, we assume it will be significantly more expensive than the alternative path. Why is the Park District wasting public funds by choosing the more expensive option and not pursuing state and federal grants available for multi-use paths?

Improving Gillson is an expensive and important endeavor. Over $6 million has been budgeted, and costs may well rise during the construction process. Gillson is a valuable treasure of our community, and we all want to preserve what makes it so special — its open space, mature trees, and wonderful design. Let’s make sure we do it right.