Reaching out for community input
Residents urged to participate in surveys
for recreation, Ike issues
A desire to more accurately gauge where
residents stand on issues has the Village looking to formal
research tools and techniques to gather citizen opinions. Two
mail surveys will soon begin arriving in residents' homes
as part of separate efforts to gather information. The first
will focus on parks and recreation and the second on issues
associated with a proposed plan to cover the Eisenhower
Expressway with a cap through Oak Park.
Parks and recreation survey
Some 2,000 Oak Parkers selected at random
will be asked to share their views and desires for the
community's parks and recreation facilities and services
by completing a survey expected to arrive in mailboxes in early
January. The survey is part of a Village and Park District
joint effort to draft a comprehensive master plan that will set
priorities and determine future programs and capital needs.
Estimated to take only about 15 minutes to
complete, the survey should provide a statistically valid
measure of residents' views on current programs and
facilities, as well as offer ideas on direction for future
planning.
For more information on the park survey or
the comprehensive plan, call 725.2022 or email parkmasterplan@oak-park.us. Regular updates on
the progress of the master plan are posted at www.oakparkparks.com and www.oak-park.us.
Cap the IKE Study survey
Home and building owners who live within
two blocks of the Eisenhower Expressway as well as a random
sample of residents throughout the Village will be asked this
month to provide information on their concerns and priorities
associated with a study of covering the Ike now underway.
The information gathered through the survey
will provide important background information to the
consultants and citizen advisory stakeholder group, which are
conducting the Cap the Ike Study as part of a Village effort to
address community interests and long-standing problems
associated with the Eisenhower's impact on Oak Park.
For more information on the survey or the
study, call 358.5778 or email CapTheIKE@oak-park.us. Residents also can
track the study on the project web site at www.captheikestudy.com.
Past Surveys
These two surveys are not the first time
the Village has used research tools to gather information from
residents. A survey conducted in the late 2000 gathered
extensive information on citizen attitudes on a wide range of
government services and related subjects. A survey also was
conducted in the fall of 2002 to assess resident satisfaction
with cable television service as part of the franchise renewal
process. Future surveys also are likely as the Village strives
to gather timely information on changing attitudes and needs as
a way to better allocate municipal resources.
New signs to welcome visitors
Four prairie style metal and limestone
entry monuments will soon help visitors know they have arrived
in Oak Park. The 15-foot tall devices will be installed along
Austin Boulevard at Madison Street and Jackson Boulevard, and
on Harlem Avenue at Lake Street and Garfield Street. The new
monument devices are part of the Village's ongoing
wayfinding system, a long-term communications program designed
to welcome and guide visitors. Other elements of the program
include signs identifying Oak Park's historic districts,
maps at transit stations, business district directories and
devices at key community entryways that hold banners that can
be changed to highlight special events or activities. For more
information, call 358.5778 or email village@oak-park.us.
