Lake Ellyn Park 2013 Master Plan

2. site analysis & existing conditions
b. Site and context
A number of factors helped shape the park to what it
is today, and create the framework to consider viable
enhancements or improvements. Cultural factors
include existing uses, physical elements, and contextual
relationships. Natural factors include geology, geography,
hydrology, and landscape ecology. The following is a brief
discussion of some of these features and qualities:
1. Adjacent land use and access
Lake Ellyn Park is located just northeast of downtown
Glen Ellyn, in an established, primarily residential
neighborhood. It is bordered with local residential
streets on the west, north, and sides, and shares the south
property line with Glenbard West High School.
The west boundary abuts two blocks of Lenox Road, a 25’
wide residential street with on-street parking on the east
side of the road that serves residents and park users. The
main park access is across Lenox from Linden Street at the
mid-point. The main portion of the park, including the
lake, is south of Essex Road, another residential street with
on-street parking on the north side of the road. Essex road
terminates on the east into the park. Single family homes
line both streets, with front porches overlooking the park.
The south end of the park is a narrow strip of land that
wraps around the southern edge of Lake Ellyn. Duchon
Field, Glenbard West High School’s legendary football
venue and practice area are immediately south of the line.
This land was formerly part of the lake, and was reclaimed
by the school many decades ago. The field remains below
flood elevation, and is occasionally incapacitated with
ponding stormwater.
The park is accessible from the perimeter roadways and
sidewalks. Park visitors on foot or bicycle can enter the
park informally along virtually the entire length of Lenox
Road, Essex Road (including the crosswalk near the north
end of the lake), and from the trail along Lake Road. The
main (paved) walkway/bicycle entrance is from Lenox
Road at Linden Street. This entrance allows for vehicular
access, but is restricted to two handicap-accessible parking
spaces, Park District staff, or service vehicle parking. Park
visitors arriving by car are intended to park outside of
the park on adjacent streets where on-street parking is
permitted.
A narrow “panhandle” of the park extends further north,
including the Ruth Candy Parkway -the open space
between Grand Avenue and the northern stretch of Lake
Road - and the Sam Perry Nature Preserve. Sam Perry
Nature Preserve is a triangle of open space north of Oak
Street, and also has homes facing it on all three sides. The
eastern boundary of the park is Lake Road, which extends
south from Oak Street to the high school. The ground
rises steeply to the east, and there are only three homes
that are accessed from Lake Road adjacent to the park. The
remainder of the frontage is rear-yard space of homes that
face east onto Crescent Boulevard.
Lake Ellyn Park Master Plan
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