Lake Ellyn Park 2013 Master Plan

1. background & introduction
Lake Ellyn Park is a well-loved community asset
master plan at significant stages of the process through
in-person interviews with key stakeholders, and a written
questionnaire sent to community groups and neighboring
residents. Public comments, suggestions, and concerns
were also gathered through a series of public meetings and
charrettes with Glen Ellyn Park District Board members,
staff, citizens, and stakeholders, and the project process
has been well publicized in local media and on the GEPD
website.
Goals and First Principles for Lake Ellyn Park were
established at the beginning of the process, and various
concepts and ideas tested against those priorities.
The resulting master plan establishes the uses, facility
improvements, and landscape enhancements to ensure the
continued enjoyment of Lake Ellyn Park for the remainder
of this century and beyond.
b. Lake Ellyn Park today
Lake Ellyn Park is one of - if not the most - cherished
community assets in Glen Ellyn. Generations of Glen Ellyn
citizens and visitors of all ages have and continue to enjoy
the park’s beauty and amenities for strolling, picnicking,
playing, fishing, ice skating, festivals, and events. Located
adjacent to the Village of Glen Ellyn’s thriving downtown
business district, the 28.7-acre park includes a 10-acre
lake, the 1.4-acre Sam Perry Nature Preserve, many mature
native trees, and a historic boathouse that celebrated its
The Great Cardboard Boat Regatta
75-year anniversary on November 11, 2012.
The park is located in the well-established Lake Ellyn
residential neighborhood, adjacent to Glenbard West
High School and Duchon Field to the south. The park
is well-served with adjacent roads and sidewalks to the
north, east, and west. The park includes the Ruth Candy
Parkway at the north end of the lake, and the Sam Perry
Nature Preserve further north, named in honor of U.S.
District Court Judge Joseph Sam Perry, who discovered
a prehistoric mastodon skeleton nearby in 1963 which he
donated. The Churchill Woods County Forest Preserve is
located north and east of Lake Ellyn Park.
Lake Ellyn Park is both a local neighborhood park and
a regional community park. As a local neighborhood
park, residents walk or bike to enjoy the trails, picnic
space, playground, and other activities. As a community
park, the Lake Ellyn boathouse provides a very special
venue for a variety of gatherings, and the park hosts the
annual Fourth of July fireworks, the Great Cardboard Boat
Regatta®, and other events.
Lake Ellyn and the park have a legacy of providing
community benefits in addition to active and passive
recreation. Lake Ellyn also currently provides stormwater
detention and flood attenuation for a significant portion
of the Village.
8 Glen Ellyn Park District