11/14/2004
Park District starts "planning process" for Meigs, hides airport
ideas
Friends of Meigs outnumber all other groups
Chicago, IL -- On Saturday, November 13, the Chicago Park
District finally began planning the park it wants to replace Meigs Field, over a
year and a half after the airport's illegal midnight destruction.
In what will be the first of seven public
"visioning" sessions, the Park District sought public input on the
elements of the park that would replace the famed downtown airport.
Friends of Meigs supporters were the largest single bloc of attendees,
outnumbering all other groups represented at the meeting, with over 20 of the 60
or so attendees members or supporters of the Friends of Meigs Field.
"It was gratifying to see the turnout," said Steve
Whitney, president of the Friends of Meigs Field. "If the Park
District really cares about the public's input, their eyes were opened on
Saturday." The Friends of Meigs presented over 13,000 electronic
petition signatures, and over 650 well-written letters of support for the Parks
and Planes plan. The plan would include an operating airstrip as one
feature in a mixed-use park/airport/air museum attraction for all Chicagoans.
Planning director Arnold Randall tried to maintain a fair
appearance in his comments, saying that no idea would be rejected in advance,
but actions and statements by the Park District tended to cast doubt on the good
faith of the process.
Airport Ideas Shut Out
At one point, Park District representatives demanded that
sketches of the Parks and Planes plan be removed from display. When
questioned why they were being singled out over other groups' proposals (such as
those by the Lake Michigan Federation, Purdue University students, and the Baird
real estate firm), the Park District decided to pull those presentations from
display as well.
"It's as if they don't want people to know all the facts
and possibilities," said Whitney. "Why are they trying to hide
ideas from the public?"
Demanding Process Changes
The Friends of Meigs Field have officially requested that the
Park District modify its planning process to be more fair.
One example: In one exercise, the Park District gives
green ("like") and yellow ("dislike") stickers to the
attendees and asks them to place them on various photos of park elements from
parks elsewhere. This process is meant to get feedback on the types of
elements people would prefer to see. However, it has two significant
flaws:
- There are NO photos of elements of a combination
park/airport/air museum like that proposed in the Parks and Planes
plan. Therefore, Meigs supporters are forced to allocate their
stickers among other features and activities that are or are not compatible
with airport activities.
- The results are completely ambiguous and subject to
whatever interpretation the Park District wants to put on them. For
instance, one photo that showed a stand of tall trees got a large number of
yellow stickers, many from Meigs supporters who realize that lower landscape
features would be more compatible with an airport. Instead, Mr.
Randall publicly expressed confusion over the results, guessing that
"maybe people don't like that there's a tree in the middle of this
path, here."
In another example, one photo of a beach drew a lot of green dots, which
caused another Park District employee to comment on how many people
supported extending the 12th Street Beach the length of the peninsula.
In fact, many of the green dots were there because the existing 12th Street
Beach has co-existed with Meigs Field for over 55 years and would be a very
compatible use.
In the interim, until it is clear that the Park District is
not truly seeking the public's opinions and input, the Friends of Meigs Field
encourage its members and other Meigs supporters to take part in the process in
good faith.
Press Coverage
The Chicago press turned out to cover the event, including the
Chicago Tribune, ABC-7 News, WGN-9 News, CLTV News and CBS-2 News.
Coverage was balanced, but statements by Park District officials tended to
indicate that an airstrip was not to be seriously considered. According to
the Chicago Tribune, '"There are no parks where airstrips are a compatible
use," said Arnold Randall, the district director of planning and
development who led the brainstorming session.'
The text of the entire Chicago Tribune article appears below:
Chicago Tribune, 11/14/04:
Brainstorming begins on Meigs ; Group again touts proposal to include
airstrip with park;
[Chicago Final Edition] Hal Dardick, Tribune staff reporter.
Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Nov 14, 2004. pg. 4
The Chicago Park District Saturday found a use for the former
Meigs Field terminal building--as the spot to launch sessions on developing
Northerly Island.
More than 60 people discussed their ideas for a showcase
lakefront park on the site where Mayor Richard Daley orchestrated the
destruction of Meigs' general aviation runway in March 2003.
Daley and district officials envision a nature park.
Nevertheless, Friends of Meigs Field again touted its Parks and Planes proposal,
combining a new Meigs Field and aviation museum with a nature park.
"They say they are trying to reach out for the input of
the citizens of Chicago," said Steve Whitney, president of the group.
"We are going to try to work with them to see if they are acting in good
faith."
The combination airport and park could be built with federal
airport funds and generate a $100 million windfall the district could use
elsewhere, Whitney said.
Timothy Mitchell, general superintendent for the district, was
cool to the idea. "I am general superintendent of the Park District, and I
am interested in a park at Northerly Island," he said.
"There are no parks where airstrips are a compatible
use," said Arnold Randall, the district director of planning and
development who led the brainstorming session. "Typically, park spaces are
places you can go and escape from urban life and noises."
Saturday's session was the first of seven to be held across
the city.
The district then will put together concepts to present at a
second set of public forums. Final plans will be implemented in stages over
several years.
The city used $1.49 million in federal grants and airline
passenger tax revenue to rip out Meigs' runway, restore the land and plant
wildflowers and trees. Northerly Island, actually a 78-acre peninsula, opened to
the public in July.
Part of the peninsula will be used next year for family
oriented concerts and plays to generate $800,000 for operations and planning.
The former terminal will become a visitor's center in March.
At Saturday's session, participants indicated a strong
preference for fishing piers, terraced ponds and native plantings over sports
fields and highly landscaped gardens.
Robbie Hunsinger, founder and coordinator of the Chicago Bird
Collision Monitors program that each spring and fall rescues hundreds of
migrating birds that crash into lakefront buildings, suggested a bird nature and
rehabilitation center.
