Parks Committee of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference Chairman: Gary Ossewaarde

For the current page of this committee, please visit the Parks Committee link.

The Parks Committee works with local park advisory councils and city-wide advocacy and interest groups to ensure parks and park users are respected:

• maximize upkeep, quality experience and programming in our parks,
• make sure the Park District fulfills its obligations,
• make sure parkland needs and value are visible in community decision-making,
• put our weight behind the councils, publicly or in negotiations and consultations,
• provide logistical, database, or mobilization support.

Watch for fall 2006 project is likely to be an experience and stragegy sharing Small Parks Forum Conclave. Watch for date.

Since the Conference is the nonprofit umbrella for the Nichols Park Advisory Council, and for LILAC (concerned with the Metra embankment), the Parks Committee has special relationships with these and the Hyde Park Garden Fair Committee. We also maintain databases and do considerable work with collaborer Jackson Park Advisory Council, including maintaining its website.

The HPKCC Parks Committee also maintains the parks pages in hydepark.org and has convened informal community and regional meetings of council leaders and parks advocates and held forums under the name South Side Parks Consortium. Some current common issues are park cutbacks, trash collection and maintenance breakdowns, and ensuring ongoing community input in park/school agreements and in planning for new facilities.

What we've done recently:

Watch for our Small Parks Forum in fall 2006.

• We presented to the board, which supported, in July 2005 letters supporting a preservation approach at the Point to Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Senator Obama, and Supt. Mitchell of the Park District. Senator Obama was asked to state his support of the same publicly and to IHPA and the CPD.
• We also won approval of a board letter setting out to the Park District priority needs for natural areas, landscaping and trees in light of lapse of the care contract.

What we need:

• We need planning subcommittee members to revitalize the consortium around common or well-chosen issues and get busy when councils need support or volunteers or when major controversies or opportunities arise.
• We need liaisons to the various park councils who will attend council meetings (or help set up a regular schedule of meetings) and participate in their activities while reporting council neeeds and positions timely to the chairman (including for our website parks page and the Conference Reporter ) and at Parks Committee meetings. Alternatively, we need persons willing to undertake the difficult work of organizing a park council where needed near their home. At present we need representatives to Dyett, Kennicott, and especially Midway Plaisance and Washington Park councils.
• We need researchers to help with issues or documents for councils or HPKCC.
• We need persons who will help with occasional tasks, such as mailing or publicity or who will observe and report or photograph in the parks.
• And, yes, we need Parks Committee members who are parks- and nature-aware or are involved in park-using groups. We especially include our friends in the Garden Fair Committee in this invitation.

Chairman: Gary Ossewaarde (direct email), telephone (773) 947-9541, Conference email hpkcc@aol.com

HPKCC Parks Page