May 2017 Update - Committee Formed and Working

We have added a new set of slides at this link.

A lot has happened since our last update.

You may recall that last January, the FP Village Council formed a citizens’ committee to develop further the concept of a cultural park on the Altenheim property.

That committee consists of Rachell Entler, Ralph DiFebo, Carole Morey, David Show, Kathleen Garness, Kim Rostello, Patti Marino, Ryan Nero and Todd Petersen.

In general, we see our mission as to flesh out some reasonable potential developments for the park, analyze and compare the good and bad of each, work with the council members to understand their preferences, and submit a recommendation to the Village Council.

The important values that we are aiming at for the park to deliver include: benefit of the park to the community, overall cost effectiveness, potential revenue, and low risk to the village.

We have met four times so far and are making good progress. We are developing several alternatives, ranging from a low-end case through a larger and more comprehensive concept, like the sketches that have already been made public.

We hope to have a recommendation developed and fleshed out by Thanksgiving, ready to deliver to the Village Council for their consideration and approval. In the meantime, we also have several paths being pursued to ensure that significant roadblocks are understood and managed.

Committee meeting announcements are posted at Village Hall.

Please contact us if you have any questions of comments.

The Path Ahead and How You Can Help

As you may have heard, over the past two weeks we have presented our proposal to create a “Cultural Park” in Forest Park  at the Exit Strategy, McGaffer's Saloon, and the Buzz Cafe (in Oak Park). All three events were enthusiastic and well attended.

If you were unable to attend any of the sessions I would like to share with you some of the thoughts that I shared at those sessions.

I began this quest three years ago because the Village asked its residents this question:  What should we do with the Altenheim Property?  

Everything posted on this blog and our Facebook pages are my answers to the village's question.

The most important thing you need to know is that this is a concept and not a plan.  Nothing is set in stone. In the end, it is the job of the Village Board to decide if this concept  has merit and, if they feel it does, then it will be their responsibility to develop it into a plan and execute that plan.

The Board will need to analyze the concept to decide on the proposed scale of the venue, layout, amenities and traffic plans that would be a good fit for our community. They will need to bring together our residents and experts, to determine feasibility, complete the final plans, secure funding, and develop the operating model.

I have been working with some amazingly talented people.  If I am given the opportunity to present to the Village Board, I am going to ask these volunteers to help me put together a final presentation that demonstrates the value of this concept.

The ultimate goal is to present my answer to the question that Village Board asked three years ago. I am hoping to present to the Village Board before this summer.

In the meantime here is what you can do to help:

1. Take the survey.  We need to demonstrate to the Village Board that there is public support of our concept.  If you have not taken our survey please do and pass our links on to your neighbors and friends so they can take the survey.

2. “Like” our Facebook page so you can receive our updates

3. Follow the blog page by email or RSS (links on the right)

4. Come to the Village Board meeting to support us.

Anything worth doing is not too difficult to do.  If it's easy, it's not worth doing.

Thanks for your support.

Ralph DiFebo