The Naperville Park District plans to make more improvements to the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots in the near future after gathering input from residents and other community stakeholders.
Proposed enhancements include raised planting beds that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, permeable-paver parking spaces near the garden plots and rainage improvements, Planning Director Eric Shutes told the Naperville Park Board last week.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who are really excited about the garden plot improvements,” board President Mary Gibson said. “That’s on everybody’s mind.”
Park district staff will present an engineering services contract for the accessibility and drainage upgrades to the park board at a future meeting. The chosen firm will handle site engineering, permitting and product cost estimates.
There is also the possibility of more parking and lighting improvements along West Street and the southern part of Knoch Park and draining enhancements for the site overall, officials said.
The park district intends to explore additional changes in a survey this summer pertaining to no-till plots, the gardening season’s length and amending the soil.
Upgrades already scheduled for this year include adding a two-spigot water station at the northern part of the site, a new raised bed for people with special accommodations and more ADA-accessible portable restrooms.
Giles Bruce is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
