Capital Projects & Planning

Park Care and Maintenance

The Wildwood Park District is proud to employ an in-house maintenance team, made up of year-round as well as seasonal staff (May through September). Our maintenance facilities are located at Twin Lakes Park (17900 W. Fairfield Rd.) and are comprised of a heated maintenance shop and office where our parks maintenance team works, as well as a pole-barn style vehicle and equipment garage, equipped with:

  • Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup truck with a Tommy lift gate and snow plow
  • Haulin enclosed landscaping trailer
  • John Deere Gator UTV with winch and dump beds (2)
  • Kawasaki Mule UTV with winch
  • Chainsaws
  • Weed Whips
  • Leaf Blowers
  • Power Washer
  • Rototiller
  • Tow-behind 150 gallon watering/spray tank
  • Gas-powered post hole digger
  • Riding Zero-Turn Mowers with leaf collection system
  • Ariens Commercial Snow Blower and John Deere riding automatic salt spreader

Our maintenance team is responsible for the following park care and maintenance:

All parks will be inventoried on an annual and ongoing basis for trimming, fertilization, mulching, pest control, removal needs and stump grinding. Major focuses for the Park District with annual tree pruning includes eliminating dead wood hazards over playgrounds, facilities, walking paths, and public open space. Safety tree pruning is contracted out and typically takes place in the winter months of December-March.

Beaches at Pebble, Willow Point, Sunset, and Valley South are inspected, cleaned, and raked on a daily basis in season (Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day weekend) and when weather permits. Mason beach sand is added every 2-3 years to the beaches to refresh sand levels and filter a clean surface. New beach sand was added to all beaches Summer 2022.

Boat Ramps at Pebble Beach and Sunset Parks are raked of seaweed and debris on a continual basis throughout the week and weekend.  Park Safety and Maintenance Staff rotate seaweed removal at the Boat Ramps on weekends.

As part of changing of the seasons, our Parks Maintenance Team is tasked with Fall Cleanup.  Fall Cleanup can be understood as the scheduled maintenance and removal of deadwood, brush, dead floral debris, loose mulch, and the abundance of leaves that fall on our parks from trees.  As part of this process, our Maintenance Team uses a leaf collection system on our zero-turn mowers to collect all leaves in the parks and neatly deposit them at the sides of the road for Warren Township Highway Department pickup.

The Park District maintains floral beds at Rule Park, Willow Point Park, Sunset Park, Twin Lakes Park, and Boulder Park. Floral beds are checked weekly, watered on a daily basis, and weeded. Mulching done annually or as needed. Tulip seeds are planted on an annual basis throughout the Parks along with pansies, begonias, salvias, and mums. The volunteer Wildwood Garden Club is instrumental is assisting the Park District with flower selection, planting, maintenance, and care for our floral beds.  If you are interested in joining the Garden Club, please click on the following link to our Garden Club web page where the Garden Club volunteer application can be found: https://www.wildwoodparkdistrict.com/about-us/garden-club/.

Garbage/Recycle and Refuse removal will be performed in the parks 5 days a week and more if needed. Please use the appropriately labeled and blue-colored recycling containers when applicable. Maintenance and Park Safety Staff rotate garbage and refuse removal (along with re-stocking port-o-lets) at pavilions on weekends.

The Park District has four (4) licensed beaches by way of the Lake County Health Department.  These beaches are located at Pebble Beach, Willow Point Beach, Sunset Beach, and Valley South Beach. Between Memorial Day-Labor Day, the Health Department visits our beaches on a bi-weekly basis (or more frequently depending on conditions), to test the water in the beach swimming areas for bacteria such as E.coli.  If conditions in the water are adverse, please refer to the “Beach Closed” signage at the beach and refer to our website home page “Current Field and Beach Conditions” and Facebook account for updates on the water quality.  The Gages Lake Conservation Committee (GLCC) in conjunction with the Park District treats Gages Lake to reduce aquatic weeds and invasive underwater plantings on a yearly basis. This treatment is typically done before Memorial Day and may again occur in the early Fall. Swimming in Gages Lake after this treatment is safe – but please adhere to applicable signage at the beaches if you are unsure. The Park District Maintenance Team and the GLCC also work together to tackle lily pad buildup in the shallower parts of the lake that affect Boat Launches and common areas.  For more information on the GLCC, please refer to the following link: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069400369211.

Includes mowing, pest control, aerification, top dressing, fertilizing, irrigation, drainage, over-seeding and sodding. Using good quality cultural practices, the turf will look good and be safe for all users.  The Wildwood Park District is proud to execute all lawn mowing, weed whipping, and grass/turf maintenance in-house with our Maintenance Team for our 11 parks.

The Park District maintains 7 piers (2 temporary) throughout the year. Permanent wooden piers can be found at Pebble Beach Park and Willow Point Park.  Valley Lake North Park has one permanent Atlas style fishing pier. Sunset Park has 2 temporary removable piers that are left in between April-October.  These temporary piers are removed each Fall due to wave and ice action from Gages Lake that would affect permanent wooden piers at Sunset Park. Piers are inspected on a weekly basis. Maintenance Staff will apply any coating, finish, replacement parts, and fix capped posts as needed.  Sunset Park also has one permanent skid-resistant marine-grade plywood-built platform adhered to the Boat Launch for tying up boats and accessing the shore from the water.

Will be checked weekly and formally inspected monthly at all parks. Surfacing will be replaced on an annual basis or more if needed. Weeding done weekly in playground mulch beds.  The Park District Maintenance Team will work in-house and with the appropriate playground manufacturers to correct any defects in the equipment if they arise. On a seasonal basis (and as needed) the Parks Maintenance Team will power wash all playground equipment and swings to remove dirt, grime, mud, graffiti, and scuff marks that accumulate throughout the year. Certified Playground Mulch (Engineered Wood Fiber) will be added on a seasonal or yearly basis to keep safe surfacing levels as required through in-house inspections and ASTM industry standards (American Society of Testing and Materials).

The Park District is always looking forward to finding solutions that control erosion, receding shorelines around our parks on Gages Lake, and protection of natural plantings and barriers between land and water.  This is a top priority for the Park District and their community partners. Future plans for shoreline stabilization initiatives can be found on our “Planning and Projects” web page.

The Parks Maintenance Team cleans park grills on a weekly basis and replaces/resets damaged or worn grills seasonally as needed.  The Team also is in the midst of a multi-season process of restoring, refinishing, and repainting our Park picnic benches and regular sitting benches throughout the Park District to ensure stronger resistance to adverse weather and degradation from the Sun.

Park District Maintenance Team is tasked with snow control, ice removal, and application of ice melt for the Rule Park parking lot, driveway, and applicable building entrances and decking. Responsible for snow control and ice removal of the Maintenance and Scout Garages at Twin Lakes Park. Paved walking paths at Rule Park, Pebble Beach Park, and Willow Point Park will be plowed and salted during each significant snowfall.

The Park District contracts out herbicide application treatments on a seasonal basis every year for Valley Lake.  Treatments occur between the months of May-September bi-weekly and occasionally beginning in April depending on lake and weather conditions.  All treatments are applied with EPA compliant herbicides by licensed professionals.  Application(s) of PREVENTATIVE Swimmer’s Itch product is incorporated into the treatment schedule 1-2 times per season typically taking place near the end of June and after the beginning of August.  The Park District Maintenance Team also applies over-the-counter Beneficial Bacteria to Valley Lake around the beach, pier, and swimming areas to counteract muck buildup on the lake bottom. Swimming in Valley Lake is safe after treatment – however please refer to the Park District Home Page “Parks and Fields Conditions” and signage at the beach for any public announcements.

Valley Lake also has two aeration bubbler systems that function between April-November.

 

 

 

Projects

We take pride in our community and are always hard at work improving, maintaining, and beautifying our parks and amenities. Please select a park below to see current, future, and recent projects and planning.

Recent Projects

  • Picnic Bench Restoration. In-house Maintenance initiative to sand, re-seal, and repaint WPD park picnic benches to restore quality and prevent adverse weather and sun deterioration.
  • Park Signage Update.
  • Sitting Bench Restoration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Please check back for current projects as they become available.

Future Projects

  • Please check back for future projects as they become available.

Recent Projects

  • Please check back for recent projects as they are completed.

Current Projects

  • Park Signage Update.
  • Adding Mutt Mitt Dispenser.

Future Projects

  • Sitting Bench Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Picnic Bench Restoration. In-house Maintenance initiative to sand, re-seal, and repaint WPD park picnic benches to restore quality and prevent adverse weather and sun deterioration.

Current Projects

  • Park Signage Update.

Future Projects

  • Drainage Improvements.
  • Sitting Bench Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Swing Set repainted.
  • Repair and reset split rail fence.
  • Power wash all playground equipment.

Current Projects

  • Park Signage Update.

Future Projects

  • Please check back for future projects as they become available.

Recent Projects

  • Two 4’ on-deck permanent pier benches built from waterproof Trex decking material in a light beige color were installed on the boat ramp pier.
  • Picnic Benches Restoration. In-house Maintenance initiative to sand, re-seal, and repaint WPD park picnic benches to restore quality and prevent adverse weather and sun deterioration.
  • Single-Bay Belt Swing set added (Lions Club assistance).
  • Repaving of ADA walking path.
  • Drain Tile installed and drainage improvements to walking path and open area.
  • Park Signage Update.
  • Power wash playground equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Please check back for current projects as they become available.

Future Projects

  • Shoreline Stabilization.
  • Fishing Pier Replacement.
  • Sitting Bench Restoration.
  • Drainage Improvements West Side of Park.
  • Bike Rack Restoration.
  • Grill Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Picnic Benches Restoration. In-house Maintenance initiative to sand, re-seal, and repaint WPD park picnic benches to restore quality and prevent adverse weather and sun deterioration.
  • LED lighting replacement though ComEd Energy Efficiency Grant (Rule House interior).
  • Park Signage Update.
  • Exterior Driveway Lamps and Cottage Building LED bulb replacements.
  • Power wash playground equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Please check back for current projects as they become available.

Future Projects

  • Sitting Bench Restoration.
  • Bike Rack Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Sunset Boat Ramp Platform Restored. Contracted in the Fall of 2022, previous structure was removed and new platform that was installed is comprised of marine-grade plywood with non-skid weather resistant paint applied. Platform is adjustable based on changing ground surface level and has four (4) sets of boat cleats for tying up.
  • Park Signage Update.
  • Power wash playground equipment.
  • Pavilion Restoration: power wash and paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Grill Restoration.

Future Projects

  • Sitting Bench Restoration.
  • Updated Solar Lighting.
  • Camera Systems.
  • Seawall Border Repair.
  • Bike Rack Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Maintenance Garage, Shop, and Boy Scout Garage Interior LED bulb replacements.
  • Park Signage Update.
  • Power wash playground equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Please check back for current projects as they become available.

Future Projects

  • Sitting Bench Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Park Signage Update.
  • Power wash playground equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Picnic Benches Restoration. In-house Maintenance initiative to sand, re-seal, and repaint WPD park picnic benches to restore quality and prevent adverse weather and sun deterioration.
  • Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements Project. Learn more.

Future Projects

  • Sitting Bench Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Please check back for recent projects as they are completed.

Current Projects

  • Park Signage Update.
  • Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements Project. Learn more.

Future Projects

  • Sitting Bench Restoration.

Recent Projects

  • Shoreline brush and debris cleanup adjacent to permanent piers was completed in-house in the Fall of 2022 to improve visibility of Gages Lake from Willow Point Park and improve access for individuals who would like to fish.
  • Park Signage Update.
  • Power wash playground equipment.
  • Pavilion Restoration: power wash, and paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Pavilion Restoration: concrete repair.
  • Grill Restoration.

Future Projects

  • Sitting Bench Restoration.
  • Bike Racks Restoration.

 

 

 

Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements Project

 

Valley Lake South Park Temporary Closure Valley Lake Stormwater Improvements Project

As part of the Lake County Stormwater Management-led Valley Lake Stormwater Improvements Project (in which the Wildwood Park District is a local sponsor); Valley Lake South Park off of Mill Road will be temporarily closed due to the beginning of construction on the redesign of the storm drain inlet plunge pool at the south end of Valley Lake. This temporary closure will be effective starting Tuesday, September 5th. The parking lot off of Mill Road into the park will be coned off  and reserved for the contractor’s parking and equipment access and “no parking” signs will be erected. Construction items that will be placed on-site in the park include frames, grates, and miscellaneous equipment. Aggregate and loose material will not be stored in the park at this time. As a result of the construction, the contractor will be temporarily removing parts of the park posts/cables and an informational sign off of the Mill Road side of the park to gain access to the construction zone in the park.  Temporary fencing will be erected by the contractor around the construction area in order to mark off the rest of the park from the primary work area.

Once the project is complete, the contractor will be responsible for the restoration of any grass and re-installation of posts/cables in the park that may arise from carrying out the work involved in the project.

The construction zone and equipment staging areas will not be in the way of the playground. For patron safety, we ask that patrons seeking to use the park from the Greentree Rd. side of the park exercise caution in this area.

This part of the project will help with enhanced water quality improvements with the excavation and rebuilding of the enclosed stormwater inflow area along with new native plantings to filter stormwater before it enters Valley Lake.  Please direct further questions to bmagnini@wildwoodparkdistrict.com, the Warren Township Highway Department: https://www.warrentownship.net/162/Highway, or Lake County Stormwater Management https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ILLAKE/bulletins/36977f3

The Wildwood Park District is a local sponsor on this Lake County Stormwater Management spearheaded project. Updated information regarding this project will be posted on our Capital Projects & Planning page as they become available. Full engineering plans for this project are available to view at the Wildwood Park District office and areas affecting Valley North and South Parks in the PDF’s below. Questions about the project can be directed to bmagnini@wildwoodparkdistrict.com.

Valley Lake South Plunge Pool Area Modifications and Retrofit
Valley Lake North Berm and Outflow Structure Replacement and Modification
Mill and Greentree Rd. Intersection Porous Parkways Plans
Mill and Greentree Rd. Intersection Porous Parkways Plans 2 
Greentree Rd. & Valley South Porous Parkways Plans 3

We are happy to share the following media release from the Warren Township Highway Department concerning the upcoming Stormwater Infrastructure Improvement Project for the areas of Wildwood around Valley Lake. The Wildwood Park District is a local sponsor on this Lake County Stormwater Management spearheaded project. Engineering plans for this project are available to view at the Wildwood Park District office. Questions about the project can be directed to bmagnini@wildwoodparkdistrict.com.

Submit Maintenance Request

If while enjoying the parks you notice any park issues that require maintenance, such as cleaning litter, damaged or vandalized equipment or buildings, or landscaping issues, please fill out and submit the form below. For all suspicious behavior, please first call the Lake County Sheriff at 847.549.5200 and secondarily notify Park District Park Safety staff at 847.309.1478 or parksecurity@wildwoodparkdistrict.com.

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