Visitors travel for miles to enjoy Bolingbrook Park District's Heritage Creek Park.

Innovative design has contributed to the overwhelming popularity of Heritage Creek Park.

Unusual and innovative techniques helped the Bolingbrook Park District turn an 8-acre open space/detention area into an acclaimed park attracting visitors from miles around. Heritage Creek Park was dedicated on June 11, 1994.

The parcel was donated by Crestview Builders to satisfy the village's land/cash donation ordinance. Additional land and improvements were negotiated by the Bolingbrook Park District since it does not credit detention areas for park donations. The acquisition and development cost less than $125,000.

Designed in-house by Superintendent of Parks Jim Patula, the park includes two playground areas, a gazebo, a basketball court, and a walking path around a large, open grassy detention area. There is a sandlot volleyball court and baseball field in the detention area and a bounty of trees, shrubs, and flowers planted throughout the park.

"The park is beautiful," said Jean Wilson, who lives nearby. Another resident, Kurt Zimmerman, said, "You have a beautiful property. People are drawn here from all over. One time I counted 17 parked cars — mostly with Naperville stickers."

The popularity of the park has raised some parking and traffic concerns. Parking lots are not included in neighborhood parks such as Heritage Creek, because the park is not designed to draw people from outside the area. Instead, it is intended for use by people in the neighborhood. The village has responded to concerns by placing "no parking" signs on the residential side of the street which, to date, has been a satisfactory solution.

Ray Ochromowicz is the Director of Parks and Recreation for the Bolingbrook Park District.*

Illinois Parks & Recreation * September/October 1994* 29