Some maintenance projects in Sun City take longer than anticipated to complete.
Two projects that have drawn significant resident interest recently are the upgrade of the eastern shoreline of Wildflower Lake, and the other is the repair of the pavement in the parking lot next to the comfort station in Wildflower Park. Both of these issues have been underway for several months, starting in 2015.
Rocky shoreline prevents ersion but makes walking and fishing difficult. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
The Sun Day spoke to Russ Howard, chairperson of the association’s Facility Advisory Committee (FAC), to get an update on the status of these projects. First, regarding the shoreline, Howard had a quick answer: an outside agency has jurisdiction over what is done, and the ball is in their court.
“The Amy Corps of Engineers controls what is done in the lake, because the lake is part of the Kishwaukee River, over which the Corps has jurisdiction,” Howard said. “Another factor is the contamination that occurred in the lake a couple of years ago. The Corps doesn’t operate very fast, and we are waiting on feedback from them before we can move forward.”
Howard added that he and the committee don’t have any timetable for this project right now. Large rocks were placed on the eastern shore a few years ago to control erosion of the shoreline soil. The rocks are doing their job on the erosion. But some residents and groups have complained that the rocks make it difficult to walk and fish on the shoreline, especially for children who visit the area with family members and those who participate in the annual fishing derby sponsored by the Grandpa, Grandma, & Me Club.
In the meantime, Howard asked that residents be extremely careful when they walk near or on the rocks.
“It’s a natural shoreline, and nature doesn’t always make it easy to walk in certain areas,” Howard said.
Regarding the pavement near the comfort station, Howard said the committee is waiting for information from a consulting firm before preparing firm recommendations and cost estimates to the board of directors.
“This parking lot was built on a marshy area and the ground under the pavement is unstable and settling,” he said. “The consultant has been collecting soil samples and gathering other data. We hope to have something for the board to consider by the April board meeting.” Both these projects are on the board’s 2016 reserve expenditure budget list, which contains dozens of items in Sun City’s common areas and facilities that need to be repaired or upgraded. Some of them have been, or will be done, this year, and others will be assigned for study and action in 2017 or in future years.
The facility advisory committee’s job is to work with vendors, consultants, and outside agencies to develop recommendations and timetables to prioritize and accomplish the projects in a timely fashion.
In other maintenance news: at the March 2 committee of the whole meeting, the board approved recommendations from the Halogen Company to replace the Prairie Lodge indoor pool incandescent lights with new LED lights. The present lights cost $1,164 annually to change, the board said, and they consume 4,800 watts. The LED lights will use only 660 watts and will last 25 years with no annual replacement costs, according to the March board report.
Finally, the board has asked the FAC to look into a request from the Bocce Ball Club to install larger shade structures and add larger benches at the ends of the courts in the Bocce complex next to Fountain View Center in Prairie Lodge.
