Park board reviews options for beach improvements; Filtration system to make water less murky would cost $2.7 million

Representatives from an architectural firm hired by the Naperville Park District to evaluate Centennial Beach have presented three increasingly elaborate plans for renovating the facility.As a first step, the Park District should work to prevent river and ground water from seeping into the facility, said Mike Williams, principal architect with Williams Architects of Wheaton.

"You are currently pumping water out of the beach because so much water infiltrates through the quarry and ground water," Williams said Thursday night.

He estimated fixing the infiltration problems would cost $200,000.

Other changes the beach's visitors might see next year, if the park board moves ahead with all of Williams' recommendations, include geysers built into the edge of the shallow water, a small fountain in the middle of the beach and a sloping rubber surface that leads from the sand into the water, rather than the concrete curb that is there now.

"Anything new we do, I want it to look like it was designed in 1920," Williams said.

"Anything we do in the water, we want it to be a natural spray, not like an aquatic park."

The next step would be to get more precise cost figures for the work, which Williams told the board could be completed before the beach opening in May.

Board members asked if preventing river water and groundwater from seeping into the beach would make the water less murky.

Williams told them the best way to make the water clearer would be to filter it.

He estimated a filtration system would cost $2.7 million.

For long-term plans -- in the $5 million to $7 million range -- Williams suggested the Park District consider decreasing the amount of deep water at Centennial Beach and increasing the size of the shallow end, which more people tend to use.

Other suggested changes include observation decks, improvements to the bathhouse, two slides, sprayers, geysers and bubblers, and an 8-foot-deep swimming area that could be used for swim meets or water polo matches and lap swimming.

Park District Executive Director Ken Brissa pointed out one advantage to moving the swimming lanes.

"Having lap lanes configured this way gives the Mudrats a home court, which they don't have today," Brissa said.

If the Mudrats -- the Park District's swim team -- were able to host swim meets, it would bring residents to Centennial Beach who might not have visited it before, he said.

Park officials also reviewed the past season at Centennial Beach, which closes for the year this weekend.

As of Thursday, with one weekend of beach operation left in the season, there had been 39,332 visits by season pass holders and 32,014 visits by those without passes since Centennial Beach opened in March, said Jeanne Maher, the beach's facility manager.

The beach was closed this season for 10 days because of inclement weather and three days because of a chlorine leak that sent more than 30 people to the hospital with minor injuries.

Park board reviews options for beach improvements; Filtration system to make water less murky would cost $2.7 million

Representatives from an architectural firm hired by the Naperville Park District to evaluate Centennial Beach have presented three increasingly elaborate plans for renovating the facility.As a first step, the Park District should work to prevent river and ground water from seeping into the facility, said Mike Williams, principal architect with Williams Architects of Wheaton.

"You are currently pumping water out of the beach because so much water infiltrates through the quarry and ground water," Williams said Thursday night.

He estimated fixing the infiltration problems would cost $200,000.

Other changes the beach's visitors might see next year, if the park board moves ahead with all of Williams' recommendations, include geysers built into the edge of the shallow water, a small fountain in the middle of the beach and a sloping rubber surface that leads from the sand into the water, rather than the concrete curb that is there now.

"Anything new we do, I want it to look like it was designed in 1920," Williams said.

"Anything we do in the water, we want it to be a natural spray, not like an aquatic park."

The next step would be to get more precise cost figures for the work, which Williams told the board could be completed before the beach opening in May.

Board members asked if preventing river water and groundwater from seeping into the beach would make the water less murky.

Williams told them the best way to make the water clearer would be to filter it.

He estimated a filtration system would cost $2.7 million.

For long-term plans -- in the $5 million to $7 million range -- Williams suggested the Park District consider decreasing the amount of deep water at Centennial Beach and increasing the size of the shallow end, which more people tend to use.

Other suggested changes include observation decks, improvements to the bathhouse, two slides, sprayers, geysers and bubblers, and an 8-foot-deep swimming area that could be used for swim meets or water polo matches and lap swimming.

Park District Executive Director Ken Brissa pointed out one advantage to moving the swimming lanes.

"Having lap lanes configured this way gives the Mudrats a home court, which they don't have today," Brissa said.

If the Mudrats -- the Park District's swim team -- were able to host swim meets, it would bring residents to Centennial Beach who might not have visited it before, he said.

Park officials also reviewed the past season at Centennial Beach, which closes for the year this weekend.

As of Thursday, with one weekend of beach operation left in the season, there had been 39,332 visits by season pass holders and 32,014 visits by those without passes since Centennial Beach opened in March, said Jeanne Maher, the beach's facility manager.

The beach was closed this season for 10 days because of inclement weather and three days because of a chlorine leak that sent more than 30 people to the hospital with minor injuries.

Park board reviews options for beach improvements; Filtration system to make water less murky would cost $2.7 million

Representatives from an architectural firm hired by the Naperville Park District to evaluate Centennial Beach have presented three increasingly elaborate plans for renovating the facility.As a first step, the Park District should work to prevent river and ground water from seeping into the facility, said Mike Williams, principal architect with Williams Architects of Wheaton.

"You are currently pumping water out of the beach because so much water infiltrates through the quarry and ground water," Williams said Thursday night.

He estimated fixing the infiltration problems would cost $200,000.

Other changes the beach's visitors might see next year, if the park board moves ahead with all of Williams' recommendations, include geysers built into the edge of the shallow water, a small fountain in the middle of the beach and a sloping rubber surface that leads from the sand into the water, rather than the concrete curb that is there now.

"Anything new we do, I want it to look like it was designed in 1920," Williams said.

"Anything we do in the water, we want it to be a natural spray, not like an aquatic park."

The next step would be to get more precise cost figures for the work, which Williams told the board could be completed before the beach opening in May.

Board members asked if preventing river water and groundwater from seeping into the beach would make the water less murky.

Williams told them the best way to make the water clearer would be to filter it.

He estimated a filtration system would cost $2.7 million.

For long-term plans -- in the $5 million to $7 million range -- Williams suggested the Park District consider decreasing the amount of deep water at Centennial Beach and increasing the size of the shallow end, which more people tend to use.

Other suggested changes include observation decks, improvements to the bathhouse, two slides, sprayers, geysers and bubblers, and an 8-foot-deep swimming area that could be used for swim meets or water polo matches and lap swimming.

Park District Executive Director Ken Brissa pointed out one advantage to moving the swimming lanes.

"Having lap lanes configured this way gives the Mudrats a home court, which they don't have today," Brissa said.

If the Mudrats -- the Park District's swim team -- were able to host swim meets, it would bring residents to Centennial Beach who might not have visited it before, he said.

Park officials also reviewed the past season at Centennial Beach, which closes for the year this weekend.

As of Thursday, with one weekend of beach operation left in the season, there had been 39,332 visits by season pass holders and 32,014 visits by those without passes since Centennial Beach opened in March, said Jeanne Maher, the beach's facility manager.

The beach was closed this season for 10 days because of inclement weather and three days because of a chlorine leak that sent more than 30 people to the hospital with minor injuries.

Park board reviews options for beach improvements; Filtration system to make water less murky would cost $2.7 million

Representatives from an architectural firm hired by the Naperville Park District to evaluate Centennial Beach have presented three increasingly elaborate plans for renovating the facility.As a first step, the Park District should work to prevent river and ground water from seeping into the facility, said Mike Williams, principal architect with Williams Architects of Wheaton.

"You are currently pumping water out of the beach because so much water infiltrates through the quarry and ground water," Williams said Thursday night.

He estimated fixing the infiltration problems would cost $200,000.

Other changes the beach's visitors might see next year, if the park board moves ahead with all of Williams' recommendations, include geysers built into the edge of the shallow water, a small fountain in the middle of the beach and a sloping rubber surface that leads from the sand into the water, rather than the concrete curb that is there now.

"Anything new we do, I want it to look like it was designed in 1920," Williams said.

"Anything we do in the water, we want it to be a natural spray, not like an aquatic park."

The next step would be to get more precise cost figures for the work, which Williams told the board could be completed before the beach opening in May.

Board members asked if preventing river water and groundwater from seeping into the beach would make the water less murky.

Williams told them the best way to make the water clearer would be to filter it.

He estimated a filtration system would cost $2.7 million.

For long-term plans -- in the $5 million to $7 million range -- Williams suggested the Park District consider decreasing the amount of deep water at Centennial Beach and increasing the size of the shallow end, which more people tend to use.

Other suggested changes include observation decks, improvements to the bathhouse, two slides, sprayers, geysers and bubblers, and an 8-foot-deep swimming area that could be used for swim meets or water polo matches and lap swimming.

Park District Executive Director Ken Brissa pointed out one advantage to moving the swimming lanes.

"Having lap lanes configured this way gives the Mudrats a home court, which they don't have today," Brissa said.

If the Mudrats -- the Park District's swim team -- were able to host swim meets, it would bring residents to Centennial Beach who might not have visited it before, he said.

Park officials also reviewed the past season at Centennial Beach, which closes for the year this weekend.

As of Thursday, with one weekend of beach operation left in the season, there had been 39,332 visits by season pass holders and 32,014 visits by those without passes since Centennial Beach opened in March, said Jeanne Maher, the beach's facility manager.

The beach was closed this season for 10 days because of inclement weather and three days because of a chlorine leak that sent more than 30 people to the hospital with minor injuries.