MISSION STATEMENT

In 1991 the Lincoln Park Framework Plan was adopted by the Chicago Park District and the Lincoln Park Steering Committee, a committee comprised of hundreds of Chicagoans, to ensure Lincoln Park's long-term viability. As they have done since the park’s inception in 1860, concerned citizens of Chicago have worked alongside city officials, contributing to the planning and evolution of Lincoln Park, a park described by an original proponent as the "lungs of the city".

Today, a group of Chicagoans under the banner of Keep Lincoln Park Public have banded together to meet an insidious threat to the life sustaining "breath" of Lincoln Park; the attempt by special interests to carve up public land for private need. A proposal to build a running track/soccer field/sports complex with bleachers for the semi-private use of The Latin School adjacent to the south athletic fields runs diametrically opposed to the original vision of Swain Nelson and Olaf Bensen for a romantic Victorian park in what is the oldest section of Lincoln Park and to the very stated Land Use Policies adopted by the Chicago Park District in the Lincoln Park Framework Plan.

These Land Use Policies under the heading of Open Park Space states that the goal is to "respect and enhance existing land uses of historic significance and prohibit new facilities and land uses that are unrelated to historic land uses and that are not dependent upon being in Lincoln Park." The private needs of The Latin School to create a campus setting for their 1,000 plus students clearly should not be achieved at the expense of the 7 out of 10 Chicago residents who visit the park annually and who overwhelmingly responded in survey that the park's most highly valued features are its "open spaces". The Keep Lincoln Park Public committee is categorically opposed to the loss of public green space to support the private venue of special interest and we urge all like-minded Chicago citizens to understand the facts and raise their voices in protest. The very life of Lincoln Park depends upon it.

Statement of the Facts:

1) Lincoln Park Must Remain Public: The Lincoln Park Framework states emphatically that this area of the park is already overburdened. We are outraged by the callous indifference to the potential loss of many 80-year-old trees, as well as the only "open" grassy area in this section of the park. This bucolic site is to be replaced with over 4 acres of artificial turf, an artificial running surface, concrete bleachers and a 4 foot high iron fence, which restricts access to the site. The resulting environmental impact includes noise pollution as well as increased temperature due to the removal of 4 acres of trees and natural grass - artificial turf does not breathe.

2) Public v. Private: Daniel Burnham, the architect of Lincoln Park's plan, states that the use of public land should serve the greatest good. This proposal is tantamount to a Latin School land grab. The area currently welcomes a multitude of recreational activities, including family picnics, various community fairs and events, Frisbee, soccer, daily Menomonee Boys and Girls Clubs activities, volleyball, tai chi, etc. Construction of this project will effectively eliminate the enjoyment of these populist activities, replacing this flexible, multi-use area with a structured, restricted one. The Chicago Park District has a responsibility to all of our citizens, not just the few at The Latin School. We must not open up Lincoln Park to any private, well-financed, well-influenced, entity with personalized designs on our precious public park space.

3) Who Is Going To Pay? Our city suffers from a budget shortfall and anticipates layoffs to address serious financial problems. The Park's budget has been decreased due to cuts in state contributions. Other city parks' requests for basic improvements have been denied due to these budget cuts. The Latin School has proposed funding 1/3 of the $2.2 million dollar project, but that still leaves $1.4 million for taxpayers, and that without any estimate for cost overruns! Furthermore, construction costs are only the beginning as maintenance costs will continue though the years and surely at public expense. Why does the Chicago Park District propose the incurring of new construction and maintenance cost responsibilities when so many of our other city parks are in disrepair and in need of money?

4) Full Disclosure: The Chicago Park District has been less than forthcoming. Community meetings, ostensibly arranged to inform the public about the track proposal, have not been publicized. Similarly, details about the plan remain sketchy. In what might be described as a "bait and switch" operation, the Park District and Latin School have added features (cornet bleachers and iron fencing) and the costs, not surprisingly, have increased by $1 million between the last two meetings. To date, the 2/3 cost that is to be incurred by taxpayers has been casually dismissed with nebulous talk of unspecified "government grants" (which is still taxpayer money). Just as the Park District has failed to address the issue of costs, so too have they ignored the considerable environmental impact to this already overburdened area as stated in their own Framework Plan.

5) Latin School Involvement: If this track/soccer field is really for the benefit and use of all our school children, then why haven't other sites with better access been considered, specifically the site near North Career High School? This is closer to Payton and Lincoln Park high school, as well as Franklin and Sojourner Truth. The answer is simple: Latin School's monetary contribution hinges on the field's immediate location to their school. Furthermore, the YMCA would welcome an opportunity to partner with the Park District and gain access to a track for its programs, programs that benefit the community at large. In addition, a track already exists near Northwestern Law School, which is underutilized. Finally, this particular site, with its characteristic strong winds, is uniquely unsuited to the track and field events planned for the venue