A dog park and pickleball courts will not be part of the $650,000 renovation of Goebelt Park after some Lincolnwood residents voiced their opposition to the amenities in an effort to preserve green space, limit traffic and noise.
“There’s a lot being planned to cram into a very small space, and with the addition of a large dog park, it’s going to completely change the dynamic of the neighborhood and the traffic from both vehicles and foot traffic,” one resident who lives adjacent to the park said at a recent Village Board Committee-of-the-Whole meeting – which was attended by two dozen residents.
Village officials determined in 2023 that Arthur M. Goebelt Park needed to be renovated. Village leaders came up with a comprehensive master plan for parks and recreation. The village does not have a standalone park district but instead has a Parks and Recreation Department managed by the village that functions in a similar way.
Parks and Recreation Director Karen Hawk said the playground at Goebelt Park is the second oldest one in the village at 18 years old and is scheduled for renovation this fall.
More Top Picks Best Manual Pole Saws For Tree Trimming
“I love Goebelt Park, but it’s definitely due for a refresh,” Hawk said in a phone interview with Pioneer Press. “It’s connected to our pedestrian path, Valley Line trail, and it’s a peaceful neighborhood, set back off the main road. It’s almost an acre in size, bigger than other neighborhood parks and there’s a lot of green space.”
As part of the design process, the village has posted an online survey and hosted community meetings seeking resident input. Residents expressed wanting to add a parking lot, a dog park, as well as two pickleball courts, and a new playground to the community park.
But about 30 residents attended a community meeting earlier this summer to share their input. It was there that they voiced their opposition to including a parking lot, dog park and pickleball courts in the redesign because they felt those would diminish the green space in the park that could otherwise be used by park neighbors for recreational activities.
Many of those opponents returned to voice their opposition directly to village trustees during the COTW meeting. Others said they weren’t aware the village was considering additions beyond the playground.
“I feel like adding these amenities, even a dog park, without additional parking is just inviting additional vehicles into our neighborhood where it’s already a concern for any of us who have young children that are playing,” said a father concerned about children’s safety.
A neighborhood mom shared her opposition to pickleball courts and quoted a New York Times article that was critical of the potential noise from the increasingly popular game courts.
“I think the ambition here is great — pickleball is hot, pickleball is fun. But maybe we can put it somewhere else and not take up that green space for our kids,” she said to applause from other meeting attendees.
Mayor Jesal Patel told residents that pickleball courts and a dog park have been a big desire of the community for several years. The village is also considering Centennial Park for pickleball courts and a 1.5-acre dog park. He said he recently checked with a resident who lives near Central Park where pickleball courts were installed two years ago who told him noise was not an issue.
Based on residents’ comments, village leaders agreed to remove the dog park and pickleball courts from the Goebelt Park design plans, instead focusing on updating and adding a second, half-court for basketball and moving forward with playground designs.
Village trustees also agreed to host a future workshop inviting residents to weigh in on pickleball and where best to locate courts in the village of 2.5 square miles.
Hawk told Pioneer Press that some residents have adamantly objected to adding a small dog park to Goebelt Par. However, many residents, she said, favor creating a dog park in the 1-acre ComEd right-of-way outside of park boundaries but adjacent to the park and Valley Line recreation trail.
This potential enclosed dog park, which would require a special key fob for access and only permit dogs with verified vaccinations, was discussed and supported by village trustees during the COTW meeting and will continue to be explored with the ComEd electricity utility company, Hawk said.
She said many residents expressed concerns about a dog park within the park boundaries due to dog allergies, coyotes that frequent the path, barking noise and having a dog park located near a children’s playground.
“The playground will be more creative play, than structured, for children 2- to 5-years-old … everyone will be able to play,” Hawk said.
She said the new playground at Goebelt Park is expected to feature a variety of climbers and will be Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant at ground level. It will have pour and play, or rubberized surfaces, which will be a first in the village, making it more accessible for walkers and mobility aids. Swings, climbers, slides, climbing rocks and an accessible rocker with a ramp are all planned.
There are a total of 13 parks in the village of Lincolnwood and 11 of them are considered neighborhood parks. Last year, the village renovated Flowers Park and plans to renovate Henry Proesel Park in 2026, Hawk said.
Elizabeth Schiele is a freelancer.