Wheaton Park District plans to build a 3.9 acre parking lot on the watershed located on the east side of Gary Avenue between Winfield Creek and Hawthorne Boulevard. The Wheaton Park District quietly bought this property over several years and made changes to remove it from a floodplain. These activities and the planned 250-space parking lot is part of the Wheaton Park District's Cosley Zoo "Master Plan," which includes removing the current 80-space parking lot that was constructed in 2009. The planned nearly 4-acre parking lot would be approximately the same area as the current nearly 4-acre footprint of Cosley Zoo itself.

The Wheaton Park District and Cosley Zoo have the funds to build a 250-space parking lot on Residental-zoned green open space. This lot includes additional space for buses. However, and despite the layout in their "Master Plan," the Wheaton Park District and Cosley Zoo do not have funds for increasing their exhibits. The Wheaton Park District hopes that this build-it-and-they-will-come parking lot will raise the funds for more exhibits.

Results of Wheaton Park District's 2016 Resident Survey (see link below) show that residents most commonly request the "preservation of open spaces."  Also, the "majority of residents expressed a high level of satisfaction with Cosley Zoo and do not want changes." A similar survey was conducted in 2020 but the results have not been released! 

https://wheatonparkdistrict.com/transparency-portal/survey/ 

Destroying the watershed in order to construct a parking lot would eliminate an important natural flood control resource in an area prone to flooding. Throughout each year the land surrounding Winfield Creek and Northside Park floods several times. Removing nearly 4 acres of a natural flood control resource would increase flooding in the adjacent 500-year floodplain, which includes Northside Park and residential areas.

The destruction of nearly 4 acres of watershed in favor of a parking lot would also likely pollute Winfield Creek with stormwater runoff from the parking lot. Parking lots collect toxic substances such as oil, antifreeze, grease, and heavy metals. Strong rainstorms wash these substances into nearby areas, in this case, watershed and Winfield Creek, polluting the habitats of the fish, birds, and other wildlife living there.

Some wildlife will not just suffer polluted habitats, but will be entirely displaced. The northern Illinois wetlands are home to hundreds of species of insects, birds, and other wildlife. Some examples include:

• Dragonflies
• Cicadas
• Water Striders
• Butterflies
• Fireflies
• Bullfrogs
• American toads
• Painted turtles
• Blanding's turtles (an endangered species in Illinois since 2009)
• Garter snakes
• Red-wing blackbirds
• Herons
• Egrets
• Goldfinches
• Mallard Ducks
• River otters
• Muskrats
• Mink
• Cottontail Rabbits
• Red Foxes

The Wheaton Park District & Cosley Zoo have been fundraising and applying for grants in order to enlarge Cosley Zoo.  It all starts with a gigantic parking lot on the EAST side of Gary Avenue - across a two lane avenue from the zoo!

Cosley's ambition is to be "the most popular and successful attraction in DuPage County and increasing its reach in the region."

Here is an excerpt from their Master Plan:  "The Master Plan envisions new, immersive exhibits, more enjoyable experiences for visitors with greater emphasis on the zoo’s conservation and animal welfare initiatives – ultimately, making Cosley Zoo the most popular and successful attraction in DuPage County and increasing its reach in the region."

Some facts:

• This is a "build it and they will come" project.
• This project will increase traffic throughout Wheaton.
• The overwhelming majority of Cosley visitors are not Wheaton residents.  In 2022, there were 26,000 (18%) resident visitors and 124,000 (82%) were non-resident visitors; the WPD will be building this Master Plan for regional visitors, not Wheaton residents.  
• Cosley Zoo is on a 3.8 acre landlocked corner between residential and Protected Areas, prone to flooding.
• The parking lot land they have accumulated from buying houses is graded ~10 feet higher than surrounding areas.
• Northside Park famously floods and is impassable after every heavy rainfall.
• Regional visitors coming to Cosley Zoo must travel through Wheaton to get there, driving through neighborhoods, and passing elementary, middle, and high schools.
• Wheaton North High School is within one mile, adding many inexperienced drivers to the mix of regional visitors, unfamiliar with Wheaton roads and traffic patterns.
• Cosley is ready to start construction in 2024.

Call the City of Wheaton at 630.260.2000 to tell them to STOP COSLEY

Write to allcouncil@wheaton.il.us AND commissioners@wheatonparks.org AND  cosleyfoundation@cosleyzoo.org AND  citizenconcern@wheatonparks.org AND MBenard@wheatonparks.org

https://wheatonparkdistrict.com/transparency-portal/survey/ 

Let’s not wait to recognize what we’ve got when it’s gone. E-sign below to help stop the Wheaton Park District from paving a watershed paradise to put up a parking lot.