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Council accepts Maple tree donation, hears parks committee on pirate-ship playground and camping ideas

Village of Saint Charles Village Council · December 11, 2025

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Summary

The Village council accepted a donated maple tree from Tri Township Fire Department (with a commemorative plaque) and heard the parks committee’s recommendation to fund a pirate-ship play structure with $5,000 from parks and a $5,000 DDA match; council also discussed informal rustic camping/RV parking and zoning constraints for campsites.

The Village of Saint Charles council agreed to accept a large maple tree donated by Tri Township Fire Department, including a plaque commemorating community tornado response in May 2025. Parks representatives recommended acceptance and asked council to indicate preferred planting locations; the council approved the donation.

Parks committee members also asked the council to move forward on a pirate-ship play structure for Lumberjack Park, proposing $5,000 from the parks budget and asking the Downtown Development Authority to match $5,000. The DDA indicated support at the meeting. Council discussion included possible placement, circulation changes and coordination for spring paving.

Council and members of the public discussed creating a small number of rustic camping spots or RV parking in a DDA-owned lot as a way to serve boaters and weekend visitors. Staff noted zoning requirements for individual campsites under the village zoning ordinance (chapter 4-3, letter g) that call for a minimum of 2,000 square feet per site and specific amenities; council members suggested a more rustic solution would require zoning or ordinance planning.

What’s next

Parks and DDA will coordinate on pirate-ship placement and funding; staff will advise on zoning implications for any proposed camping spots and on logistics for voluntary DDA lot use. The tree donation will be scheduled for spring planting and plaque placement.

Sources and attribution

Items in this article are drawn from council and committee discussion during the meeting transcript.