Council debates water features, sundial in Highland Park’s $3.2 million place-of-remembrance plan

Highland Park officials are taking a closer look at the projected cost of a primary place of remembrance, a memorial that will honor the victims and survivors of the July 4, 2022 shooting.

Councilmembers on Sept. 14 reviewed a $3.2 million concept that includes two water features in the rose garden, while a plan featuring only one feature would reduce the budget by $611,000.

The need and price points related to the sundial bench that remains on the landmarked property were also discussed. 

The inclusion of both the water features — a council ring and a remembrance loop — is the most expensive option, according to Assistant City Manager, Emily Taub, who also explained that including no water features would amount to a $738,000 less cost and just the council ring would be $611,000 less. Removing only the remembrance loop would be $127,000 less. 

Adding water in the council ring and reduce remembrance loop to one end only would be $100,000 less and adding water to the remembrance loop only to one end would be $217,000 less. 

Taub said that the water feature is meant to provide a “sensory experience” and will require the necessary water infrastructure, as well as regular maintenance.

A full water feature would be comparable to “maintaining a pool,” City Manager Ghida Neukirch said, adding a regular cost to the City budget; though, the details of that cost is not yet known. 

Notably, the City has received approximately $1.7 million in donations related to the place of remembrance, Mayor Nancy Rotering said. 

Council feedback 

Those costs did not seem to phase Rotering, who stood her ground to “push for water somewhere,” she said. 

She said the council previously set a $3 million budget, and hearing from multiple community members that the water feature is critical to the design, Rotering believes a water element is important. 

Councilmember Annette Lidawer, on the other hand, recalled the council saying they could complete the place of remembrance for $2 million, and she feels more comfortable staying within that price range. 

“In many ways, I think we can’t have it all,” Lidawer said. “I think the trees and the stone are coming together. I’d rather do it well with what we can.” 

Lidawer said she could get on board with water in the council ring but preferred no water features, adding that the inclusion of water will result in additional costs “coming down the pike.” 

Erica Weeder, member of the Historic Preservation Commission, suggested that instead of the water, the council should consider a stone wall, which will look “wonderful,” she said, and will look great 100 years from now.

Councilmember Jon Center agreed with Rotering that the water feature is meaningful and said that the most “prudent and cost-effective way” to include water is the council ring, an option that would reduce the budget by $611,000. 

The lower budget, Center said, could help with cost “overruns,” or “other elements this project needs.” 

Councilmember Andrés Tapia echoed Center’s comments and wondered how much would be spent on maintenance, and while also curious about the maintenance, Councilmember Barisa Bruckman felt that some water feature was necessary.

The water feature was not as appealing to Councilmember Yumi Ross, who is equally concerned about the perennial maintenance costs and said she could support no water feature. 

What Ross did want in the rose garden was a sculpture working in concert with the memorial in Port Clinton. That is where she thinks the money should be going. 

Resident Michael Cohn, a relative of Jacki Sundheim, who was killed in the 2022 attack, agreed with Ross that if there is a water feature it should be in the council ring only and saved costs should support a sculpture.

Sundial Bench 

The council then looked at the status of the sundial bench, which has been in the rose garden since 1944, when it was gifted by Marshall Johnson. 

The accompanying bench has been at the location since the property was landmarked.

Four options for the bench are: disassembling it, restoring it and moving it to the Stupey Cabin for $54,000; bracing it, disassembling it, replacing it and reinstalling it for $46,000; bracing it, demoing it and reinstalling the arch as is at a later date for $21,000; and removing the bench for minimal cost. 

Rotering favored removing the bench, restoring it and then seeing how the progress of the place of remembrance. She also suggested moving it to the end of the place of remembrance to refer back to the lives lost. 

Center, however, suggested the council should “understand the true significance” of the bench before negotiating prices of altering it. To him, $54,000 to restore a bench feels like a lot of money.

Tapia said didn’t like the idea of the bench, which he said was built for a “completely different reason,” in the place of remembrance and said that waiting to restore it was best. 

Rotering and Lidawer didn’t feel the same as Tapia, offering their rebuttals that they thought preserving the bench “respects” the landmarked garden. 

To reach a compromise, Tapia suggested saving the bench where it is then deciding where it goes, to which Rotering and Lidawer agreed. 

Ross also echoed Tapia’s comments, noting that she would like to see the bench in-person before making any decisions about it.

Bruckman and Center felt most comfortable moving forward with the $46,000 option to restore and replace the dial.  

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