Arlington Heights Park District To Ask for $39 Million

In a 3-2 vote, the approve a resolution to place a referendum question, asking taxpayers for $39 million, on the November ballot. 

MaryFran Leno, president of the Arlington Heights Park District Board, said the district has revamped the plan since the failed referendum in April.

“These improvements are necessary to keep up with the time,” she said.

• March 2012 referendum for $48 Million Failed

Park Board Commissioners Myles Naughton, Rob Nesvacil and president Leno, voted yes for the referendum question, as Commissioners Robert Smith and Rob Whisler voted no Tuesday night.

“I’m not comfortable with approving the referendum question,” said Whisler, who, however, agrees the proposed improvements need to be done.

Commissioner Whisler said he’s trying to be sensitive to the residents and business owners in town. “The timing is just not right,” he said. 

The board received opposition and support for putting a new referendum on the November ballot Tuesday night. 

Karen Smith, who opposes the referendum, said stores are closing in Arlington Heights. “Business is terrible for everyone,” she said. “We don’t know where this country is going.”

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Frontier and Heritage parks haven’t been renovated since 1969. “Playground facilities are rusted,” Mark Frighettto, who lives near Frontier Park, said. “I came from the city (Chicago) to Arlington Heights because of the quality programs,” he said.

Frighetto said the park district has put in the effort to reduce costs. “It’s a tough issue but putting it on the ballot is fair,” he said.

Before the board casted their votes, several presenters provided information about the usage of the facilities, program registrations and the ongoing financial impact for the district.   

Since 1981, park district registrations have increased each year, eventually surpassing the Arlington Heights population in the last three years, said Steve Scholten, executive director of the park district.

Public Research Group, an independent polling firm, hired by the district, presented a summary of combined research findings, comparing its 2009 and 2011 community needs assessment and referendum studies.

The firm was brought in find out about facility use and the community’s support for renovation, using survey methods through phone, mail, email and online.

A survey conducted by the firm in 2009, found that respondents favored either building new community centers, renovating and expanding existing facilities or both.

• Full 2009 Community Assessment Study

Usage of facilities varied in the 2009 study, with 43 percent of respondents saying they visited the Olympic Indoor Swim Center, 46 percent had visited the historical museum and that 34 percent of the respondents utilized their neighborhood community center. 

The group received 960 responses with a 3 percent margin of error. 

“We don’t favor or not favor the referendum, we’re only here to present data we’ve found,” said Dave Emanuelsen of Public Research Group

Eric Anderson, of BMO Capital Markets, who handles bonds for the district, said a home at fair market price of $300,000 in Arlington Heights, a $38 million referendum proposal would increase a resident’s tax bill by an average of $65 per year. 

“My kids, my family, utilize all the facilities,” Tim Gelinas said. “Taxes are going to continue to go up.”

Gelinas, supporter of the referendum, said he’s more than happy to pay for it. “I fully endorse it,” he said. “There’s nothing certain in life except for death and taxes.”

Commissioner Nesvacil said the board tries to run the district as a business.

“We do ask for fees for swimming, basketball and art classes,” he said. “The idea of a referendum is not to raise taxes but do you want make this investment to make Arlington Heights better.”

Nesvacil said if the community votes no, that’s fine. “It’s the Democratic process.”

The board also decided to seperate the proposed dog park from the referendum question, directing staff to seek community input on whether the park should be included in the 2013-14 capital projects budget.

The $39 million price tag would pay for the following:

Option E

• Camelot Park (Master Plan):  Renovate two program rooms into three rooms, new full size gym, (the current small gym gets renovated with divider wall) and a new entry/lobby area on the west side of the building. ($5.83 million) 

• Heritage Park (Reduced Scope): Renovate existing space so building will be usable for the next 25 to 40 years. ($1.48 million) 

• Frontier Park (Reduced Scope): Replacing the existing community center space with a new building that will include a field house area, a walking track and four program rooms that would be stacked. Rooms include multi-purpose double room, preschool room and dance/aerobics studio. ($10.32 million) 

• Recreation Park (Reduced Scope): Convert building into pool bath house and deck unto pool built around south entrance/exit, bath house razed, build new community center, five new program rooms, one new gym and there would be no indoor walking path. ($12.02 million)

• Olympic Indoor Swim Center (Improvements): Add three program rooms and add one gym. Elevate walking track inside new gym, additional lobby and entrance area, additional parking, relocate the skate park, playground and athletic field. The center would increase by 26,000 square feet ($7.62 million)
• Other Improvements: A lighted synthetic soccer filed at Frontier, synthetic turf fields at Sunset Meadows and a path at Lake Arlington. ($3.39 million)

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