Park District Board Votes 4-1 in Favor of Renovations at Camelot Park

The Arlington Heights Park District recently voted 4 to 1 in favor of renovations and improvements at Camelot Park.

Changes at Camelot Park, according to Stephen Scholten, executive director of the Arlington Height Park District, will be made to a number of building amenities, including a new full-sized gym, building an elevated walking track, installing an elevator and converting a half court gym to a dividable meeting space for the community to use.

In 2011, the park district applied for a Park and Recreational Construction grant for $2.5 million matching grant, which Scholten said was never tied to the two failed referendums.

“Camelot was the right location when we applied, it met the criteria and we were one of only 30 park districts in the state to receive the funding,” Scholten said. “With the board’s decision, we will use the grant money [and to cover the remaining costs] and either incur additional non-referendum bonding debt or use $3.3 million in fund balances.”

During the time residents were learning about the proposed referendum, Park Board Commissioner Rob Nesvacil said community members asked that renovations at Camelot be downsized to curb costs, but the $2.5 million in grant money received is tied to those specific changes and could be jeopardized if the board went back to the granting authority.

Nesvacil was the only dissenting vote at the park district board meeting on January 21, and said he voted no due to the community’s response to the recent referendums.

“As much as I believe our community's recreation centers need to be expanded to accommodate skyrocketing growth in recreation and sports, my dissent regarding the Camelot project was simply a reflection of the voters' wishes at this time,” Nesvacil said.  

Twice in the past year an admittedly slim majority of taxpayers spoke against renovations, both in the immediate Camelot neighborhood and all across town, he added.

Despite his vote, Nesvacil said he is ready to move forward and eager to discuss the renovations at Camelot Community Center with residents so they are able to offer input.

Also at the meeting, residents from the Heritage neighborhood brought up a grant also received for Frontier Park, and questioned the status of improvements planned there, Nesvacil said.

“The Frontier project has been in the works for quite a few years, and includes improving the baseball diamond, a new playground, tennis and outdoor basketball courts, plantings and shelter buildings,” said Scholten.

Scholten said plans indicate a spring start for the project and it will likely be completed by the fall.