Elmhurst Parks Plan Likely To Be Scaled Back

ELMHURST, IL — Elmhurst Park District officials are looking to scale back their $105 million plan for park improvements that a survey shows most residents believe costs too much. Park board members made no decisions at their meeting Monday night, but one member declared the plan for an indoor sports facility dead. At an estimated $56 million, the facility was the costliest item.

In the recent survey, most expressed support for the items in the district's Vision 2020 plan, but were not willing to pay the $105 million. A couple residents spoke out against the proposal at Monday's meeting. William MacDonald was one of them. He said he purchased his home two decades ago and since then, his property taxes have skyrocketed 110 percent, more than double the inflation rate.

"The park district seems to represent special interest groups. I don't see anyone representing me," MacDonald said. "You should not use my property as collateral for these grand plans."

The meeting's discussion became one involving competing age groups. The board was told Elmhurst's 55-and-older population was projected to rise in coming years, while the younger-than-18 demographic would fall. That led some to call for keeping a new $6.6 million adult center in the proposal.

Member Doug Ennis said he would like to see the proposed replacement of the Wagner Community Center, which serves youth, eliminated from the plan. It is estimated to cost nearly $20 million.

"I know it's an old facility, but if the Census numbers are correct, the sub-18 group is not growing. The sub-18 group is catered to in that building," Ennis said.

He also said he opposed keeping the $5 million for open space acquisition in the proposal because "we have done a solid job as a board with acquiring open space without money set aside for that."

At the same time, Ennis said he would like to keep the adult center in the plan. He also said he thought the plan for the indoor sports facility was "gone."

However, park board member Claire Kubiesa said she opposed shorting the younger generation in the parks plan.

"Wagner is my demographic," she said. "It was consistently marked as one of the top priorities in the survey, despite a decrease in the demographic overall."

The park board had been considering holding a referendum for the $105 million plan in the March 17 primary election. But members said that may be too soon given the survey results showing residents wanted a scaled-back plan.

"The March referendum is a no-go. There's no way we can responsibly do that," board President Vince Spaeth said. Instead, he suggested holding the referendum in the Nov. 3 general election.

The park board plans to hold a special meeting next week to determine what to do with the 16-acre Kieft Brothers property at Riverside Drive and Route 83, which the board was set to purchase. It was intended as the site of the indoor sports facility. A few months ago, the district put down $100,000 in earnest money for the $15 million property. With the $100,000 a stake, the board has until month's end to make a decision.

One item that got little mention at Monday's meeting was the proposed $1.7 million dog park. Last week, commenters on Facebook speculated the dog park would be removed from the plan.