Despite the protests of some homeowners that Prospect Heights does not need a new $2 million police station, aldermen are refusing to abandon the project.
One reason is that the critics, who had been circulating petitions to hold a referendum on the plan, failed to gather enough signatures before the Aug. 17 filing deadline for the November election.
Those who oppose building the station say a more economical plan would be to simply expand the police department`s existing facilities in City Hall or find another available site for the 20-person force.
But city officials say the department, which was formed only two years ago, needs its own facility. Among other things, they reason, the force will in time grow both in size and technology, to the point where expanding on present space will not benefit the department.
They also say the new building could be constructed with existing funds, and not by raising taxes.
Critics of the project began circulating the referendum petitions at the suggestion of Ald. Warren Sunde, who agreed with the residents that it is
”irresponsible” to build the new structure.
The drive was canceled, however, because petitioners realized the City Council will not give up the project. This came to light when the council took space in City Hall for the city`s convention bureau, the same space that the petitioners suggested should be used for the police, Sunde said Thursday.
”The City Council voted to put our convention bureau right smack dab in the middle of what would be the expanded area, which kind of blocked off the petition drive,” Sunde said. ”So with two weeks to go, they decided to call it off. If the City Council worked that hard to block them, they figured they wouldn`t be very responsive to a referendum which is just advisory,” Sunde added.
The petitioners had 400 signatures, and needed 10 percent of the more than 6,600 registered Prospect Heights voters before the deadline.
”It is a shame the council feels they have the authority and right to make decisions without talking to their constituents,” said resident Bob Silver. ”If we continued, we could have easily obtained several thousand signatures.”
The city attorney is now studying the wording of the petition, because if it is addressed to the City Council, it is possible the council itself could decide if the referendum should be placed on the November ballot, city administrator Daniel Wentzloff said Thursday.
”So (the issue) has a new little twist to it,” Wentzloff said.
Prospect Heights has architectural firm Alexander and Associates drafting floor plans for the structure, with an eye for a construction starting date of next summer. The firm met with city officials and police personnel to get input on revisions needed to flesh out the safety and efficiency requirements of the station.
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Those revisions will be presented to the council committee handling the proposal at the end of September. If those plans are approved by the City Council, construction blueprints will then be drafted.
The police station has been located in City Hall, at Camp McDonald and Elmhurst Roads, for the last two years. The new facility is tentatively planned for Camp McDonald Road and Maple Avenue.
Police Chief Robert Bonneville has said that current accommodations are inadequate for proper law enforcement because, among other things, there are no jail cells to hold prisoners.