The result of a March 19 Clarendon Hills Park District referendum will determine whether the Lions Park Pool remains open.
The park district is asking voters to approve and $8 million bond issue for improvements at the pool, along with some other park improvements in the village.
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“The primary focus is to be able to fund improvements and renovations of the 32-year old pool, which is soon to become inoperable and closed due to increased costs of annual maintenance and operational costs to the park district,” said Don Scheltens, the park district’s executive director. He said the majority of revenue from a successful referendum would be used for the pool, with the remainder going toward park improvements.
“We started a while back with discussions about the situation at the pool, which was the focus, but it was always in the back of our minds that we wanted to make sure there was something for everyone in town, as some people don’t use the pool,” Scheltens said.
The actual wording of the referendum is: “Shall the Clarendon Hills Park District, DuPage County, Illinois, renovate the Lions Park Pool facility and install new waterslides, a spray park and new mechanical systems therein, construct pickleball courts and athletic field improvements at Prospect Park, renovate community playgrounds and facilities, construct accessibility improvements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, improve sites and issue its bonds to the amount of $8,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?”
As is almost always the case with referendums seeking additional funds from taxpayers, the big question voters will have is how much it will add to their property tax bill if the referendum is successful.
A property owner with a home that has a market value of $500,000 would pay approximately $203 per year for 15 years for the improvements to be made, according to information from the park district.
In Illinois, market value is the most probable sale price in a competitive, open market. This is under the assumption both buyer and seller are acting prudently and knowledgeably, and allowing sufficient time for the transaction, which is not affected by undue pressures.
The Lions Park Pool was opened in 1992 and managed and operated by the Clarendon Hills Lions Club. In 2003, the Lions Club decided it no longer wanted to manage and operate the pool, so the park district was asked to take over, which it did at that time.
“If the referendum doesn’t pass, we’ll give the pool back to the Lions Club, which has no interest in taking it over again,” Scheltens said.
Park Board President Suzanne Austin said improvements planned with a successful referendum, outside of the pool and accessibility upgrades under the American with Disabilities Act, include various playgrounds, pavilions, pathways and athletic fields.
“The park district’s current capital and operating budgets can no longer provide the dollars necessary to improve, maintain and operate the Lions Park Pool facility,” she said.
Austin said the park district conducted a pool survey for residents during the summer of 2023. “The survey showed overwhelming support for the addition of new waterslides and splash pads for the pool facility,” she said. “Passing the referendum would allow the park district to continue improving the Lions Park Pool facility and neighborhood playgrounds, as well as build new recreational amenities.”
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.