Vote 'yes' on Urbana pool plan
Urbana voters are being asked to pay higher taxes to finance a water park.
It's never a good time to ask the taxpayers if they're willing to raise their property taxes.
But members of the Urbana Park District board could hardly have found a worse time than to seek approval on April 5 for $7 million to support a water park in Crystal Lake Park.
With the economy struggling to recover from a devastating recession and many people coping with serious financial issues, it would be no great surprise if voters are reluctant to approve an 11-cent increase in their property tax rate for the park district. The proposed hike would cost the owner of a home with a fair market value of $200,000 an additional $74 a year.
Park district officials made it clear before they closed the old Crystal Lake Pool that they were interested in replacing it and would listen carefully to the public about the specifics of any projects. They sought comments from the public about what they would like to see in a new swimming facility and have conducted an open process every step of the way.
Now they are waiting to see if voters like what they see or consider it an unaffordable luxury.
The News-Gazette supports approval of the park district proposal. Swimming pools are a community asset and the water park envisioned by the district will serve a wide variety of people.
If the plan is approved by voters, construction is not scheduled to begin until the summer or fall of 2012. But it will feature a variety of amenities, including an eight-lane lap pool for swimming lessons, competition and exercise. There also will be an in-water playground, diving board, slides, a three-season sprayground, an area for children and picnic and concession areas.
This will not be your grandfather's swimming pool one size fits all.
It's designed to provide a variety of options to meet a variety of tastes, even beyond those provided by the highly popular Sholem Pool in Champaign.
The vote next Tuesday follows another park district tax increase that was approved by Urbana voters in 2009.
Voters then approved a 15-cent hike in the tax rate to support maintenance efforts across the district.
If the 2009 hike was for the less interesting option of keeping current facilities up to snuff, this year's proposal provides the public much more entertaining possibilities.
The district estimates pool admission fees would generate roughly 80 percent of the funds necessary for its operation. All the money generated by the tax rate increase will be used for debt service on $7 million in bonds to build the pool, the 20 percent of operating costs (an estimated $70,000 to $90,000) not covered by user fees and future repair and renovation.
There's nothing complicated about this issue. If voters approve, the final plans will be drawn, construction will follow and the new water park will open in the summer of 2013.
If voters say no, park district officials say they will demolish the old Crystal Lake Pool because it is both unsightly and a safety risk. The old Crystal Lake Pool needs to go, but we'd prefer to see it replaced with a water park that would benefit both children and adults.
I believe the Newsgazzette reported previously the Park District was going to get a bond for 7million, would'nt that mean interest on 7million as well for over what period of time? Heck, I wish the reporter would have bothered to do the math.
It was interesting to see the TV news just now, have kids state the current pool they practice for swim team is "small and cold" and then have the reporter state they were using the country clubs. Either the reporter miscalled the indoor pool facility on Vine by the middle school or the Urbana Club has just been called out by a ten year old.
I regret not being able to support this pool referendum for more reasons than listed here.
1. Misleading management: Many thought the last tax hike was for a new pool, but it was largely spent on new offices for administrators, and a proposal that cost more than it would have cost to refurbish the old pool. This tax hike is no different, as it will not cover the cost, it’s just the first installment. This is projected to be in debt in 10 years, not paid for according to figures published.
2. Lack of conservation: Water is not going to reclaimed by a green long-term water savings plan, and costs are only projected to skyrocket.
3. Loss of park: The current plan paves a great deal Crystal lake park for out of town parking.
4. Location: Being so close to a highway exit means more likelihood of few attendees spending money elsewhere. The majority of children attending Urbana schools are located in the east near surrounding Prairie school.
5. The logic does not add up: Exactly why can’t the Urbana Park district find the money to have the current indoor pool open 7days a week with extended hours, with the money from the last referendum? We are talking minimum wage part time folks here.
6.Threats: We are told they will demolish the old pool if this is not passed for the almost same amount it was quoted that it would have taken to refurbish it in the first place.
This list goes on & and I would like a pool, a spray ground and more but at a price listed on a budget that is listed on their website with transparency.
The Urbana Park District board and leadership is more fit to dine with its country club donors who don’t need there services than to break bread with those who are not leaving town this summer for Disney world vacations, and whose children and elderly parents desperately need a number of wholesome places to swim and congregate. The Urbana Park District board and Director are out of touch with the people who ELECTED them to SERVE the public.
Ms. Antulov's comment has several factual and logical errors:
1. That the Park Board misled voters about the purpose of the last referendum. They didn't. The UPD said the last referendum would support programs, a new Operations Center, and pool planning. That's exactly what it does. The UPD Board and leadership should be commeded for doing exactly what they said they would, while engaging the community in an extensive and open planning process for a new pool.
2. That the current pool design paves large areas of Crytal Lake Park. It doesn't. The proposed footprint is similar in size to the existing footprint.
3. That Prairie School is near a highway exit. It isn't. Crystal Lake Park is the right place for a new facility due to its rich tradition of having a pool and its location near to downtown. In fact it should draw people into the core of the city during the summer months, which can help in the revitalization of downtown Urbana.
4. That the indoor facility fills the same community need as an outdoor facility. Not really. The Aquatic figure is a very nice facility that many enjoy, but it will never appeal to the broad spectrum of users the proposed outdoor facility will.
5. That the existing Pool could be refurbished for less than several million dollars. It can't. Much of the electric wiring is built into the deck, the drains do not meet current codes, the pool itself leaks badly, and the bathhouses need to be rebuilt. In fact, the UPD painfully--but correctly--resisted the temptation to throw good money after bad, closed the old pool, and is now seeking funds for a new one.
At the end of her comment Ms. Antulov makes a great point: "children and elderly parents desperately need a number of wholesome places to swim and congregate." It is worth noting that the proposed pool will be used by children who attend UPD summer camps, many at reduced rates due to their low-income status. In fact, the facility will provide a quality entertainment opportunity at a modest price for people of all ages from Urbana and surrounding comunities. Many in Urbana support the pool concept, including the News-Gazette and the Urbana Business Association. I join them in expressing strong support.
And another thing, would any rental developers or hotel general managers or non-profits care to state how much the pools in there complexes cost and cost to operate? Would any be interested in renting or for tax relief open up use to the school or parkdistrict or non-profit groups?
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