New pacts in place for Carol Stream rec center use

Residents of Carol Stream won’t be the only ones able to use the park district’s new eight-lane, 25-yard swimming pool inside the recreation center now under construction.

Those who live within Glendale Heights and the Winfield Park District’s boundaries will be able to pay the same resident rates to swim as those who live within the borders of the Carol Stream Park District, under agreements approved by the park board.

The pact with the Winfield Park District, which allows Carol Stream Park District to schedule special events at Winfield’s Glasshagel Park, was approved by Winfield’s park board this summer.

The pact with Glendale Heights, which extends village resident rates to Carol Stream Park District residents for admission and program fees at the village-owned Glendale Lakes Golf Course, is pending approval by the village board.

Park officials say the new recreation center is expected to generate high revenues from structured pool programs, particularly swimming lessons. The intergovernmental agreements, they say, would lead to an influx of nonresident revenue.

Already, the Carol Stream and Bartlett park districts have an arrangement for Carol Stream residents to access Bartlett’s pools at resident rates. That’s led to revenues between $35,000 and $40,000 a year from swim lesson registrations for Bartlett — just from Carol Stream Park District residents, officials said.

And, students within Glenbard High School District 87 may get to use the pool as well.

The park board approved an agreement with the school district this week that would allow Glenbard North physical education swimming classes to use the pool during school hours, and the Glenbard North/East swimming team to use it for practices in the early morning and late evening.

Glenbard would pay the park district a total of $350,000 over the course of the agreement, expected to run from June 30, 2013, through June 30, 2023. Park officials say the money would be used to help defray the costs of the $18 million recreation center project, funded by a $37 million parks improvement program approved by voters in a February 2010 referendum question.

The 90,846-square-foot facility is under construction at Town Center at Gary Avenue and Fountain View Drive.

“We’re paying a low cost and bringing kids from the swim club, instead of having to go to Aurora and all other places on God’s green earth to go swimming, when they can do it right here in Carol Stream,” said park district Commissioner Brian Sokolowski. “I’ve talked to a lot of people in Carol Stream and they can’t wait for that facility to open.”

A formal pool use schedule is still being worked out between the park and school districts, but it’s likely only some lanes would be blocked off for student use while others would be available at the same time for park district residents, according to an early draft schedule.

Chris McClain, Glenbard’s assistant superintendent for business services, said he expects an updated schedule will be ready before the intergovernmental agreement is considered by the school board in October.

The Winfield agreement is now in effect, and runs through July 31, 2032. The Glendale Heights agreement would run from Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2032.

Construction of the recreation center is expected to be complete by the fall of 2013.