Call for new rec center not holding water in Batavia so far

With a national financial crisis looming, is this the time to borrow money to build a recreation center?

And does Batavia need an indoor pool, or are there enough of them in nearby towns to meet residents' wants and needs?

These were some of the questions asked at the first "Get the Facts" forum about the Batavia Park District's request to borrow $36 million to build a recreation center and revamp Harold Hall Quarry Beach. Voters get to decide Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The plan calls for building the center, with multipurpose rooms, a fitness center, indoor six-lane lap pool and indoor leisure pool, and replacing the sand-bottomed outdoor pool with a concrete-lined facility.

Park district officials say that the district could perhaps then move headquarters into the new building and sell the Civic Center or other park district facilities. The district also owns the Eastside Community Center, in the former Holy Cross Catholic Church, and the Batavia Boat Club.

About two dozen people, other than district staff and elected officials, attended the presentation at the Civic Center. Two more are planned, at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 and 22.

One man asked if fees for using the facility had been determined; not yet, said district director Mike Clark. Park board Commissioner Chris Behmer said the district expects to release a projected budget of what it would take to operate the recreation center and outdoor pool in about two weeks.

Another woman expressed financial worry: "What I'm hearing, there is a recession, and you're going to raise taxpayers (bills)? Is that financially responsible?" she asked rhetorically.

Mary Kay Bakken of Batavia, who teaches private swimming lessons, said she's not opposed to Batavia having an indoor pool, but thinks the area may already have enough.

She teaches at pools at Provena Mercy Medical Center in northern Aurora, at Vaughn Recreation Center in western Aurora, at Norris Recreation Center in eastern St. Charles and at Delnor-Community Health and Wellness Center in western Geneva. She also criticized district spending on hiring firms to conduct focus groups over the years, saying district staff should have been able to figure out what the community wants by interacting and conversing with residents.

And Liz Henkelman of Batavia, a middle-aged woman who said she has grown children, asked if the district had considered spreading the loan repayment over a longer time so the annual cost to taxpayers would be more affordable, even if the long-term cost were greater. Presently, an 18- to 20-year repayment is contemplated.

"I've been paying for oodles of stuff in this town," she said, citing the reconstruction of the Wilson Street bridge and the renovation and expansion of Batavia schools. "We need to spread it (the rec center repayment) out over more generations."

An overall survey about parks programming and facilities in early 2004, sent to 4,000 households and returned by about 1,000, indicated that 57 percent of respondents favored building a recreation center, but only 38 percent would support a tax increase.

A 2008 survey specifically about the feasibility of a recreation center, sent to 1,000 households and returned by 284, more than 60 percent favored building a recreation center, but 38 percent indicated they were not willing to support any tax increase.

Pool: Only 38 percent of town would support tax increase, survey says