Wheaton group looks to block extension of taxing district
A small group of Wheaton residents is trying to block the extension of a special taxing district that would help fund efforts to renovate a historic downtown theater.
The Downtown Wheaton Association has pledged to help underwrite a loan for the Wheaton Grand Theater. But the association can't keep that promise unless the city extends the group's main source of revenue: a special service area that funds promotional activities for downtown businesses.
On Thursday, resident Jeanne Ives said she and other volunteers have collected signatures from downtown property owners and residents to stop the special service area from being extended for 20 years beyond its current 2011 expiration date.
Whether the petition has enough signatures remains to be seen. The deadline to submit the paperwork is today.
"We have an indisputable amount of property owners and voters that have petitioned against this," Ives said. "We are shoring up those numbers, and I expect to have more signatures by the close of business (Friday)."
Ives said she started getting signatures two months ago because she doesn't believe property owners with buildings in the special service area want to keep paying the annual fee, especially if the money is going to be used to help Wheaton Park District follow through with a plan to take ownership of the theater and borrow $19.3 million to renovate and expand the building.
"As a taxpayer to both the city of Wheaton and the park district, I don't want the taxpayers to be on the hook for a theater," she said.
The park district hasn't made a final decision on whether it will acquire the Wheaton Grand. Part of the reason is because officials are waiting to find out if the downtown group can provide financial "backstop" payments of up to $250,000 a year in case the theater fails to raise enough cash for the 20 years of loan payments.
Parks officials also have asked the city to agree to make similar payments, if necessary, of up to $250,000 a year. The city council hasn't made a decision on that request.
Wheaton Grand supporters argue that the backstop payments most likely won't be needed every year.
Even if the payments are needed, Downtown Wheaton Association representatives say reopening the 84-year-old theater along Hale Street is "critical" for the downtown.
"The theater would only help to build an economic anchor - the stability that we think the downtown could use," said Tim Rater, the association's manager.
Ray Shepardson, the theater's project manager, said he would work with the association to promote downtown.
"What is the point of the DWA? To create traffic flow," he said. "And what this does is create the daily constant steady traffic flow."
But resident Mark Stern, who helped Ives collect signatures, said the petition proves there's "clear and overwhelming opposition" to the special service area. "The city should recognize the will of the property owners and not do this," he said.
City officials said they won't review the petition until next week. It's unclear how long it will take to calculate whether it has enough signatures.