Dundee Twp. residents want west side rec center, more bike trails

A lot may have changed in the 13 years since the Dundee Township Park District completed its comprehensive plan. But some things have stayed the same.

Residents and local political figures reiterated the need for a recreation and aquatic center of the west side of the township during an informational meeting Thursday at the Dundee Township Senior Center.

Park District Executive Director Tom Mammoser said about 30 people attended the meeting to learn about and provide input for an update of the district's comprehensive master plan. The plan, which is expected to be completed by the end of June, will guide the park district's character for the next five years.

"This was a brainstorming kind of meeting and there were a lot of creative ideas," Mammoser said. "The general ideas that came out of the group was that there was an interest in natural areas, a west-side recreation center and additional aquatic facilities."

Residents also said they would also like to see walking and biking paths and open space.

The park district is working with Naperville-based Hitchcock Design Group, a landscape architect firm, on updating the comprehensive plan. The firm will meet with the park district board on Wednesday.

"We will help the park district evaluate the priorities, address the needs and come up with a strategy to address those needs," said Hitchcock senior associate Bob Ijams. "The final product will be an updated master plan."

The park district currently has one recreation center and aquatic facility in Carpentersville on the east side of the district, which is roughly divided by the Fox River.

Since the recreation center was built in 1989, the population has swelled from 39,000 to more than 60,000, Mammoser said. Much of that growth has occurred on the west side of the district, he added.

A second recreation center has been on the district's radar for about 15 years, but financial constraints have stalled progress, Mammoser said.

Now the district, which has proposed locating the facility on district-owned land adjacent to Randall Oaks Park off Randall Road, is exploring the use of $11 million in Build America bonds available to local and state governments for capital projects. The federally subsidized program could provide the district funds to build an additional recreation center sooner than anticipated, and without affecting tax rates, officials said.

Mammoser said because the bonds offer a 35-percent rebate on interest paid and a new law extending loans from 20 to 25 years, the amount needed for repayments would fit within the district's debt reduction schedule without a tax increase.

However, should the district forgo the bond, the district's tax rate would drop.