President candidates debate ways to improve forest preserves
From updated bathrooms to a new golf clubhouse, the candidates in the two-way race for president of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County disagree about ways to improve district-owned sites.
Voters will decide on Nov. 6 if Republican incumbent Joseph Cantore or Democratic challenger Daniel Hebreard should lead the forest preserve board for the next four years.
Cantore has served as district president since 2014 after previous stints as a forest preserve commissioner and an Oakbrook Terrace alderman. Hebreard is seeking his first elected office.
As a senior ranger for the district, Hebreard says he knows where amenities are lacking in the 60 preserves.
"We stopped giving people nice facilities about 15 years ago," Hebreard said during an endorsement session with the Daily Herald. "We need to continue to give people the amenities they deserve in DuPage."
For example, the Woodridge resident says the district must improve "decades-old, dilapidated structures." He also said updated bathrooms with flush toilets are needed at more locations.
Cantore, however, points out the district's preserves attract more than 4 million visitors a year.
"If we've got that many people visiting our forest preserves every year, we must be doing something right," said Cantore, an Oak Brook resident.
He said the district is doing what it can to improve facilities. But to add flush toilets at more preserves, he said, the district needs to get water and sewer lines to those sites.
"One thing that everybody forgets is that bringing water and sewer to a forest preserve is unbelievably expensive," said Cantore, adding that it recently cost the district more than $2 million to bring water and sewer service to St. James Farm Forest Preserve near Warrenville.
Hebreard said the district might have more money to improve other preserves if it wasn't planning to rebuild a clubhouse at a golf course in Addison.
District officials could seek bids as soon as January to construct the proposed clubhouse for The Preserve at Oak Meadows - formerly Oak Meadows Golf Course. The project comes after $16.8 million was spent to renovate the 288-acre property.
The new clubhouse is estimated to cost at least $9 million. Hebreard said he believes the price tag could climb to $12 million to $14 million.
"We do need a clubhouse there," he said. "I think we could spend a little bit less and still have an excellent facility for the public."
Cantore said Hebreard's numbers are "a little inflated."
He said steps were taken to design a building that's not too big and not too small.
"We don't want it to be just for the golfers," Cantore said. "We want it to be for everyone. If you do want to have a wedding shower there or if you do want to have a small wedding there, you can do that. It's more of a community place than just a golf clubhouse."
In the meantime, Cantore said he's impressed by the project. "I believe we are doing the right things to make it successful," he said.
Still, Hebreard said he doesn't agree with spending a lot of money on a clubhouse when improvements are needed in other parts of the district.
"I would like to pare down that project to a more reasonable number so we can do some other projects at other preserves," he said. "We need to share the wealth."