Wheaton butterfly house may not take flight

With Cosley Zoo expected to continue operating at a loss next year, Wheaton Park District board members appear reluctant to support a plan to add a new butterfly exhibit.

But instead of grounding the idea on Wednesday night, commissioners said they want staff to speak to the resident who first proposed the live butterfly exhibit for Cosley.

The donor is willing to contribute half of the $100,000 needed to build the 3,100-square-foot enclosure. Donations from the Wheaton Rotary Club and Cosley Foundation would pay the remaining construction costs, officials said. Still, there are significant financial hurdles.

At one point, it was estimated that it would cost about $43,000 a year to operate the exhibit. Park district staff now say they believe the figure could be reduced to $18,500 annually.

Either way, it's money the district would need to raise.

"We're having a hard time making that not lose money," park board President Phillip Luetkehans said.

Commissioners Terry Mee and Ray Morrill both said on Wednesday that they can't support the proposal.

Luetkehans said he first wants to see if there is any way to meet the donor's wishes without having Cosley Zoo maintain a 500-butterfly exhibit.

"I don't really want to take a vote and kill this thing without having spoken to the lady and say, 'Do we have other options here?'" Luetkehans said.

In the meantime, money is so tight at Cosley that park officials are considering whether to start charging visitors a parking fee.

While parking and admission currently are free at Cosley, the zoo is expected to operate at roughly a $130,000 deficit next year. That shortfall could be reduced to $80,000 if the district adopts a parking fee.

Luetkehans said a final decision on the parking fee proposal hasn't been made. The park board is in the process of reviewing the entire district's proposed budget for 2010.

With its 5 acres of exhibits, Cosley Zoo has hundreds of animals representing dozens of species, including llamas, horses and owls. There's also a gift shop, a picnic area and a recently renovated caboose that's been on the grounds since the early 1980s.

Because of its popularity, the zoo at Gary Avenue and Jewell Road recently had to expand its parking lot.

Still, the zoo relies on donations and the fundraising efforts of the Cosley Foundation, park district Director Mike Benard said. "That goes a long way for meeting needs," he said. "But it's an expensive operation."