Rec center vote might be on ballot

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BATAVIA – The city’s park board will decide today whether to put a referendum question on the November ballot asking voters whether the park district should borrow $36 million to build a new recreation center at Harold Hall Quarry Beach.

Batavia Park Board President Pat Callahan said commissioners will make the decision today during a 5 p.m. special meeting at the Civic Center at 327 W. Wilson St. The meeting is open to the public.

About 60 people, including many park district employees and board members, congregated Thursday evening at the Civic Center, where officials shared the latest plan for the proposed rec center.

A new rec center has been a long-term goal for the park district, which looked into 15 potential different sites for the center that would include an indoor and outdoor pool, a water slide, two gymnasiums, a fitness center, child care and senior center and multipurpose rooms.

During a public meeting earlier this month, officials announced the Quarry on Water Street was the most viable site. Other potential locations included the Fox Valley Golf Club, Laurelwood Park and the Mooseheart site off Millview Drive.

Callahan said repairs to the Quarry would cost about $1 million, adding that cracks in the pool’s limestone result in a daily loss of about 250,000 gallons of water.

He also noted that decreased attendance has been creating a revenue loss for the park district in recent years, including a projected loss of about $40,000 this fiscal year.

In 1995, Callahan said more than 90,000 people came to the Quarry, compared to about 20,000 this year. He said there needs to be about 70,000 in attendance to be able to keep the park district out of the red.

If the board approves putting the question up for a referendum, the park district would borrow $38 million in bonds for the Quarry improvements. The impact on a taxpayer with a home valued at $250,000 would break down to about $1.12 per week, according to figures provided by the park district.

While most in attendance didn’t argue against the need or desire for a new rec center, many questioned the choice for the Quarry.

A few residents suggested asking voters to approve the $38 in bonds, which would be repaid over the next 20 years, and then put the site up for debate later.

Callahan said referendum questions must be cost and site specific.

Dave Larson of TMP Associates showed attendants preliminary design plans and artist renderings of the site.

The new rec center would be built on a portion of the existing Quarry. Callahan said about one-third of Quarry Beach would be lost to the actual  building, but that residents would gain an indoor pool and many other amenities.

Both Callahan and Larson emphasized that the new rec center would preserve and save as much of the Quarry as possible. Larson suggested paying homage to the current diving tower in one area and using materials that looked “as if they came from the Quarry itself.”

If approved, officials said bidding on the project would go out in July 2009 and construction would take between 16 and 18 months.

If you go...

What: Batavia Park Board special meeting

When: 5 p.m. today

Where: Batavia Civic Center, 327 W. Wilson St., Batavia

To download a PDF copy of the concept plan and for more information, go to www.bataviaparks.org