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VOL. 15 • NO. 17
WWW.THEINDEPENDENTNEWSPAPERS.COM
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019
Board approves demolition of Lufkin Pool Decision moved up two months from June tabling
was rejected by a vote of 1,059 Moving up the vote to April 8 was its worst.” Not all residents agreed. “The referendum question didn’t (52.66%) to 952 (47.34%). seen as a way to get the pool deA common theme among the proOnce the advisory question lost at molished before two newly elected Lufkin group was that the advisory mislead me,” said one resident who the polls, the question of demolish- trustees were installed in May. question was misleading and de- spoke against funding pool repairs. ing Lufkin Pool was immediately “This is classic Chicago politics,” signed to ‘scare’ voters into thinking “I too grew up going to Lufkin. But added to the formal agenda. said one resident, who identified it was a tax increase. The $1 million the reality is we cannot continue By Paul DelGuidice This didn’t sit well with many himself as a member of the ‘Save repair figure was also derided as too to spend money on (this facility), THE VILLA PARK INDEPENDENT residents, as the original vote to Lufkin Pool’ group, “Using the mis- high, with various estimates from which is why I voted ‘no.’” During a contentious formal fund the dismantling of the pool was leading advisory question vote to $200,000 to $600,000 deemed more See POOL, Page 4 meeting held on Monday, April 8, tabled until June 2019. justify this is ‘back room politics’ at realistic by some. the Villa Park Board of Trustees voted 4 to 3 to approve a contract to demolish Lufkin Pool. This vote sealed the fate of the nearly 65-yearold south-side pool, which has been the subject of passionate debate for several years. Just scheduling the vote proved controversial, and the ‘hot-topic’ of Lufkin Pool’s future prompted Village staff to hold the meeting at the Iowa Community Center instead of Village Hall to better accommodate the large number of residents expected to attend. Nearly 100 people were in the audience, many identifying themselves as part of the ’Save Lufkin Pool’ group. The pool has sat dormant since 2017, Lufkin has been closed through swimming season of 2018. Trustees tabled a resolution to demolish the site in order to give proponents of saving the structure time to explore alternatives and raise money privately to fund repairs. A feasibility study encompassing all Village park and recreation facilities was conducted. In order to get some guidance from the public, the Board voted to add a question to the ballot for the April 2 election. The Lufkin Pool advisory (nonPAUL DELGUIDICE PHOTO Villa Park Independent binding) question, “Do you support the village of Villa Park, Illinois, spending up to $1 million in new Members of the Adventure Crew 157 and Boy Scout Troop 157 helped load spuds on Saturday, April 13. The annual ‘potato drop’ is property taxes to fund repairs to sponsored by Calvary United Methodist Church in Villa Park and the potatoes are donated to area food pantries. Lufkin Pool, which would allow the village to safely reopen the pool?”
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