Palatine Park District Might Close Willow Wood Pool

Palatine Park District officials are considering closing Willow Wood Pool after this summer and nearby residents plan to fight to keep it open.

Ron Gbur, executive director of the park district, recommended the pool be closed after 2011, removed and not replaced. Ultimately the park district board will decide the pool's fate.

"We have not made any decision yet," Park District Board President Sue Gould said. "It will be a process. We will be asking for input from residents."

Cathy Paprocki, a Willow Wood resident since 1971, said it seems every few years Willow Wood residents have to battle the park district over the pool's fate.

"I think it is a terrible idea," Paprocki said. "This is just an ongoing headache."

Willow Wood Pool, 530 N. Stark Drive, is 47 years old. It was built by a developer for the residents of the surrounding subdivison. Eventually, the park district was asked to take over the operation and maintenance of the pool. It holds a maximum of 125 swimmers. Park officials say the smallest pool they would build today would have a maximum of 500 swimmers.

Gould said that although Willow Wood was a nice asset for the park district, it "really has become obsolete."

Gbur said the pool generated about $19,000 in revenue in 2010 and cost about $67,000.

Although the park district does not expect to make money on its pools–it views them as a service to the community–it does try to break even.

Overall in 2010, Palatine Park District pools lost about $140,000. The Family Aquatic Center lost about $50,000, but it had 58,000 visitors. Willow Wood lost $48,000 and had about 6,200 visitors in 2010, Gbur said.

The pool is not on the agenda for the Tuesday, April 12 park board meeting. Gould said the matter could be on the April 26 agenda or possibly come up sometime in May.

Kevin Kwiatt, president of the Willow Wood Neighborhood Association, said the pool is very important to the community.

"It's great for little kids," Kwiatt said. "It's a great way for little kids to get used to swimming."

Kwiatt said the pool is a community gathering place and way for neighbors to get to know each other: "In the summer it's a cornerstone of this community."

Kwiatt and Paprocki each said there are problems with the pool. The heater needs to be upgraded and there only is street parking, however they say those problems pale in comparison to the value the pool has to the community.

Paprocki said said without it, kids would have to cross dangerous busy roads to reach another park district pool–Hicks Road to reach Eagle Park pool; Northwest Highway to reach the Family Aquatic Center.

"They're so blase," Paprocki said. "They say, 'you can just go to Eagle Park.' I don't think so. Eagle is not close and is on the other side of Hicks."

If Willow Wood were closed, the park district still would have three pools to serve Palatine–, 340 E. Palatine Rd., , 435 W. Illinois Ave., and , 1425 N. Oak St.

The park district plans to spend between $3.5 million to $3.75 million to upgrade Eagle Park after this summer.

Gbur said that if Willow Wood were closed, input from residents would be sought about what sort of amenities could replace it at that location.