Oak Park residents are being asked once again to shoulder the burden of an unnecessary, overpriced capital project — this time a $40 million indoor pool that would raise property taxes and eliminate one of our two outdoor pools. At a moment when affordability is already a crisis, this proposal is astonishingly out of touch.
Property taxes in Oak Park are high, and families are feeling the strain. Instead of focusing on ways to make the village more affordable, we’re watching leadership entertain yet another tax‑hiking project that does nothing to address the issues residents face daily.
The justification for this pool is flimsy at best. The park district is leaning on a survey that only a small percentage of residents responded to, and even that tiny group asked for more lap‑swimming options. Yet the proposed facility is a 25‑yard pool, which doesn’t even meet regulation length for lap swimming. We’re talking about a $40 million project that doesn’t solve the problem it claims to address.
Meanwhile, the price tag has ballooned because the village insists on a net‑zero design, regardless of cost. Sustainability matters, but not when it becomes an excuse for runaway spending on a luxury amenity.
All of this comes on the heels of last year’s multimillion-dollar village hall proposal, another example of leadership pushing massive, unnecessary projects while ignoring core needs. Residents are asking for investment in safety, homelessness support, and community stability — not another tax increase for a redundant indoor pool.
At a recent public hearing, it was overwhelmingly clear that this proposal is deeply unpopular. The question now is whether our elected officials are listening, or whether they intend to push this through and leave taxpayers holding the bill.
Oak Park cannot remain a desirable, affordable place to live if leadership continues down this path. This pool proposal should be rejected immediately.
Nick Currier
Oak Park
