TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - While the pool at Highland Park has long been closed, a family is currently using it, a family of raccoons.
"That is a sad state of affairs. It is adversely, that vacant pool structure, boarded up pool structure is affecting property values," says Councilwoman Lindsay Webb.
South Toledo homeowner Bev Graves says something should be done about it:
"It is unsightly and it's been that way for a number of years."
Webb and Councilman Steve Steel are bringing forward a ten-year, 1 mill parks and recreation levy request, in hopes of placing it before voters in November, to raise $3 million per year for significant upgrades to recreational facilities across the city.
"That neglect is showing and I think we owe it to our community to have this conversation," says Webb.
If approved, the owner of a $60,000 home would pay $18 per year.
"The thing to recognize it's cheaper than a run to McDonald's for the average Toledo family."
Bev Graves says she'd vote for the levy:
"I could support it because it's not that expensive. I spend more than that on groceries in a week."
The proposal comes with a study which shows Toledo's recreational infrastructure is poor and a survey suggesting Toledo voters would support it.
Webb says besides improving what the city already has, a new levy would also allow for a master recreation plan to be formed, to look at the possibility of creating new city parks:
"There are many opportunities, we could be talking about the old Cooks site in the North end, we could be talking about the Libbey site in the South end."
Before council decides whether or not to put the issue before voters, a committee hearing will take place on June 14, at 10 a.m. in council chambers.
