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Fontana referendum set for Sept. 14

FONTANA — A referendum to spend tax incremental finance money on three projects along the Fontana lakefront has been rescheduled for September, Village Administrator Kelly Hayden said.

The referendum had been scheduled to be on the ballot June 15, but Fontana Residents for Open Government last month agreed a written agreement it has with the village dictates the referendum needed to be moved.

The agreement says referendums must be on the ballot in conjunction with regular elections in February, April, September or November.

The Fontana Village Board and Fontana Community Development Authority this week voted to put the referendum on the primary election ballot Tuesday, Sept. 14. FROG now must certify the referendum question, Hayden said.

The referendum seeks approval to spend $2.8 million on three projects:

-- The proposed lakefront activity center at 454 Lake St. The one-story, 5,500-square-foot facility would include a multipurpose meeting room with kitchenette and storage facilities, a non-motorized equipment rental operation and a coffee shop. It likely also would include outdoor gathering space, such as a patio.

Civic, business and private groups could use the meeting space for events. Residents and visitors could rent canoes, kayaks or paddleboards, and get a cup of coffee and a snack in the café.

-- The reconfiguration of the lakefront parking lot. The lot would be changed to address stormwater problems and add more green space. The number of spaces would not change much.

-- The reconstruction of Lake Street. The street is in bad shape and needs to be rebuilt. The project includes replacing aging utilities buried under the street and installing new energy-efficient streetlights.