American Legion post pursues Q.C. home

Queen Creek's American Legion is looking for a permanent home.

And the group hopes its latest request for land in the town's planned West Park is better received than the first time the proposal was floated in 2006.

The legion is requesting the town give it an inexpensive lease on about seven acres in the future park, a planned 78-acre space between Sossaman and Hawes roads, north of Ocotillo Road.

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The legion wants to build a 10,000-square-foot building with a meeting room and kitchen, then use the rest of the land for features that includea rose garden, said Russ DeStefano, commander of Duane Ellsworth American Legion Post 129.

That's the ideal, although DeStefano said the legion would happily take even two or three acres, or space that's not in West Park.

"Anything they could grant us, we'd be grateful for. That park area would be better for what we envision," DeStefano said.

Queen Creek's Town Council was scheduled to discuss the request during closed-door sessions at its May 20 and June 3 meetings.

Because the land talks aren't public, town officials can't comment, said town spokeswoman Marnie Schubert.

No decision was reached, but seven people from the legion, Boy Scouts and the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce did speak to support Post 129 during the meeting's public comment session.

Post 129 has about 200 paying members, but no facility to call their own. They instead meet at Rudy's Restaurant in downtown Queen Creek, DeStefano said.

The lack of meeting space also means Queen Creek's Boy Scout Troop 738, which Post 129 sponsors, also doesn't have a place to gather. Instead, they meet at schools or troop leaders' homes and store equipment at different houses, said Scoutmaster Ken Ward.

If it leases the land, Post 129 would seek grants to build baseball, basketball and soccer fields in West Park, which could save the town millions of dollars, DeStefano said. The post would also offer to take over running the town's senior program and open the building as a wedding, meeting or event facility, DeStefano said.

Having a spot of its own would also let the legion expand on the work it already does. In a written recap of its request, DeStefano pointed to things like the Operation Wounded Warrior Program, which has collected nearly $70,000 worth of comfort items for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The post also collected donations for child welfare programs and sent a Queen Creek High School student to the government instruction programs Boys State and Boys Nation and more.

"We who have served our country are dedicated to serving our community," DeStefano wrote.

The legion originally requested about eight acres across in West Park in 2006.

A five-park town master plan approved in 2005 shows the proposed West Park site includes ball fields, a pond and equestrian trails, among other features, but no land set aside for an American Legion building.

DeStefano said legion members weren't familiar with town procedures during the original proposal, but now know the right channels to go through.

"As time went on, we've developed a better relationship with the town," DeStefano said. "The more I can do, the more I want to do. We're not kidding around."

Still, DeStefano knows it could be a tough sell. There's the economy, and the chance the legion's request will prompt other nonprofit groups to ask the town for land.

Talks with the town are at a standstill for now, until Queen Creek develops a policy for leasing or granting land to nonprofits, DeStefano said.

DeStefano hopes talks resume, although he's ready to work with other organizations if a private partnership would help the legion find a facility.

"I do not want ill feelings with the town," DeStefano said. "If they can work with us, fine. If they don't want to, fine."