New Community Bike Path Connection

 

LAKE COUNTY FOREST PRESERVES

www.LCFPD.org

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE USE    

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

 

CONTACT:

Bonnie Thomson Carter, President, 847-367-6640, bcarter@lakecountyil.gov Tom Hahn, Executive Director, 847-968-3338, thahn@LCFPD.org

 

 

Committees approve new land buys, provide community bike path

connection

 

Additions to several forest preserves, a land exchange and a community

bike path connection were among items approved by the Lake County Forest

Preserves’ Land Preservation and Acquisition Committee and the

Finance, Administrative and Revenue Facilities Committee at their

November 5 meeting.

 

New Preserve Additions    

The committees approved purchasing the following properties:

●    A 16.5-acre addition (Lageschulte property) to Grassy Lake

Forest Preserve at a cost of $1,188,000. Purchase would expand the

preserve’s acreage to approximately 689. The property is located in

Cuba Township on the south side of Kelsey Road and is bordered on the

east by the preserve. Acquisition of this property has been a high

priority for more than 10 years. Preserving this land allows for the

protection of high quality oak woodlands and provides a valuable buffer

for the Flint Creek wetlands.

●    A10.5-acre addition (Worozaken property) to Grant Woods Forest

Preserve at a cost of $535.000. It would expand the preserve’s total

acreage to approximately 1,119. The property presents a park-like

setting and is bordered on the north and west by Grant Woods. The

acquisition allows for future trail access and parking off of Rollins

Road.

●    A 9.5-acre addition (Braun property) to the Fox River Preserve

and Marina at a cost of $28,500. It would expand the preserve’s

total acreage to approximately 599. The property is located in Wauconda

Township just north of Robert’s Road. Acquisition enhances the

preserve’s holdings and allows for expansion of wetland restoration

opportunities.

    

The proposed land buys meet continuing land acquisition goals to

preserve more open space, protect and restore wildlife habitat, create

new trails and improve public access to new and existing preserves.

    

Each purchase is contingent on approval by the Forest Preserve Board of

Commissioners at their November 10 meeting and on a final closing in

approximately 60-90 days. If all actions are successful, the additions

will join an extensive network of open spaces totaling more than 27,400

acres that create the Lake County Forest Preserves.

 

Land Exchange with Fremont School District 79        

The committees also approved a resolution authorizing the transfer of

approximately 21.6 acres of land to Fremont School District 79 in

exchange for approximately 43.6 acres of property owned by the School

District. The School District has approved the intergovernmental

agreement for the land swap. The exchange is contingent on final

approval by the Forest Preserve Board at their November 10 meeting.

 

In September 2009, the Forest Preserve Board purchased a 77-acre

addition (Tekampe property) to Ray Lake Forest Preserve in Fremont

Township. Following the acquisition, the Forest Board began negotiations

with Fremont School District 79 to exchange 21.6 acres of the Tekampe

parcel for 43.6 acres of school property located adjacent to the

preserve. The original 77-acre purchase, together with the land exchange

with Fremont School District 79, will net 97.6 acres at Ray Lake Forest

Preserve, placing that preserve’s total acreage at approximately 516

acres.

 

The land exchange allows the Forest Preserve to enhance its open space

and wetlands preservation program through the control of large wetland

and drainage areas located behind the school. The exchange also provides

outdoor classroom connections for the neighboring schools, and offers

the School District a way to provide for future school expansion.

 

County of Lake Bike Path Connection

An intergovernmental agreement with the County of Lake for a new

community bike path that will connect to the Lake County Forest

Preserves’ Des Plaines River Trail (DPRT) in Deerfield was also

approved by the committees.

    

The agreement grants a right-of-way to the County of Lake for the

construction of a segment of the Deerfield Road Bike Path and for future

road expansion. The County of Lake will build the $1.6 million trail and

bicycle/pedestrian bridge along the south side of Deerfield Road from

Thornmeadow Road westward and across the river where it will connect to

the existing DPRT. The County will own and maintain the newly

constructed bike path. The Forest Preserve will maintain the section of

trail that connects the new path to the DPRT. The County of Lake will

fund the project.

    

For a program calendar or additional information about your Lake County

Forest Preserves, call 847-367-6640 and request a free copy of the

Horizons quarterly magazine or visit online at www.LCFPD.org.

                    

 

# # #

 

Note: Maps for each project are available online at www.LCFPD.org under

News, or by email at shawkins@LCFPD.org.

 

 

 

Please consider the environment before printing this email. Note our

new email addresses are @LCFPD.org