Construction of public access improvements at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve is going well thanks to the relatively dry weather we've had this season. Overall, the project is on schedule for reopening a portion of the preserve in the summer of 2018. Progress is being made on many items, including the entry drive, parking lot, pond expansion, turf trail, timber bridges, and overlooks. Boulders selected by Forest Preserve planners are being incorporated into the overlooks as gateway and seating elements.

As construction continues, all portions of the preserve north of Fort Sheridan’s historic district remain closed to public access. Respect all safety blockades and closure signage. Do not move blockades or attempt to access closed areas. The only areas of the preserve open to the public are the Parade Grounds and the Vattman Road entrance drive to the cemetery. View closure map. Learn more

Lake County homeowners have been receiving letters from two companies regarding the deed to their homes. The letters look official and threatening, but the true purpose of the mailing is to get you to spend your money with a fake company. Watch this video to learn how to protect yourself. If you have any questions or need a copy of your deed, contact the Lake County Recorder of Deeds Office at 847-377-2575.

The Lake County Recorder’s Office provides a tool for homeowners to help protect their biggest investment. Property Check is a free, easy-to-use, 24/7 online service that will alert subscribers, via email and/or text message, whenever a document is recorded against their name and/or property. The sign-up process only takes a few minutes. Once you enter your name notification criteria, you will only need to update your account information if your email address or cell phone number changes. Sign up!

Earlier this month, Governor Bruce Rauner signed HB 534, an act of the state Legislature authorizing a historic land exchange between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Lake County Forest Preserve District (District). The documents necessary to facilitate the transfer are now being prepared, and will convey the interests and terms of the exchange.

The terms of the Act call for the 131-acre Black Crown Forest Preserve (Volo), currently owned and managed by the District, to be transferred in full to IDNR and added to the adjacent Moraine Hills State Park. In exchange, IDNR will fully release its partial ownership interests in current District land holdings at Oriole Grove Forest Preserve (Lake Bluff) and Prairie Wolf Forest Preserve (Lake Forest). IDNR has a 65 percent interest in 86-acre Oriole Grove and a 65 percent interest in approximately 173 acres of the 435-acre Prairie Wolf, while the District currently owns only 35 percent of those parcels. The exchange will give total ownership and care (100 percent of the land) at the two preserves to the District. In whole, the agreement benefits all state and county residents since the land exchange provides that all three parcels, Black Crown, Oriole Grove and Prairie Wolf, will remain as open space available to the public in perpetuity. 

Background
In the 1970s, the state and the District cooperatively purchased parcels of land at Oriole Grove and Prairie Wolf on which floodwater retention structures were planned. The reservoirs were never built by the state because they were later deemed economically unfeasible. The District has been working with IDNR for many years to find a way to transfer IDNR’s interests at Oriole Grove and Prairie Wolf so they are fully under the District’s care and management. This land exchange will accomplish the long sought-after transfer of these environmentally sensitive parcels to the District and protect them permanently. Learn more about Oriole Grove Forest Preserve and Prairie Wolf Forest Preserve.

Individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations impacted by the July 2017 flooding in Lake County may be eligible for disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The deadline to apply for Physical Damage loans, such as loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, is Oct. 17, 2017. The deadline to apply for Economic Injury loans, such as loans to assist small businesses and non-profits through the recovery period, is May 16, 2018. For more information on eligibility, loan amounts, and other requirements, please view this SBA Fact Sheet. If the governor's request for a Federal Disaster Declaration is approved, other resources may become available for Lake County residents and businesses.

For more information, contact the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

The Kids’ Korner at the Lake County Courthouse recently marked a milestone, caring for 50,000 children. The Kids’ Korner provides a safe and fun waiting area for children who are visiting the courthouse to testify or whose parents or guardians are conducting court business. Watch this video to learn more.

Did you know that roundabouts, bike paths and smart traffic signals not only can help lead to less traffic and better fuel consumption but also help improve air quality? Watch this video as representatives from the Lake County Division of Transportation explain how.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago provided a reimbursement of $147,899 for preliminary design plans created by the Lake County Forest Preserves for the reservoir expansion project at Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve in Long Grove. The Forest Preserves will use the reimbursement funds for future Capital Improvement Plan projects.

• Ethel’s Woods Forest Preserve: A $1 million Clean Water Act grant was received from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for work underway at Ethel’s Woods in Antioch. The grant will fund ecological restoration of the historical North Mill Creek riparian corridor.

• Lake Michigan Lake Plain: A $1 million grant from the Sustain Our Great Lakes Partnership will help support continued restoration efforts for the Lake Plain project in northeastern Lake County. The grant, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, will be used by the Lake County Forest Preserves and the Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain Partnership to restore connected habitat key to sustaining and enhancing the biodiversity of the rare Lake Michigan Lake Plain ecosystem, which is part of the Great Lakes basin. The project will restore critical blocks of land through invasive plant and prescribed burn management strategies to increase acreage of connected quality habitat for the Blanding’s turtle and other federal and state-listed species of concern. Learn more

Beginning Oct. 2, the hours of operation for receiving walk-in applications at the permit counter at the Lake County Central Permit Facility will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This change applies to all walk-in permit applications for the Health Department, Planning, Building and Development, Public Works, the Division of Transportation, and the Stormwater Management Commission. The Central Permit Facility, however, will be open at 7:30 a.m. and will close at 4:30 p.m., so residents can still drop off applications or paperwork if the permit counter is not staffed. 

The implementation of a new County-wide permitting system has expanded the number and types of permit applications that customers can submit online, reducing the need for people to visit our permit counter. Customers can now create an account to submit and pay for many permit applications electronically and review the status of their applications and inspections online. We analyzed traffic at our public counters and found that less than 5% of permit applications take place before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m.  Adjusting the hours slightly will allow us to staff our public counters more efficiently, while still meeting the needs of our Lake County customers. For information, please visit the Planning, Building and Development website.