Several
months ago, the Chicago Bears informed the Lake County Forest Preserves they
plan to develop more practice fields and related facilities on property they
own that is adjacent to and overlooking the Middlefork Savanna. The Bears are the owners of the property and
were given the right to develop additional playing fields when they were issued
the original special use permit by the City of Lake Forest. The property is part of the Conway Office
Park and accordingly is zoned for office research. Under the current zoning, the property could
be developed with a multi-story office building.
Understanding
the sensitive nature of the proposed development overlooking the Middlefork
Savanna, the Bears have been working with the Forest Preserve, the City of Lake
Forest, Lake Forest Open Lands, the Lake County Stormwater Management
Commission, the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to implement ways to
ameliorate the impact of the development on the sensitive preserve.
As a result
of these discussions, many protective measures have been taken, including the
protection of sensitive wetlands, the creation of a 40-foot landscape buffer to
the east of the fields which will be planted with native vegetation, an
agreement by the Bears to assist the Forest Preserve with non-native plant
removal on an adjacent five-acre parcel, a plan to control nutrient runoff as
well as the rate and volume of runoff, an agreement that new detention ponds or
bioswales will be planted with native vegetation, and the Bears’ agreement not to install
lighting, heating coils or loud speakers on the new fields.
Because the
proposed development will require the removal of numerous mature, heritage
trees, (trees of significant species 18 inches or more in diameter), the City’s
ordinances will require replacement inches and other compensation from the
Bears, some of which will be planted to filter views of the Bears’ property
from the east along the railroad tracks.
The Forest
Preserve will continue to work with the Bears to lessen and monitor the impact
of this project on the Middlefork Preserve.
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.
During construction, all portions of the preserve north of Fort
Sheridan’s historic district will be 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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Did you know Lake County roadways
have storm sewer vortexes that act as filters for road grime, oil and other
debris and help improve water quality? Watch our latest Lake County’s Dirty Jobs as
County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor cleans out a vortex structure using a sewer
truck on Old McHenry Road, east of Quentin Road.
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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 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.
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Attention business
owners! Learn how to overcome the challenges of small business ownership and
mitigate risk by joining a half-day workshop Oct. 11 at the University Center
of Lake County in Grayslake. Topics include A State of Lake County from Lake
County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor, Overcoming Challenges of Small Business
Ownership, and Mitigating Risk with Subject Matter Experts. Sign
Up.
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Grab some
work gloves and join other Forest Preserve volunteers to save some of
Lake County's natural areas on Sept. 30 at Rollins Savanna in
Grayslake. Dress in long pants and sturdy shoes, and bring work gloves for
brush clearing, seed collection, and tree and shrub
planting. All ages are invited. No prior experience is necessary. Register today
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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.
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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
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Lake Forest to host bike rodeo Join the bike
rodeo, hosted by the Lake Forest Police Department, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sept. 30 at the Deerpath and Oakwood parking lot. Watch a bicycle safety skill
station, enjoy free games, and get a chance to win a free youth bicycle. Learn
more
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