Projects could be added to forest district's 10-year spending plan

A tunnel for the Millennium Trail near Antioch and a wildlife observation platform near Winthrop Harbor are among the proposed projects that soon could be added to the Lake County Forest Preserve District's 10-year spending plan.

Also on the list is a still-developing plan to create what officials have described as a new "Lake County destination" that could be anything from a feature at an existing preserve to a fresh venue.

Forest district Executive Director Ty Kovach said that potential attraction could be "a place where we blend the cultural and natural history of Lake County."

Officials update the forest district's 10-year capital plan annually as part of the budget process. The forest board's finance, operations and planning committees will meet together Monday to review the latest proposals.

Some of the funding requests are for projects already in the plan that will be costlier than anticipated. That's the case with improvements proposed for the dog exercise area at the Duck Farm Forest Preserve near Lake Villa.

Proposed improvements include a new gate and fencing. Officials want to boost the budget for the project by $10,000 to $160,000.

However, most of the projects to be discussed Monday would be new to the 10-year plan. They include:

• A tunnel beneath Route 45 south of Route 173 near Antioch that would allow people using the Millennium Trail to travel more safely between the Raven Glen and Ethel's Woods forest preserves. The proposed cost is $75,000.

• A wildlife observation area and a stone trail at the Spring Bluff Forest Preserve near Winthrop Harbor. That could cost $440,000, but more than $263,000 of that sum will be covered by a state grant.

• The restoration of a rare wildflower called round-leaved hepatica at the Fourth Lake Forest Preserve near Lake Villa. The estimated $49,637 cost will be covered by a private donor, officials said.

As for the conceptual "Lake County destination," district officials don't have a cost estimate or a location for such a project, let alone a description.

"We want to talk about what's the next step," Kovach said.

Monday's joint committee meeting is set for 8:30 a.m. at the district's operations and public safety facility, 19808 W. Grand Ave., Lake Villa.

The finance committee will discuss the proposals again Feb. 9, and the full board could vote on the recommendations Feb. 14.