Fox Lake to install public pier at Lakefront park

It took more than a decade, but Fox Lake officials say they will install a public-use municipal pier.

Trustee Jon Mumford said the steel-framed pier will be put in place next week near the volleyball courts at the village’s Lakefront Park on Nippersink Drive.

Mumford said the pier will have slips for six boats to dock, allowing boaters to play in the park or walk to the downtown business district.

“It’s not a transient pier and overnight parking will not be allowed,” he said. “It’s for daytime parking mostly and used for people who would like to use the park or walk downtown.”

The overall cost of the pier was $10,200, and donations covered $8,500 of the total cost, he said. The village board elected to pay the remaining $1,700 of the overall cost.

Mumford said the pier has been ordered and shipped, and it should be installed next week.

“A municipal pier has been discussed for years, but has never been purchased and installed,” he said. “I decided to make it a priority when I served as the parks liaison. It’s nice to finally get it done.”

The money raised to cover the cost of the pier came from two charity spaghetti dinners in the past two years, and through donations from residents and business owners, Mumford said.

“The good thing about a pier like this is that it can be expanded as needed in the future,” he said. “Right now, it can only hold six boats, but we have permits to expand it to 24 boat slips and run 70-feet off shore.”

For more than a decade, village planners and officials have said a public-use municipal pier should be a priority downtown in order to draw boaters off the Chain O’ Lakes.

“Right now, there are no municipal piers anywhere in the Fox Lake area. All the piers are privately owned,” Mumford said. “Now, boaters will have a place to park if they want to get out and use the playground or have a picnic, then others can park and walk into downtown Fox Lake, maybe get a meal or spend money in our stores.”

Linnea Pioro, the executive director of the Fox Lake Chamber of Commerce, said the piers should help pull people into the downtown area.

“I think, when people boating on the Chain know they can stop at the Lakefront Park and dock, they will be drawn to walk downtown for our great restaurants or other items,” she said. “There are a lot of nice shops located downtown, and a lot of things for people to do. I’m thrilled about this.”