'It's a special place': Vernon Hills plans to build boardwalks at Harvey Lake
Planning and design for a pair of boardwalks that will improve access to Vernon Hills' Harvey Lake is expected to proceed.
The village intends to hire Rosemont-based Christopher B. Burke Engineering to secure permits for the project from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, and then design the structures.
The boardwalks will sit on the south side of the 14.5-acre artificial lake between Century Park and Hawthorn Mall.
One at the southwest corner would improve the village's ability to remove invasive plants in the marshy area. The other would span a small bay to the east and provide pedestrian access to the nonresidential side of the lake.
"Both of them would greatly improve our ability to maintain the area," said David Brown, Vernon Hills' public works director/village engineer.
The village-owned lake drains to Big Bear and Little Bear lakes in Century Park, just to the west across Lakeview Parkway. Equipment can't pass the outfall area at times, Brown said.
"What we really want to do is try to maintain the south edge of the lake, and without this boardwalk it becomes very problematic," he told the village board this week during an informal discussion of the plan.
The second boardwalk over what is known as a forebay would allow access for walking or fishing. Brown said there are remnants of pier posts and there was a bridge when the area was privately owned.
"We'd like to replicate that," he said.
Extending the village access path over the bay would provide an opportunity to walk around the entire lake, which has a mile of shoreline, Brown said.
Trustee David Oppenheim said there is no way for people to do that now.
"If they could, maybe they would," he said.
Brown said the intent is to keep it as a passive recreational area, as opposed to the active areas at Big and Little Bear lakes.
"It's a special area," he said. "We don't want to install asphalt or sidewalks. It would be something we mow and let people walk along it."
The village board informally agreed to proceed and is expected to approve a contract not to exceed $69,675 with Burke on Aug. 10.
Brown recommended the project be bid for construction in the spring, when lumber prices are more favorable. The $180,000 estimated for the project in the village's current capital budget was before lumber prices soared, he said.
"I think patience would help us and it's going to take a while to get the permits," Brown said.
Those permits would allow for a trail, but Brown envisions that as a mowed path that could be changed in the future if the village wants to go that route later.
The village acquired the lake and surrounding property during the development of the Gregg's Landing subdivision about 20 years ago. A home on the northwest side was demolished and the property considered a potential site for a branch library. The Cook Memorial Public Library District branch eventually was built on Aspen Drive south of Route 60 instead.