Letter: Consider impact of proposed ski hill

Round Lake is planning on annexing 94 acres on which CHDS, LLC would build a 200-foot-high, 60 acres year-round ski hill. The site is on the southwest corner of Route 120 and Fairfield Road and extends to Townline Road. The plan is to construct the hill by charging a dumping fee per truck. The developer is estimating it will take 12 years to build the hill with an average of 150 trucks per day, six days a week.

A number of issues should be of concern to everyone in the area, including increased traffic, dust, erosion, pollution, noise, leaching of contaminants into the ground water, decline in property values and the destruction of several farm tiles.

A major concern is the fact that these hills will need to be misted with water 12 hours per day seven days a week in order to produce a snow feel for skiing. Even at a 70% recycling rate of water, this development will require about 24 million gallons of water per year. This is an unincorporated area of Lake County. We rely on our wells for our water. Contamination and/or depletion of the aquifer is a very real concern.

The main entrance to the site will be off Townline Road. This is the only road to our residencesand is already in serious disrepair.

Farm tiles were originally installed to assist water flow and reduce flooding. In recent years, developments have channeled all their runoff to our area. This in turn has overwhelmed the existing tiles and caused extensive flooding.

We are convinced that this is nothing short of a scam to sell the project as a future recreational area when in reality it is a place to dump soil for a profit. Round Lake should realize the negative impact this would bring to the area and their town.

Donna Cordoba

Grayslake