Officials seek direction on Lake Villa-area park

Lake County is going to ask the public one more time for input on the 255-acre Hastings Lake Forest Preserve in Lake Villa Township before moving forward with improvements to the new park.

The forest preserve district will hold a planning open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the township center, 1625 Deep Lake Road.

Tom Hahn, executive director of the district, said two planning sessions have already been held and the forest preserve district has taken input and come up with a final $6 million concept plan.

The plan includes a 2.5-mile looped trail around the lake and other trails around the site, totaling about four miles.

The forest preserve will also have a three-season picnic shelters, fishing piers and a car top boat launch area, Hahn said.

"It's a site that takes advantage of the views of the lake, and if people want to have a picnic in November, they'll be able to," Hahn said.

The land was purchased from the TMCA of Metropolitan Chicago in 2003 for $10 million. The preserve opened to the public this summer. Currently, it features a mowed trail and a parking lot, and fishing on Hastings Lake is allowed.

Monday's meeting is to get final public comment on the concept plan so Hahn can bring it to his board of commissioners in July.

"We hope to start construction by the spring of next year," he said.