Kane Co. working on trails, gardens

Fans of Kane County's forest preserves will soon have smoother trails and a place to grow fresh vegetables.

Forest Preserve District staff announced Friday that repair work on the storm damaged portion of the Great Western Trail through Lily Lake should be reopened by the end of next week with a new gravel surface.

The district also will be resurfacing four miles of asphalt trail along portions of the Fox River Trail, River Bend Trail and Illinois Prairie Path on the northern end of the county. The new asphalt will cost taxpayers about $213,000. The sections of the trails that will be resurfaced include:

• sections of the Fox River Trail in Elgin and Dundee

• the section of the River Bend Trail along Silver Glen Road from Randall Road to Route 31 in St. Charles Township

• the Illinois Prairie Path from Raymond Street to Middle Street in Elgin Township

The forest preserve district will partner with the Fox Valley Park District to create a new community garden in the Oakhurst Forest Preserve. The garden is the pet project of Forest Preserve Commissioner Bonnie Kunkel and is viewed as a way to get the district involved with the Kane County Health Department's Fit for Kids initiative.

The Fox Valley Park District already watches over 500 community garden plots, but a site in the Oakhurst Forest Preserve would allow it to serve residents it is not reaching with existing gardens.

The new garden would house about 250 new garden plots on 5 acres. The park district will create the plots, coordinate registration with participants and oversee maintenance. Community members who use the garden plots will be charged $15 per 20X30-foot plot they wish to utilize. If the gardens prove to be a success, the forest preserve district plans to look into creating similar gardens elsewhere.