Oriole Grove master plan ready if, when donor surfaces
A master plan to restore the landscape and improve public access at the Oriole Grove Forest Preserve near Lake Bluff is nearing final approval, but there is no money or schedule to proceed.
Lake County Forest Preserve District commissioners Tuesday are expected to OK the plan, which outlines nearly $3 million in improvements.
However, barring a gift of unexpected largesse, the work envisioned at Oriole Grove will be added to the district's $36 million list of unfunded projects.
Plans include a looped 1.3 mile crushed gravel trail, scenic overlook, two timber boardwalks, replacing one Skokie River bridge and the restoration of 79 acres of prairie, woodland and wetlands.
The 86-acre preserve south of Route 176 (Rockland Road) and east of Route 41 and the Skokie River is described as a "keystone" property within a much larger landscape overseen by Lake Bluff Openlands to the north and Lake Forest Openlands to the south.
Once a private estate, the grounds were designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen. A 4.4-acre kidney-shaped pond remains a distinctive feature.
Visitors get around on makeshift trails of broken asphalt from old roads and bare ground but there are no formal public amenities.
The forest preserve district had an interest in the property for many years but didn't acquire full ownership until 2019. That's when the planning process started.
Four goals emerged: improve public access, create ways for the public to see and enjoy the pond, improve the natural landscape and restore the original water movement.
The public, stakeholders and adjacent communities had ample opportunity to weigh in, including an in-person open house and a virtual planning committee meeting. More than 80 written comments were received during the process, which ended in November.
The result is a master plan that "strikes an appropriate balance between competing interests," according to the district. The final version was presented last week at two forest board committee meetings.
Besides providing connections to the Lake Bluff and Lake Forest trail systems, the plan calls for drain tiles to be removed or disabled to restore historical wetlands. A sedge meadow would be created, invasive species removed and native seed sown throughout.
"The restoration of the native landscape is also a big part of this plan," explained Randy Seebach, director of planning and land preservation.
Ecological restoration is estimated at $1.65 million, compared with about $1.1 million for public access improvements.
At one point, there were hints a local donor might be interested, but there was no vision to share or price tag to quote to sell the idea.
"It's advantageous to have something ready to go because opportunities do present themselves," said Ty Kovach, executive director.
The district won't actively solicit funding for Oriole Grove. Instead, effort will be concentrated on building a $20 million endowment by the end of 2025.
"We don't want to distract from that campaign," Kovach said.
The endowment is overseen by the Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves, a separate charitable organization.
When fully funded, interest income from the endowment would be used to support the long-term care of restored lands, through tree planting, removal of invasive species and other activities.
A public campaign is in the works.