Forest preserves tell plan for $50 mil. bonds;
Staff wants bridge fix, schoolhouse project, trail work and more
Chicago Sun-Times
April 5, 2005
By Abdon M. Pallasch
People who use the Cook County Forest Preserves can look forward
to refurbished picnic shelters and repaved bike trails under a $50 million
bond plan, according to district plans announced Monday.
The state Legislature allowed the forest preserves to issue $50 million
in bonds to fix long-neglected infrastructure needs such as $600,000
to replace the Sunset Bridge over the Des Plaines River.
The district also will spend about $4 million to build a bigger facility
at the district's "Little Red Schoolhouse" in Willow Springs.
The 100-year-old restored one-room schoolhouse could use a bit of shoring
up, and the district wants a bigger area to host schoolchildren. It will
spend $2.8 million to upgrade the nature center at Camp Sagawau in Lemont.
The bond issue was controversial in Springfield, and Gov. Blagojevich
vetoed it, warning it would lead to higher taxes for Cook County residents.
But the General Assembly overrode the governor's veto.
Cook County commissioners have been waiting to see how district officials
would spend the money.
Commissioner Larry Suffredin (D-Evanston) said he was happy to see $1.2
million to clean out diversion ditches around the Skokie Lagoons that
will help prevent flooding in Glencoe, as well as repaving for the bike
trail.
May take three years
Commissioners could seek changes in the priorities district staff announced
Monday and Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) said he wished funds
were set aside for land acquisition.
Other scheduled improvements include repaving 13 miles of trails; improving
55 miles of unpaved trails, and $1.2 million in improvements at the Sand
Ridge Nature Center.
Supt. Steve Bylina said he hopes to be finished with the improvements
within three years.
Copyright 2005, Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
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