Eight acres and a sign.

Crystal Lakers got $90,000 for a parking lot for a bike path next to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks between Crystal Lake and Woodstock out of the 2001 $68.5 million McHenry County Conservation District bond issue.

The proposed parking lot will allow bikers, hikers and roller skaters to park their cars.

Since 1971, 23-24% of the property tax dollars collected by MCCD have come from the greater Crystal Lake area. (I have defined Crystal Lake to be that area covered by Grade School District 47.)

Here’s what the rest of McHenry County got out of the $68.5 million.

Crystal Lake’s rate of return on tax dollars paid is smaller than a rounding error.

At least the wildflowers are pretty.

But, I don’t see a bike path yet.