Bike Path from Oak Street to MCC Gets Approval

Some may remember my complaint that the McHenry County Conservation District stiffed the Crystal Lake area in its $68.5 million bond issue. (That was before last year’s $73 million bond issue.)

Indeed the $90,000 parking lot dedicated to bike riders are Oak Street north of Crystal Lake where it crosses the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad line is all the District 47 part of Crystal Lake got back from the $68.5 million bond issue. Look here for where the rest of it went.

There doing a bit better recently, deciding to give Crystal Lakers access to the Lake in the Hills Fen without having to go to old Lake in the Hills.

And last night John Kremer appeared before the McHenry County College Board asking permission to build the bike path from the Commonwealth Edison right-of-way from Oak Street to Route 14 so that it will end at the south parking lot where the athletes cross the entrance drive.

Kremer noted that Illinois Department of Transportation plans to widen Route 14 are scheduled for 2014.

It is impossible not to note that the minor league baseball stadium would have been in operation years before that widening occurred. And, in 2014, Rod Blagojevich intends to be in his third term, assuming he is not in jail.

Kremer also pointed out that the bike path will use of one-fourth of an acre of MCC’s impervious surface.

“Nothing we can do about that,” the MCCD official said.

Trustee Scott Summers wondered if the internal MCC bike path completion could be coordinated with MCCD’s.

Kremer told the board to contact him after January 1st and he could show them how to turn $200,000 into $400,000 with 50-50 state matching funds.

MCC Board President George Lowe pointed out that the bulge in the bike path along Route 14 was because IDOT plans to put a retention pond there.

Lowe kidded board member Donna Kurtz that she would have to ride her bike to board meetings. Kurtz said he would. Presumably, she would not have to park her car in the parking lot where you see the “thank you” sign above.

= = = = =
All images may be enlarged by clicking on them.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *