There is one clear method through which improvements to Vulcan Lakes could be financed.

The City Council could just ask the McHenry County Conservation District to take over the property.

It could be rented out on a long-term lease, with whatever development and use goals the City would want to write into the contract.

The MCCD has cost Crystal Lake area taxpayers dearly since its inception. Millions of dollars have been taken out of the pockets of local taxpayers, but precious little has been spent in the area.

That’s because the Crystal Lake Park District is the grand-daddy of McHenry County Park Districts and has provided ample park land for the public to enjoy. As a result, the MCCD has bought land elsewhere…far away from the population center of McHenry County.

Thousands of acres have been purchased in other parts of McHenry County, but precious few in the Crystal Lake area.

Crystal Lake’s most prominent MCCD element is the probably bike trail along Main Street. Recently a couple hundred acres has been bought west of West School, but is not open for public use. There is a large facility with a Crystal Lake address way east off of Route 176 near Burton’s Bridge and the Lake-in-the-Hills Fen, but nothing really big in or with direct access to Crystal Lake.

Improving and administering the Vulcan Lakes property would allow the Conservation District to repay a small part of the millions that have been taken from local wallets.

But, the Crystal Lake City Council would then have to allow residents from throughout McHenry County to use the lakes.

And, sharing this resource that has cost so many of us to lose car windows and dinged paint from stones thrown from gravel trucks and extra travel time on Route 14 because of the abandonment of Three Oaks Road is not part of the plan