Sunday, January 29, 2006
Olympic Rowing in Crystal Lake? Lengthening Crystal Lake 100 Meters? How About Vulcan Lake?
The Crystal Lake Rowing Club has proposed that Crystal Lake be used as the rowing venue for the U.S. Olympics, if they come to Chicago.
The Northwest Herald reports this is Mayor Aaron Shepley’s response:
The park district, which owns the bottom of the lake, is angry with the city council for not giving it 100% of the park developer impact fees. Easy enough to fix that problem now that the Vulcan Lake TIF has been approved, the city has no need for that approximately $200,000 per year.
But, would homes on the west end of Crystal Lake or the newly re-modeled Crystal Lake Beach House be sacrificed to lengthen the lake?
"Neither," would be my guess.
Perhaps it would be better to see if Vulcan Lake, which the City of Crystal Lake owns, is long enough. If not long enough, it could be lengthened on the north end. And, grandstands could be set up around most of the main lake, if the roads were temporarily closed. Plenty of time. The Olympics wouldn't be held until 2016.
The Northwest Herald reports this is Mayor Aaron Shepley’s response:
If it even became remotely possible, I'd be tickled to tackle that one. That sounds like the closest thing to reality.There are some slight catches, however:
· The West End would have to be dredged to 3 meters—about the depth when I was the only early morning fisherman on the lake the summer of 1958, which is doable--andRowing club president Walt Gary sagely observes, again, according to the Northwest Herald:
· The lake would have to be lengthened about 100 meters.
They'd need to extend the lake. That could be a knockout.And, there are some other small matters.
The park district, which owns the bottom of the lake, is angry with the city council for not giving it 100% of the park developer impact fees. Easy enough to fix that problem now that the Vulcan Lake TIF has been approved, the city has no need for that approximately $200,000 per year.
But, would homes on the west end of Crystal Lake or the newly re-modeled Crystal Lake Beach House be sacrificed to lengthen the lake?
"Neither," would be my guess.
Perhaps it would be better to see if Vulcan Lake, which the City of Crystal Lake owns, is long enough. If not long enough, it could be lengthened on the north end. And, grandstands could be set up around most of the main lake, if the roads were temporarily closed. Plenty of time. The Olympics wouldn't be held until 2016.
