Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Brochures Winter & Spring 2019 | Page 71

North Beach Access Road
Project Update
At its October 15 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved
a plan to re-route the North Beach Access Road after last summer’s
bluff failure. Even though the approved option is more expensive,
the Mayor and Aldermen firmly believe that the favored plan is
the right thing to do and that many philanthropic residents in Lake
Forest will contribute to the cause.
WHAT HAPPENED: This past May and June, Lake Forest and the
region experienced the heaviest rains for these months on record,
which caused flooding and ground oversaturation. On June 26, the
City closed the Boardwalk at the beach due to significant movement
on the bluff, determining that it was unsafe. The next day, a bluff
slide occurred adjacent to the North Beach Access Road, removing
an area approximately sixty feet wide from Forest Park’s table land
down to the roadway below. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the
road has been closed ever since.
BACKGROUND: The City has been monitoring the bluff from the
South Beach Access Road to the North Beach Access Road since
2016. In March of 2017, the City Council reviewed bluff stability
reports and developed risk and watch areas. Inclinometers were
installed along the bluff and boardwalk areas to measure movement
on the bluff. After the June incidents, an ad hoc Bluff Advisory Committee was formed to work with the City and help determine the
various options available for repairing or reconstructing the road. In September, the City Council was presented with 3 different repair
options and timelines for each.
At its October 1 meeting, the City Council approved final consideration of two options, pursuant to competitive bidding and timelines.
One option considered involved bluff re-grading, the loss of 30 feet of table land at Forest Park, the removal of 17 table land trees, a
loss of 70 bluff trees and transplanting 31 trees and shrubs -- at an estimated cost of $970,000.
THE FAVORED OPTION involves a reconstruction of the North Beach Access Road so that it is not directly adjacent to the bluff -- reducing
the impact of the project to the loss of the 70 bluff trees at an estimated cost of $1,985,000. Construction would take place as soon as
weather permits in the spring of 2019, with equipment staged at the north end of the beach. The estimated construction completion date
is mid July 2019. At press time, over $200,000 has been privately raised to help cover the cost difference between the two options.
Should you have an interest in donating to the North Beach Access Road Project, please contact your Aldermen.
The City wants your input! Come to the “Big Boardwalk Think” on Saturday, November 17,
10 am at the Beach.
Due to public safety issues, the Boardwalk along the bluff will be removed in late November. The
City is working with engineers to come up with plans and costs for a new one to replace it in a new
location. It will be ADA compliant, whereas the old Boardwalk was not. Please join us in the South
Pavilion to brainstorm, discuss and sketch out different options and locations for a new Boardwalk.
www. LF Par ks andRec .c om
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