Plans for converting a more than 100-acre limestone quarry into a recreational area with fishing, camping and plenty of open space were unveiled before a joint meeting of the Lemont Village Board and Park District.
“This is one of the most pristine properties in Lemont. Its natural beauty has been untouched for 100 years. It’s significant that this land exists in the southwest suburbs,” said Mayor Richard Kwasneski.
The site can be put to good use and still preserved, said Robert Porter, the Park District’s director.
“This is going to end up being a regional thing where people are going to come down with their kids and go walking and fishing,” he said.
The north and south ends of the property, which is about a mile northeast of the village’s downtown and is mostly a water-filled quarry, would be connected by two pedestrian bridges to minimize the impact of motor vehicles on the site.
There would be a series of walking paths, fishing stations, picnic grounds and an interpretive center on the north side.
The south side would have camping facilities as well as picnic grounds and a concession station where bait would be sold.
Porter said a goal is to keep motor vehicles in specified areas and not have them traversing the site. A 100-car parking lot would be on the northeast side and a similar-sized lot would be on the south side.
While the idea of paddle boats has been discussed, Porter said the Park District wants to maintain the quality of the quarries. “This will be the largest passive recreation site in our [the Park District’s] history,” Porter said.
Quarry operations in the area ended at the turn of the last century and the site “is like a time capsule,” he said. “It’s just gorgeous. The lakes are clear. You can see fish moving around on the bottom.”
The cost of the project has not been determined. Village Administrator Gary Holmes said the Park District and village will share the costs of developing the site.
The village recently received a $500,000 state grant for purchasing about 35 acres of land owned by private companies, and it now is condemning those properties. It has set aside another $100,000, as has the Park District, for land acquisition and development.
In addition, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has agreed to lease about 85 acres to the village for a minimal cost.
Holmes said he believes the quarries, with such wildlife as heron and deer, have the potential to lure campers, fishing enthusiasts and others to Lemont from throughout the region.
“The intention is that this would be a destination point where people could spend a day or a weekend camping,” he said.
The plan to save the quarries from industrial or other development is in keeping with the village’s desire to promote open space. The comprehensive plan, now under review, may require that 50 percent of the land in new subdivisions be maintained as open space.
Separately, the Village Board approved increasing the impact fees collected from developers of residential projects.
The fee rises to $100,000 an acre from $85,000, or a developer can donate 10 acres per 1,000 people, up from 5.5 acres.
“This all dovetails back into the concern right now that we provide enough open space,” Holmes said.
