Project Updates
As updates are provided we will post a description of each project with pictures
If you have questions about any of the playground or building projects listed on this page, please contact Amy Olson, Manager of Park Planning and Development at 815.459.0680, ext. 1217 or via email
If you have questions about any of the Natural Resources projects listed on this page, please contact Preston Skultety, Manager of Natural Resources at 815.459.0680, ext. 2109 or via email
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Nature Center Interpretive Exhibits Project
Willows Edge Park Invasive Brush Clearing
Sterling Meadows Basketball Court Resurfacing
Administrative Office Entrance Stairs
Lippold Family Golf Center Miniature Golf Course Carpet Replacement
Sterne's Fen Restoration Project
Willows Edge Park Invasive Brush Clearing
1000 W. Ackman Rd, Crystal Lake
Date: Jan 17, 2023
Residents may notice an invasive brush clearing effort being carried out at Willows Edge Park, just south and east of the intersection of Waterford Cut and Huntley Rd. This project is being done to remove and halt the spread of invasive species such as common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana). This initiative is intended to "release" the ground level herbaceous vegetation from the smothering brush, increase native vegetation diversity and improve habitat quality at the park. After the clearing effort is complete, the project area will be assessed through the coming growing season to see what level of recruitment of volunteer desirable species is developing. The need for installing supplemental native seed will be determined during this assessment.
Further information on common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) can be found at the following links:
Further Information on Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) can be found at the following links:
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Nature Center Interpretive Exhibits Project
330 N. Main St, Crystal Lake
Date: Apr 14, 2023
We are excited to announce that the Crystal Lake Park District received an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Public Museum Capital Grant for developing exhibits within our Nature Center. The purpose of the project is to provide exhibits that communicate and interpret the mission and central theme of the Nature Center through nature education, human interactions, and outdoor recreation. The exhibits will focus on wetlands, woodland and prairie ecosytem habitats that are found within our region.
sterling meadows basketball court
1261 Amberwood Drive
Date: Sept 23, 2022
Renovation on the Sterling Meadows basketball court begins today. Court will be closed until further notice.
Woodscreek Park, Veteran Acres Park, Woodland Estates Park
Update: Sept 7, 2022
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Update: Sept 21, 2022
Update: Sept 2, 2022
Look for the construction fencing at Veteran Acres and Woodland Estates to come down on or around Tu, Sept 6. The playgrounds will be OPEN FOR PLAY at that time. Woodscreek Park playground is closed until further notice due to safety issues that came up on inspection.
Update: Aug 26, 2022
Woodscreek: The surfacing was installed and is curing. Safety testing and inspection is upcoming. We hope to have the park open soon.
Veteran Acres: The surfacing work is in progress. The rain may cause delays. Once the surfacing is installed, safety testing and site inspection will follow.
Woodland Estates: The surfacing did not cure properly and did not pass inspection. The manufacturer is working with the contractor to remedy the issue in the next few weeks.
Update: Aug 19, 2022
Woodscreek: The base layer of Poured in Place (PIP) safety surfacing has been installed.
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Update: Aug 12, 2022
Woodland Estates playground is further delayed in opening due to defective glue within the rubber surfacing. The manufacturer recalled the product after the surfacing was installed. The glue that was provided had an unknown change in the raw ingredients causing the playground surface to be "sticky". The sticky surface is not conducive to running and play and will cause maintenance issues. Two solutions have been developed to fix the stickiness issue and the contractor has been instructed to use the solution that can be completed as soon as possible. The fix will not impact the safety of the surfacing. We thank you for your continued patience!
Woodscreek surfacing is scheduled to start next week with Veteran Acres to immediately follow.
Update: Aug 3, 2022
We have been informed that Woodland Estates Park Playground surfacing should be finished by this Fri/Sat, Aug 5 or Aug 6 with Safety Testing scheduled for Mon, Aug 8. Assuming it passes, the playground will open the following day or two (construction fencing to be removed and site tidied up first).
Woodscreek Park Playground surfacing is scheduled to start Wed, Aug 10 and continue through to completion. Veteran Acres Park Playground to immediately follow. Testing is anticipated to follow after a couple days of curing. The sites will need to be tidied after the fence removal. As of this update date, we anticipate the parks open for play the week of Aug 20 at the latest.
Update: July 27, 2022
Thank you for your patience as we wait for the playground rubber surfacing to be installed. Material supply chain issues including shortages in epoxy glue along with vandalism to the playgrounds is causing delays in our playground resurfacing projects. Originally the project was scheduled to begin in the spring. The poured in place safety surfacing has temperature and humidity requirements and with an especially wet Spring season, Contractor and Manufacturer recommendations were to wait. Several other factors then came into play including: a labor strike caused delays in gravel material, manufacturer supply chain issues with binder material for the rubber surfacing.
A frequently asked question is why did the Park District pursue 3 big projects all at the same time: After the bid process, it was determined that the most fiscally responsible way to get the 3 projects completed was to bundle them for bulk pricing. If the spring weather didn't come into play as well as supply chain issues on materials like binder material for the surfacing and gravel material shortages, the playgrounds would have been ready in time for summer play.
Construction fencing is not deterring vandals from damaging our playgrounds. If you live near one of our parks and have information concerning a criminal damage incident please use one of the methods below to contact us:
If an act of vandalism is in progress: call 911
Phone Park Police: 815-356-2415
SEECOM DISPATCH: 815-356-1114
Phone Park District: 815-459-0680
Update: July 7, 2022
Woodland Estates: It has been too wet with more rain in the forecast. At this point an initial base layer of Poured In Place (PIP) safety surface was installed over most of the playground. We are delayed due to damaged play post replacement. The piece is expected to arrive within 2 weeks.
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Veteran Acres and Woodscreek Park: Staff was informed of Poured in Place (PIP) safety surfacing material shipping delays this past Tuesday. We will post here once we receive shipping updates.
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| Veteran Acres Playground as of June 29 |
Update: June 9, 2022
The playgrounds at Woodscreek Park, Veteran Acres Park and Woodland Estates Park are fenced off and closed in preparation of installation of new playground safety surfacing. This project is weather dependent and we are working closely with the contractor to make sure the playgrounds are safe and ready for play as soon as possible (approximately 8 weeks). We do not anticipate it affecting splash pad operations at Veteran Acres or Woodscreek Park.
Administrative Office Entrance Stairs
Admin. Office, 1 E. Crystal Lake Avenue, Crystal Lake
Update: Aug 19, 2022
Administrative Office south entrance stairs replacement began August 17. Please plan to use the North entrance during the project. The process is expected to take 2-3 weeks for demo, framing, inspections, pouring, finishing and installation of new side handrails.
Miniature Golf Course Carpet Replacement
Lippold Family Golf Center, 1251 W. Route 176, Crystal Lake
Update: August 1, 2022
Replacement of carpet at both miniature golf courses is complete.
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Update: June 30, 2022
Replacement of carpet at both miniature golf courses is underway. Course #1 is complete and course #2 is in progress. This upgrade will be such a nice addition to the already scenic courses.
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Kamijima Park: 1294 North Ave, Crystal Lake
Update: April 24, 2023
The custom climbers were accidentally damaged and are scheduled to be repaired in early May (the manufacturer is sending a person in for two days to do the repairs). So pending temperatures and coordination, we are hopeful that the playground will be opened in mid-May.
Update: Sept 2, 2022
We are waiting on delivery of the play equipment to start the project.
Update: June 7, 2022
Due to manufacturing delays, the Kamijima Park playground replacement is delayed until at least the end of August 2022.
Update: Jan 5, 2022
Four options depicting a variety of equipment types, styles and layouts were presented to the public at a meeting on November 8 that was attended by seven residents. The concepts were posted on the Project Update page of the Crystal Lake Park District website and on Facebook the following day. The existing playground was installed in 2005 and has reached the end of its useful life cycle. The new playground equipment will be situated in approximately the same location as the existing playground. New border, benches and safety surfacing will be installed in addition the play equipment itself.
Several questions were posted on Facebook inquiring about the park itself. Kamijima Park, originally named Edgewater Park, was obtained when the Grafton Township Park District merged with the Crystal Lake Park District in 1968. Because the six lots that comprise the park are flood prone, they were deemed unbuildable. Edgewater Park was renamed Naoki Kamijima Park in 2000 in honor of the manager of The General Store across the street. He was murdered in the store in what police called a hate crime.
Public comments received via Facebook, direct email and the in-person meeting favored one particular option which has been revised somewhat and is shown here. Numerous comments were made about the informal name of the park (Fishy Park) due to the large red fish that is integral to the existing playground. Working with the manufacturer, the playground designers were able to add two custom climbers to the design that are nice and fishy!
The park district will proceed with the public bidding portion of the project in February with the goal of installing the new playground in the spring of 2022.
Brighton Oaks: 9818 Ballard Rd, Crystal Lake
Update: Sept 2, 2022
The playground is OPEN for play beginning Sept 2, 2022.
Update: Aug 26, 2022
We are waiting on delivery of a swing. A site inspection is scheduled for next week. The playground will be open soon.
Update: Aug 19, 2022
Equipment installation is underway.
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Update: July 7, 2022
Contractor fencing installed and demolition began July 6.
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Update: June 9, 2022
Beginning July 5 (tentative), the contractor will install fencing in preparation for the equipment installation scheduled to begin June 25 (weather dependent).
Update: May 12, 2022
Due to manufacturing delays, there has been a delay in this project. Staff are waiting to hear from the contractor regarding Brighton Oaks playground equipment replacement.
Update: Jan 5, 2022
Seven options depicting a variety of equipment types, styles and layouts were presented to the public at a meeting on November 10 which was attended by two residents. The options were posted on the Project Update page of the Crystal Lake Park District website and on Facebook the following day. The new playground will replace existing equipment that is 24 years old and has outlived its useful life. The new playground will be in the same location as the existing playground.
Brighton Oaks playground is unique for a neighborhood park because the size of the playground area is large enough to include both a structure for 2-5 year olds and a structure for 5-12 year olds. Typically, only community parks have enough space to accommodate both age ranges.
Of the two options favored by the public, the option chosen and shown here provides the most value and the most unique experience. With a 12' high slide, this playground will feature the tallest playground in the entire park district.
The park district will now finalize the construction documents and put the project out to public bid for installation. The goal is to install the new equipment in the spring of 2022.
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Lapins Park: 6400 Scott Ln, Crystal Lake
Update: Sept 2, 2022
The playground is OPEN for play beginning Sept 2, 2022.
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Update: Aug 26, 2022
The contractor is working to finish the punch list items. The playground will be open soon!
Update: Aug 19, 2022
The installation of Lapins Playground is nearing completion.
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Update: July 7, 2022
The old equipment was removed by Kids Around the World for re-use.
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| Kids Around the World dismantles old playground | Demo work in progress | Concrete curb forms installed |
Update: June 14, 2022
The old playground equipment will be donated to Kids Around the World for re-use. Once the contractor fencing is installed on Tu, June 14 and Kids Around the World will remove the old playground on Wed, June 15. Once the old playground is removed, fencing will stay in place while new equipment is installed (tentative start date June 25-weather dependent).
Update: May 12, 2022
Due to manufacturing delays, there has been a delay in this project. Staff are waiting to hear from the contractor regarding Lapins playground equipment replacement.
Update: Jan 5, 2022
Seven options depicting a variety of equipment types, styles and layouts were presented to the public at a meeting on November 9 attended by 6 residents. The concepts were posted on the Project Update page of the Crystal Lake Park District website and on Facebook the following day. The new playground will be in the same approximate location as the existing playground which contains equipment that is 20 years old and has outlived its useful life. New shade trees, playground border, safety surfacing and benches will be installed along with the playground itself.
It was unanimously agreed at the in-person meeting that the new playground should be designed for 5-12 year olds, unlike the current playground that is designed for 2-5 year olds. Three of the options each received two "votes" each, leaving a tie. Staff worked with the playground designers to incorporate other comments received from the meeting and online to adapt one of the preferred options to a playground appropriate for the older age range.
The park district will be finalizing the construction documents for the project and put the project out for public bid in February. It is our goal to have the playground installed in the spring of 2022.
Views 1 & 2 of Lapins Playground Concept
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Future Park Site: just south of the Village of Lakewood Public Works facility on Haligus Road
March 10, 2023 Update:
We are excited to announce that the CLPD received funding through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant (OSLAD) program for the development of a park on Haligus Road. The state program is financed by the state's Real Estate Transfer Tax.
The park site is 10 acres in size and located just south of the Village of Lakewood Public Works facility on Haligus Road. The Village of Lakewood donated the land to the Park District for developing the community park. CLPD worked with Hitchcock Design to develop the master plan for this Park site. Many Crystal Lake Park District residents attended community meetings to review and provide input on the conceptual design ideas that Hitchcock developed for the park site.
The designed park proposes many exciting features which may include pickleball courts, a splash pad and playground, demonstration garden, a shelter, restroom building, an outer loop walking path with seating nodes, a soccer field, basketball court and paved parking. A walking path shall surround the park and run along the Kishwaukee River. The design layout for the park will be finalized in the upcoming months with the goal toward a fall ground-breaking to construct the park. Additional community input will be sought as we dive deeper in final design for the splash pad and playground features.
The contractor providing ongoing maintenance of the natural areas along the creek and in the detention basins at Fetzner Park will be on site this Thursday, August 5 or Friday, August 6. The work will include mowing and spot herbiciding areas where invasive species are present.
Veteran Acres: 431 N Walkup, Crystal Lake, IL
UPDATE: Jun 7, 2022
The courts are open for play. Enjoy!
UPDATE: May 12, 2022
The color surfacing of the tennis and basketball courts at Veteran Acres is tentatively scheduled for May 16-20.
UPDATE: Nov 2, 2021
Reconstruction of the tennis courts at Veteran Acres Park is well underway! In addition rebuilding the courts themselves, a handicap accessible sidewalk is being added to join the tennis courts, basketball court and restroom building.
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UPDATE: Sept 29, 2021
The tennis courts at Veteran Acres will be closed for the season beginning Mon, Oct 4. The early closure this fall is to begin a major reconstruction project of the courts that will include new surfacing, nets, fencing and lights. Work is expected to continue through the winter as weather permits, with the final color surface and lines being applied in the Spring of 2022. We apologize for the inconvenience but look forward to the new and improved tennis facility next year!
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UPDATE: JUNE 18, 2021
Inspections are complete, the construction fencing has been removed and Ladd Playground is officially open.
UPDATE: JUNE 10, 2021
Work is coming to an end on the new playground for Ladd Park! The equipment and safety surfacing are completed. The contractor will be cleaning up the site over the next few days. When the fence is removed, the playground will be officially open!
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UPDATE: MAY 28, 2021
After a shipping delay from the manufacturer, work will resume soon on the playground project. The safety surfacing is scheduled for installation the week of June 7, so watch for the playground to reopen soon after that!
UPDATE: APR 26, 2021
The new playground equipment is beginning to rise! The concrete pad in these pictures will be a patio with a picnic table and bench.
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Update: Apr 15, 2021
It may not look like much right now, but work is well underway for the installation of a beautiful new playground at Ladd Park. The old equipment has been removed and underdrains have been installed. The site is now being prepared for a new concrete sidewalk and concrete curb edging around the new playground. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks - the new equipment is on its way and installation will begin soon!
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UPDATE: JAN 12, 2021
The new playground at Ladd Park is one step closer to reality! After receiving a lot of great feedback from neighbors and users of the park, the conceptual designs were refined and shown here is the final plan for the playground. Keep in mind this is a computer image, so doesn't look completely lifelike! What is not shown in this image is the safety surfacing under the playground which will be a brightly colored solid rubber surface, and a stand-alone handicap accessible swingset. A paved walkway will connect the playground to Coventry Lane near the baseball field and a bike rack, benches and trash cans will also be installed.
Installation of the playground is currently "out to bid". Plans are to have a contract finalized in February or March so that the job can begin as soon as weather allows. Watch here for more schedule updates!
STERNE's FEN RESTORATION PROJECT
Update: April 13, 2022
As part of our ongoing ecological restoration efforts at Sterne's Woods and Fen several large trees will be removed from the wetlands in the northwest corner of the park on Friday, April 22. While we don't anticipate any interruption to the recreational opportunities available at the park, we ask that you try to plan your activities to avoid this area between the hours of 9 am-4 pm. For more information please Erik Jakubowski at ejakubowski@crystallakeparks.org.
Update: August 4, 2021
Efforts to control invasive species at Sterne's Fen Nature Preserve will be expanded during the month of August and early September to include isolated stands of phragmites. This troublesome wetland plant, that looks like a very tall grass, can easily outcompete and replace native plants. Control of this species will include a herbicide application (typically by swiping individual plant stems) by licensed herbicide applicators approved by the Crystal Lake Park District. Visitors to Sterne's Fen Nature Preserve are encouraged to stay on the established paths during this time.
Update: Oct 6, 2020
Work continues at Sterne's Fen to maintain the restored fen and remove invasive species throughout the park. This work is done by both contractors and volunteers and is essential to keep the natural areas healthy.
Update: Feb 12, 2020
The contractor has finished with the tree removal at Sterne's. There are two pile of logs remaining to be removed from the parking lot, but the cutting is complete. They made to the "priority II" trees. The trail is now open for use.
Update: Feb 6, 2020
At this point the contractor is about half way through moving east to west. They are estimating being done by the end of the day on Mon, Feb 10. They have also started hauling out the timbered logs from the parking lot and hope to have the pile down to a minimum by the end of the day, Feb 7.
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Update: Feb 3, 2020
A portion of the Sterne's Fen trail will be closed this week to remove unhealthy trees.
Update: Jan 25, 2020
Due to recent snowfall and ice coverage, work will resume once snow melts from path.
Update: Jan 16, 2020
Upcoming Restoration Work in Sterne's Woods and Fen
The Crystal Lake Park District will be removing several trees located along the trail system at Veteran Acres and Sterne's Woods and Fen. As a result, portions of the trails will be closed for the safety of our visitors while the work is being performed. At no time will the entire trail system be closed to the public.
Beginning next week, large aggressive trees that were allowed to establish in the absence of fire will be removed from Sterne's Woods and Fen as part of the ongoing Sterne's Fen Restoration project. This work should last approximately one week, weather permitting, and will only impact the portion of the trails at Sterne's identified in the map below.
The work at Veteran Acres will take place over the next three months and will involve the removal of several large dead or dying trees along the trail north of The Nature Center. These trees pose a potential threat to the safety of our visitors, volunteers, and staff and will be removed as weather and time permits. Detailed information regarding the schedule and location of the removals will be posted as it is available.
Please direct questions to John Fiorina, Manager of Natural Resources and Interpretive Services at jfiorina@crystallakeparks.org or 815.321.9080.
Update: Nov 1, 2019
Upcoming Restoration Work in Sterne's Woods and Fen
In 2014 the Crystal Lake Park District began a multi-phase project to restore the hydrology of Sterne's Fen. The info below pertains to the next phase of restoration that will take place early in 2020.
Sterne's Fen Nature Preserve is dependent upon an uninterrupted and unaltered flow of groundwater. Currently, a series of invasive trees located primarily along the toe of the slopes adjacent to the walking path are intercepting that groundwater flow. It has been estimated that through transpiration each large tree wicks away approximately 700 gallons of groundwater daily. The goal of this project is to remove the trees that are responsible for this great loss of groundwater. The project is being funded through the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County via a stewardship grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
Four areas have been identified for removal and are ranked by priority. The exact scope of the project will be determined once bids are received for the tree removal.
This project will be started once the ground is well frozen in order to lessen disturbance in the removal areas. It is anticipated that the work will take place in January or February of 2020.
This project has received the approval of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and the Crystal Lake Park District. Prior restoration projects at Sterne's Woods and Fen have yielded very positive results in a very short amount of time. Just recently, the reintroduction of sunlight to the soil has allowed a dormant bank of native seeds to flourish during the 2019 growing season.
We will continue to post updates on this page. As always, feel free to contact the park district with questions.
Update: March 29, 2019
As soon as the weather is appropriate, the fen will be seeded with native plants. Invitations to the April 23 open house were mailed to neighbors earlier this week. A notice about the open house is also on our website, on Facebook, on our lobby monitors and posted in several buildings.
Update: March 21, 2019
Removal of invasive trees and undergrowth is complete. When weather permits native seed will be spread throughout the restoration area. An open house is being planned for April 23 at 6 PM at Sterne's Woods and Fen to discuss the renovation project and tour the site. Watch for further details.
Update: March 8, 2019
The removal of invasive trees and shrubs that damage the sensitive fen is nearing completion. When weather permits, native seed will be spread to encourage healthy development of the fen.
Update: February 19, 2019
The removal of invasive trees and shrubs along Hillside Road is underway. These plants are undesirable because they remove a large amount of water from the area and shade the ground nearby, therefore endangering the high quality native plants within the fen. Weather permitting, the tree removal is expected to last for several days.
The check dams have been installed. Clearing/burning of buckthorn and other invasive species continues.
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| Crew at work at Sterne's Woods | Work continues at Sterne's Woods |
The project is being funded through McHenry County's Wetland Restoration Fund and in cooperation with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission.
Questions may be directed to John Fiorina, Manager of Natural Resources and Interpretative Services, at jfiorina@crystallakeparks.org or Ann Viger, Director of Park Development and Interpretive Services at aviger@crystallakeparks.org.
