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Harvey Lake master‑plan update outlines restoration options, trail, piers and grant paths
Summary
Staff and consultant presented Harvey Lake master‑plan findings: a community survey showed support for an asphalt loop path, fishing access and natural‑area restoration; conceptual costs range from ~$200,000 for a boardwalk segment to ~$1,200,000 for an extensive floating boardwalk, and staff recommended pursuing OSLAD and regional trail grants and integrating stewardship into the CIP.
Director Bonanno presented Christopher Burke Engineering’s Harvey Lake master‑plan update to the Committee of the Whole on Nov. 18, describing recent in‑house buckthorn clearing, a new boardwalk at the southern corner, bathymetric data (depths up to about 13.5 feet in places) and a public survey that drew 129 responses from nearby residents.
Survey respondents favored preserving the site as a natural area while adding access improvements — a looped asphalt path (ADA‑compliant) was preferred by more than half the respondents and many said they would use the path several times a week. Other frequently requested amenities included fishing access, benches and connections to the Century Park path and the Greggs and Museum multiuse path.
Bonanno presented conceptual cost estimates: an asphalt loop including design and construction ~ $1,000,000; a smaller boardwalk segment ≈ $200,000; a longer floating boardwalk around the southern wetland ~ $1,200,000; and a modest parking lot with rain‑garden treatment ≈ $450,000. Staff recommended folding natural‑area restoration and water‑quality items into the five‑year CIP and pursuing grants (OSLAD, regional trails, and a water‑quality management grant) to fund amenities.
Trustees raised proximity and privacy concerns from adjacent homeowners and flagged the need for buffer screening and an access strategy that avoids exposing the backs of commercial buildings. Staff said improvements could be phased and that the village would begin preliminary design to seek grant funding.
