Shoreline Restoration Information
The Board continues to pursue restoration and maintenance of the swim beach and boat launch to provide the most usable and safe spaces for our members. The updated approach and details regarding the project are available below. FAQ available below click here
Background
In recent years, there has been an accumulation of sediment deposited in the area of the Lyon Creek mouth, adjacent to the Civic Club, negatively impacting the properties usability and safety. The Lyon Creek Culvert replacement project, completed in 2015, also appears to have had a significant impact in the accumulation of material in the immediate area of the swim beach and boat launch.
It has been estimated that up to 5,000 cubic yards of material may require removal to restore proper use, to include potential mitigation to support a more typical flow of water and sediment deposit around the creek mouth. Specific amounts will be confirmed in a later phase of the project. The City of Lake Forest Park Shore Master Plan allows for conditional use activity, providing a method or approach in keeping with the plan.
Objective
Stell is supporting the Lake Forest Park Civic Club to restore and maintain a usable swim area and boat launch, prioritizing safety, and meeting, or exceeding regulatory agency requirements, to include the Lake Forest Park Shore Master Plan.
The Civic club is in progress to develop concepts that support the maintenance and restoration of the swim beach and boat launch, two primary components of the purpose of the Civic Club, as outlined in the charter. We would like to collaborate with the city of Lake Forest Park on this project and request city advocacy, as we ensure that restoration efforts are also beneficial for the City, while achieving the outlined objective.
Recent efforts
The Board of directors began a more cohesive effort to support restoration and maintenance in 2020 in partnership with Stell Environmental.
It was clear that it was essential to properly define the project in light of Board objectives and to partner with professionals in the industry. Knowing that multiple regulatory agencies have oversight regarding environmental restoration and maintenance efforts, the first step was to carefully plan and engage with oversight agencies and understand their perspectives to ensure as much clarity as possible prior to moving forward. This early phase of the project culminated in what is known as a pre application meeting with regulatory agencies, to gain feedback regarding the pursuit to restore and maintain the swim beach and boat launch. Targeted agency outreach was also conducted to better understand specific perspectives regarding Lyon Creek and any potential plans for the Creek’s future.
Additional land use information was also necessary to obtain and to understand the impact of the Lyon Creek culvert replacement project in 2015. In partnership with a land use attorney, specific research was conducted on all facets of the replacement and have been very helpful as an overall backdrop and have influenced the current positioning of the project. Following land use research, Stell Environmental was reengaged, sharpening objectives and resulting in the current 5 phase approach available on the civic club website. The early efforts by Civic Club Board members have laid a solid foundation for the restoration and maintenance approach and we are optimistic about forward progress.
Next Steps
In partnership with Stell environmental, the board of directors is proactively pursuing this project and have identified a restoration and maintenance concept that we feel is the best current approach to achieve our objectives and to share with regulatory agencies in a second pre application meeting to be scheduled in the next six weeks. Civic Club members should refer to the swim beach and boat launch restoration and maintenance project plan, posted on the civic club website for more information.
The Board would like to thank all members for their patience as we undertake this effort on your behalf. At any phase of the project, new information may become available which may require a course correction and even a change in strategy. We are confident that as we approach this multi-faceted project, that we have the best information in front of us and continue to strive to make progress as quickly as possible, in this complex environment.
Where is the money we paid for this, and how is it being used?
We have put 100% of the money collected for the project in the bank. We have not used any of the funds for any of the work done so far. We hope by the time the project is approved; we will have sufficient funds to complete the project. All the funds used to this point are out of our general funds.
If all the agencies sign off on this project, how soon will we be able to have it done?
There are still many steps to take to get to that point. However, once we have everything in hand from agencies and the contractors, there are two opportunities to do this type of work on the lake. One is in November, and the other is July. Most likely we will have to shut down the beach access, so we will opt for the first November window opportunity.
Do we have an estimate of the cost for the dredging?
We are in the process of designing our concepts to present to the agencies for preliminary applications, so until we know the final approved design and amount of removal, it is premature to make an estimate at the final cost of the project.
Can we at least do something in the meantime for the boat launch?
Unfortunately, we do not have approvals to do any specific work on the boat launch, however, we do some general maintenance each year which helps in the launching access. Each year when the water level is low, we are able to check the integrity of the boat launch concrete. In order to do this, we remove the silt that washes up. In doing so, this removes approximately 18" of debris to help with our launching ability in the summer season.
Can we reduce the boat membership fee until the ramp is useable?
Currently we are only charging half of the boat membership fee. This still gives access to launch, park your trailers in the designated spots, and use the big dock to tie up your boat.
Can we write letters to the city to move things along?
We have a very good working relationship with the City of Lake Forest Park. They are very open to our concept and want what is best for our members. We do not see a need to write letters at this time.
Is there any way the city will help pay for this since we have partnered and helping their park too?
Currently we are working on our needs as a club to restore our waterfront and the city is not involved in funding our beach. Should our needs and their needs be aligned, we will explore all financial options to assure the least amount of financial impact to our members.
Will the club be useable during the actual restoration?
Until we know the scope of work and equipment needed, we are unsure. We believe most of the work will be done from the water. If so, the club grounds will be open.
Can't we just forget the boat launch and just have more swim beach area?
The boat launch is a huge perk to our club, and we will do what we can to first preserve the intended use for our members. If at some point we need to have the difficult discussion, we will explore our options to improve our club for our members.
Do we need to get lawyers to move this along quicker?
We have been using legal counsel intermittently for the past 18 months to make sure we are going about this project in the right way, and to assure that our club has the best opportunity to have success with the project. Those efforts have made it both possible and feasible to be moving in the positive direction that we are currently.
How can we help as a board and membership to move this along?
Be patient. The process to restore our waterfront is the largest in club history. We understand the frustration, however, it is very important to all of us to make sure it is done the correct way and to keep it from happening again for future generations of members. Our current leaders are working tirelessly to keep this project moving in the right direction.
Waterfront Remediation Presentation October 2020.pdf