TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF MAY 4, 2017
COMMITTEE ON REAL ESTATE
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
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Authority to issue a 4 (four) month permit to the Friends of the Chicago River to access the District’s North Shore Channel Parcels 2.10-2.13, 3.01-3.03, 3.06, and 4.01-4.04 located east and west of the North Shore Channel, between Oakton Street in Skokie, Illinois and Green Bay Road in Evanston, Illinois for the purpose of an in-stream habitat restoration project. Consideration shall be a nominal fee of $10.00
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Dear Sir:
The Friends of the Chicago River (“Friends”) has requested a 4 (four) month permit to access the District’s North Shore Channel Parcels 2.10-2.13, 3.01-3.03, 3.06, and 4.01-4.04 located east and west of the North Shore Channel, between Oakton Street in Skokie, Illinois and Green Bay Road in Evanston, Illinois for the purpose of an in-stream habitat restoration project.
The in-stream habitat restoration project consists of Friends and its volunteers accessing the banks of the District’s North Shore Channel, between Oakton Street and Green Bay Road via canoe and planting maintenance free native plants such as water willows and lizard’s tails. Friends advises that this restoration project will create high quality habitat for aquatic organisms from invertebrates to fish, protect the shoreline from bank erosion, provide some water quality benefits, and create shelter for aquatic species during flood situations while improving the aesthetics of the channel for recreators.
North Shore Channel Parcel 4.02 is leased to the Skokie Park District, North Shore Channel Parcels 3.06, 4.03 and 4.04 are leased to the Village of Skokie and North Shore Channel Parcels 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 3.01, 3.02, 3.03 and 4.01 are leased to the City of Evanston. Friends has already secured signed consents from each lessee. Friends advises that minors under the age of 18 will not be participating in this restoration project. The permit will require that Friends provide the District with signed releases from each adult participant.
The technical departments have reviewed this request and had no objections, subject to certain conditions. Friends has requested a waiver of providing environmental contamination insurance. As the permitted activities pose minimal risk for environmental contamination there is no objection to this request.
It is requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it authorize the issuance of a 4 (four) month permit to the Friends of the Chicago River to access the District’s North Shore Channel Parcels 2.10-2.13, 3.01-3.03, 3.06, and 4.01-4.04 located east and west of the North Shore Channel, between Oakton Street in Skokie, Illinois and Green Bay Road in Evanston, Illinois for the purpose of an in-stream habitat restoration project. Consideration shall be a nominal fee of $10.00.
It is also requested that the Executive Director recommend to the Board of Commissioners that the Chairman of the Committee on Finance and the Clerk be authorized and directed to execute said permit agreement after it is approved by the General Counsel as to form and legality.
Requested, Susan T. Morakalis, Acting General Counsel, STM:npe
Recommended, David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Respectfully Submitted, David J. Walsh, Chairman Committee on Real Estate Development
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners May 4, 2017
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