News and views about the proposed Lakewood Olympic Equestrian Center.

What's Happening:

What's Happening:

The Chicago 2016 Olympic organization contacted the Lake County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners on October 7 to indicate their interest in considering an exciting, new potential Olympic Equestrian Center site near Antioch in northern Lake County. This would be in addition to continuing detailed plans for the original site at Lakewood Forest Preserve. The new site would utilize existing agricultural lands at Raven Glen Forest Preserve on the west side of Route 45, south of Route 173, and adjacent farm land owned by Abbott Laboratories on the east side of Route 45.

Raven Glen Forest Preserve was considered early in the Olympic Equestrian Center planning process, but there was not adequate space on Forest Preserve property alone to host the entire facility needed for the Olympics. Now that Abbott has volunteered use of its property for hosting some of the needed facilities, Raven Glen could become a desirable option for an Olympic equestrian venue. Approximately 90 acres of the 544 acres at Raven Glen could be considered for use for the 2016 Olympic Equestrian Center. The area proposed is primarily an old dairy farm site and surrounding agricultural fields located along Route 45. This part of Raven Glen does not include any sensitive natural resources and would not adversely impact wildlife habitat.

Existing trails and other public facilities that recently opened in other parts of Raven Glen would not be affected. Substantial buffer areas could remain along Miller Road for neighbors and to protect Hastings Creek. A trail underpass could be constructed under Route 45 to connect Raven Glen on the west with the Abbott property to the east. After the Olympics, the trail tunnel could be used to connect Raven Glen with the southern part of another Forest Preserve, Ethel’s Woods, located east of Route 45.

After the Olympics and Paralympics, temporary facilities on the Abbott property would be removed. The Forest Preserve District could retain equestrian facilities along the western side of Route 45 to provide ongoing horsemanship education classes, therapy and adaptive riding services for disabled adults and children, and indoor and outdoor competition facilities. Such public equestrian facilities were previously requested in 2003 by many Lake County residents, but funds were not available at that time to develop such a facility. The Olympic proposal offers the opportunity to raise private funds to construct the needed facilities.

Chicago 2016 feels that the combined Raven Glen-Abbott location offers good transportation and remote shuttle parking possibilities, with proximity to major highways, Metra train stations, and international and regional airports. They recognize that some local roads improvements would be required, especially along Route 173 and Route 45. Spectator parking would be located off-site and shuttle buses would bring people to the Olympic venue.

Lake County Forest Preserve District Commissioners may consider the issue of allowing use of part of Raven Glen as an Olympic Equestrian Center at meetings in the near future. Chicago 2016 also stated that its original request to create an equestrian site at Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda is still promising and can be done in an environmental responsible way. They said that they intend to proceed with planning for that site too pending further study and a decision by the Lake County Forest Preserve District Board regarding Raven Glen Forest Preserve. Equestrian sites owned by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County are also being considered by Chicago 2016.

It continues to be important for equestrians to contact Lake County Forest Preserve District Commissioners and Chicago 2016 to let them know if they support hosting the Olympic equestrian events in Lake County.

Check out this website for more information: www.lcfpd.org/lakewood2016