MASTER PLAN. Wolff Clements and Associates, Ltd. Applied Ecological Services, Inc. UrbanWorks, Ltd. McElroy Associates, Inc. Ambriz Graphic Design

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Gary Cunningham
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1 Prepared by: in association with: Applied Ecological Services, Inc. UrbanWorks, Ltd. McElroy Associates, Inc. Ambriz Graphic Design February 2005 The Gary Green Link planning initiative is made possible by a grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Lake Michigan Coastal Program, Great Lake Coastal Restoration Grants Program.

2 FOREWORD It is our pleasure to present the Gary Green Link Master Plan to the Mayor, the City Council, the Department of Environmental Affairs, and the residents of the City of Gary. The intent of the plan is to guide planning, design, implementation, and management of a natural resources greenway and recreation corridor, the Gary Green Link, which will ring the City of Gary, connecting the Grand Calumet River, the Little Calumet River, and the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Master Plan is more than a report; it is a tool to be utilized over time. The plan provides a wide degree of flexibility that will allow for changes in community goals and attitudes, land uses and land acquisition, and funding sources without materially affecting the long-term goals and framework of the plan. Through numerous meetings with the Department of Environmental Affairs, the advisory group of stakeholders and the public, Wolff Clements and Associates, Ltd. and the rest of the consultant team understand the vision for the long-term stewardship of the City s natural resources and the connections that the city would like to make to these resources. Furthermore, this document indicates Gary s commitment to the development of a legacy of land stewardship for future generations. We look forward to continuing to work with you in the future as this vision becomes a reality. Respectfully submitted, WOLFF CLEMENTS AND ASSOCIATES, LTD. Ted Wolff, ASLA Principal

3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS City of Gary, Indiana Scott L. King Geraldine B. Tousant Arlene Colvin Position Mayor Deputy Mayor Chief of Staff Gary Common Council Charles Hughes Ronier Scott Marilyn D. Krusas Robert White Mary Brown Carolyn D. Rogers Jerome Prince Kyle W. Allen, Sr. Roy Pratt Position President Vice President First District Second District Third District Fourth District Fifth District At-Large At-Large Department of Environmental Affairs Dorreen Carey Position Director Consultant Team Ted Wolff Joel Baldin Ben Baker Nilay Mistry Mark O Leary Angela Sturdevant Lisa Willis Rosa Y. Ortiz Joe McElroy LeAnn Spencer Anita Ambriz Organization Applied Ecological Services, Inc. Applied Ecological Services, Inc. UrbanWorks, Ltd. UrbanWorks, Ltd. McElroy Associates LeAnn Spencer Communications Ambriz Graphic Design Gary Green Link Master Plan Stakeholders Rodney Graves Robert Gyurko Paul Karas Jerome Woodward Bob Strimbu Edmond Hunter Ezra D. Alexander III Organization Calumet Citizens for Connecting Communities (C4) Chicago-Gary Regional Airport Authority Chicago-Gary Regional Airport Authority Chicago-Gary Regional Airport Authority City of Gary, Department of Environmental Affairs City of Gary General Services Department City of Gary, Department of Parks i

4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Gary Green Link Master Plan Stakeholders (continued) Organization Kim Lyles, Superintendent City of Gary, Department of Parks Kevin Lawler Delta Institute David Wright Gary Planning Department Charles G. Peller, Jr., PE Gary Sanitary District James Meyer Gary Sanitary District / Meyer & Wyatt, P.C. J. Lynn Meeks, Executive Director Gary Urban Enterprises Association Mary Williams Glen Park Community Development Corporation Stephen Johnson Grand Calumet Task Force Pat Moore, Administrator Hammond Parks and Recreation Alex da Silva IDEM/NWRO Bob Simmons IDEM/NWRO Jim Smith IDEM/NWRO Tom Post Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Martin Jaffe Illinois Indiana Sea Grant College Program Jesse Elam Illinois Indiana Sea Grant College Program Dale Enquist Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Superintendent Eric Ehn Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Bruce Rowe Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Dan Moore Indiana Industrial Investments Sam Wolfe INDOT Tollroad District Elaine Chandler, Superintendent Lake County Parks Robert Nickovich, Director Lake County Parks Craig Zandstra Lake County Parks Dan Rieden Lake County Parks Don Ewoldt Lake Erie Land Company Andi Pierce Lake Michigan Coastal Program Richard Carey Lake Station, Indiana / Rhein-Bach, Inc. Andre Gaither National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of Interior Rory Robinson National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of Interior Dan Gardner NIRPC/Little Calumet River Development Commission Brian Kortum NiSource Jennifer Gadzala Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) Kelsee Waggoner Office of Congressman Peter Visclosky Carl Fisher, Superintendent Portage Parks Phil Gralick R.W. Armstrong & Associates Thomas R. Anderson Save the Dunes Council Sandra L. Wilmore Save the Dunes Council Myrna Newgent Shirley Heinze Land Trust Paul Labus The Nature Conservancy Elizabeth McCloskey U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dave Behrens U.S. Steel Tom Dilley USDA Forest Service Daniel Goldfarb Wildlife Habitat Council ii

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS A. INTRODUCTION PROJECT GOAL PROJECT OBJECTIVES PROJECT APPROACH... 2 B. BACKGROUND REVIEW OF EXISTING INFORMATION AND STUDIES HISTORICAL ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ECOLOGICAL STRESSES AND CHANGES TO ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES RARE OR IMPORTANT SPECIES AND HABITAT OPEN SPACE MAPPING... 8 C. LAND COVER VEGETATION COMMUNITIES RESTORATION OF ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES SITE PRIORITIZATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESTORATION, PROTECTION AND / OR ACQUISITION MODEL ORDINANCES D. RIVERS RIVER STUDIES RESTORATION BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR RIVERS E. MULTI - USE TRAILS INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY TRAIL DESCRIPTIONS IMPLEMENTATION iii

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS F. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION G. CONCLUSION OVERVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS APPENDIX A 1. EXISTING INFORMATION REVIEWED APPENDIX B 1. NATURAL AREA AND OPEN SPACE INVENTORY APPENDIX C 1. VEGETATION COMMUNITY MAP 2. LAND COVER INDEX MAP 3. FIELD BASE MAPS APPENDIX D 1. AQUATIC RESOURCES INDEX MAP 2. AQUATIC RESOURCE BASE MAPS APPENDIX E 1. MULTI - USE TRAIL OPPORTUNITIES MAP 2. PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION BUDGET ESTIMATES 3. PRELIMINARY OVERALL BUDGET ESTIMATES iv

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS APPENDIX F 1. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION MAP APPENDIX G 1. MANAGEMENT AND/OR RESTORATION POTENTIAL MAP APPENDIX H 1. PROTECTION OR ACQUISITION PRIORITIES APPENDIX I 1. POSTER 2. LOGOS APPENDIX J 1. SUMMARY OF PUBLIC MEETINGS APPENDIX K 1. SURVEY APPENDIX L 1. REFERENCES v

8 TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

The Lakeshore Industrial Heritage Corridor Infrastructure s Role in Revitalizing Lake Michigan s South Shore Communities.

The Lakeshore Industrial Heritage Corridor Infrastructure s Role in Revitalizing Lake Michigan s South Shore Communities Studies, Reports, and Websites City of Chicago List of Resources City of Chicago,