County has $1.5 million plan for nature preserve

Developing the proposed Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs Nature Preserve on about 135 ecologically sensitive acres of Lake Michigan bluff land could cost about $1.5 million, according to a report presented to the Ozaukee County Board on Wednesday.

The funds would be doled out over three phases with the first phase taking about two years and totaling $113,000 including $41,000 for parking, $56,000 for a trail system and $13,000 for signage, gates and garbage cans and other improvements to make the preserve accessible to the public.

Those costs are based on an analysis of park development projects at nearby Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve, Mee-Kwon County Park, Little Menomonee River Fish and Wildlife Area and Virmond County Park, the report said.

The second phase expenses would total about $60,000 — $30,000 for a foot bridge, $11,000 for boardwalks, $4,000 for bicycle racks, $4,000 for kiosks and $5,000 for park benches.

The largest expenditures would be in phase three — $325,000 for a staircase to the beach and $400,000 for a park shelter and bathrooms.

In addition, another $644,000 would be spent on “ecological restoration,” including prairie and wetland restoration, woodland management and invasive species management.

The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust has reached a deal with Waukesha State Bank to buy  the 135-acre parcel. Once the sale is complete, the Land Trust will deed the property to the county to incorporate into its parks system.

To make the deal happen, a number of state and federal grants, totaling $1.725 million, must fall into place. 

The grants require a local match of $920,833, which would be provided by the Land Trust through a $1 million state Stewardship Fund grant, except for $200,000 from the county.

For the grants to be awarded, the Ozaukee County Board must accept the land parcel and the grant funds, which supervisors are expected to vote on when they meet on July 1.

Without that vote and the matching funds, the land purchase cannot go through.

A conceptual site plan shows the nature preserve will have three scenic overlooks, a staircase to the Lake Michigan shoreline, a paved bike trail paralleling Highway C, a bathroom, parking lot, walking trail and boardwalk.

The potential costs are based on current pricing. There is no timeline for completing improvements and the sources of funding have not been determined. 

County Administrator Jason Dzwinel, however, told county supervisors that the  county Planning and Parks Department has been successful in securing grant funds for other park developments.

“While not a guarantee of grant support, the likelihood of successful parks development grant applications is increased by the fact that the federal government and the state of Wisconsin will be making a significant investment in the acquisition of the parcel,” Dzwinel said in the report, also pointing out that local Eagle Scouts and other private groups have supported such projects in the past.

“Should none of these historical sources materialize, the potential development outlay (by the county) would total between $110,000 and $173,000 for public access,” Dzwinel said. “In general, the initial development costs to provide public access are manageable from a budgetary perspective.”

Funding for the development work is not required to buy the property, but the grants do require that the public have access to the preserve.

The annual operations budget of the preserve also will support other development requirements, such as portable restrooms and the removal of hazardous trees and other debris. 

Officials estimate it will cost about $25,000 per year to operate the preserve, based on what it currently costs to operate Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve.