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Long Term Planning for
Sister Lakes
Over a year ago
residents, business owners and Keeler Township
officials formed a Corridor Improvement Authority
(CIA). The purpose of this Authority is to
formulate a long term plan for future projects to
improve our area. The CIA is a legal entity
that allows multiple objectives to be accomplished
including, seeking grant financing, establishing
community needs and projects, providing a forum for
residents to contribute their ideas, obtaining
professional consultants to assist with political
and economic issues. In short, the CIA is the
means to accomplish many goals, today and in the
future.
Project Example
Residents expressed
concerns over the safety issue of walking over the
95th Street roadway where the “tunnel” joins Big
Crooked and Little Crooked Lakes. At the same
time the county wanted to put steel crash barricades
at that location to prevent vehicles from driving
into the lake due to the curves and narrow roadway.
So with parents pushing strollers and small children
walking slowly all competing for the road with
vehicles crossing over the “tunnel” a solution is
required.
Early log and wooden bridge at 95th Street
between Big and Little Crooked Lakes
The county road engineers
realized that the crash barriers could not be
installed due to the narrow roadway therefore a
bridge was suggested as the structure that would
provide the ideal way to mount the barricades.
As a design progresses a walkway over the bridge
would allow pedestrians safer passage. This
walkway could also be part of a larger walking path
plan that residents requested at earlier CIA
meetings.
Further, thoughts were
included that would allow the bridge to be designed
so that boats and pontoons could pass under the
bridge, thus joining Big Crooked and Little Crooked.
This appealed to many residents since it would
double the shoreline for pontoon cruising and add
considerable recreational enjoyment.
The bridge idea was
inspired by a recent book published by Arcadia
Publishing entitled Sister Lakes available at
Driftwood and Chemical Bank. The book has
several postcard photos circa 1900 that show the old
bridge at different points in time. Big
Crooked and Little Crooked were one lake many years
ago. On many older maps they only show Crooked
Lake. We have printed two of the old photos
with the permission of Arcadia Publishing for your
information and historical perspective. One
theme that might be suggested for the new bridge
would be a new bridge with an “old time” look.
Later concrete and steel bridge with ladies
enjoying the summer
The CIA is considering
other projects such as walking and bike paths,
business facade improvements, drainage projects,
streetscape/lighting projects and another bridge to
join Big Crooked to Round Lake. These projects
are part of a twenty year plan that would require
research, resident approval, financing, engineering
and informed citizenry.
Go
to this website and click PROGRAMS, then click on
Sister Lakes Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA). This document is 68 pages
and explains the details of the CIA. Pages
61-68 outline the various projects and the
associated costs.
The goal of these
projects is to improve Sister Lakes and to provide
new and interesting community projects that bring
safety and recreational possibilities to our
community. The CIA holds public meetings at
Keeler Township Hall (269-621-6481) next to Keeler
Keg and Kitchen and we encourage your participation.
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