Peru outlines potential Baker Lake improvements

The Peru City Council discussed Monday making considerable updates to Baker Lake, including additional parking, lake improvements and a new bike path.

Eric Carls, director of engineering and zoning, outlined a potential three-phased approach and asked the council to consider allowing plans to be made for phase one within a month or two.

Phase one would include a new parking lot and phase two would include dredging of the lake to improve water depth issues in certain areas. Phase three would include rehabilitation to the walking path by either widening it or adding a separate bike lane.

“All this is not going to happen overnight, but these are things we need to start thinking about putting together in a plan,” Carls said.

The first phase involves adding parking on the east side of the lake, where overflow parking happens when cross country or other events are conducted at the lake. Lighted Way, a non-profit organization that teaches and provides services to children with special needs, asked to collaborate with the city on a shared parking agreement because of the organization’s adjacent location to Baker Lake and the parking area.

Carls said there’s also resurfacing of the east side parking lot that needs to take place. In the next month or two, Carls will request permission from the council to enter a parking agreement with Lighted Way and create plans for new parking on the southeast corner of the park.

The second phase involves improvements to the lake to help the aquatic life and reduce problems with algae. The north end of Baker Lake measures at around 1.5 to 2 feet, which isn’t enough to sustain the quality of the lake. Carls said plans will need to be made to either dredge the north half of the lake or reroute the creek temporarily.

In the final phase, improvements for the path would take place. Carls suggested adding a separate bike lane or widening the path to allow for more foot traffic. If the size of the lake were to change with the dredging, the path may also change in response. The disc golf course also may be altered.

Alderman Dave Waldorf said he’s spoken to people who walk at the lake and are concerned about native grasses that are gone. Carls said part of the project will be making landscape improvements, including planting trees and grasses. His plan includes restocking the lake with wildlife.

Mayor Ken Kolowski suggested adding lights to the path for people to use early in the morning or during the winter when it’s dark early. Carls said part of the path will be lighted by April or May and more lights to cover the whole path will follow.

There’s no timeline yet on when the improvements will happen, but Carls said he’s looking to start creating plans within the next two months.