Revival island

A 23-year resident of Fortress Drive, Monica Fiene describes her view overlooking Pistakee Lake and Trinski's Island (background). The Fox Waterway Agency is slated to receive $500,000 from the state capital budget to renovate Trinski's Island. Plans include an observation deck, habitats for different animals and boat docks. Fiene prefers a more modest renovation of the island. (H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@@nwherald.com)

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FOX LAKE – An island just south of Route 12 soon could be transformed into a tourist attraction complete with boat docks, a boardwalk and wildlife habitats.

Plans to renovate Trinski’s Island are moving forward, and the Fox Waterway Agency now is slated to get $500,000 from the state’s capital funds for engineering and design plans.

Ingrid Danler, Fox Waterway Agency executive director, said that if all went well, construction could start as early as next year.

“It’s the coolest thing,” she said. “We just really believe that this will just dramatically add value not only to the residents, but also to the tourists.”

Preliminary concept drawings show an island stretched more than 2,000 feet southwest of the current land mass in Pistakee Lake.

Danler said it would be filled in with sediment from dredging areas surrounding the island, including Nippersink Lake on the other side of the Route 12 bridge.

Rocks and Hesco baskets – wire baskets lined with mesh and filled with dirt – then would be used to fill in the perimeter.

“[This island] will just highlight the beneficial uses of dredging,” she said.

The land mass would be 43 acres when completed and would match the original footprint of the island, which has eroded over time, Danler said.

However, not everybody is happy about the project.

Monica Fiene, who’s lived along that area of the lake for more than 20 years, is worried that if the island is expanded, it would ruin her view and attract too many tourists.

“That would be horrible,” she said. “I didn’t know they were going to go out that far. I believe in redoing the island if they keep it to the size that it is, ... but this big? No, definitely not.”

Danler said officials were trying to be conscious of neighbors’ concerns. One way they are addressing them is with plans to widen the channel to about 300 feet from about 150 feet, so boats will have more room through which to pass.

She added that she doesn’t believe that the finished island will result in a bad view for residents.

“We’re not building this thing 80 feet high,” she said. “It’s going to be above water level, but they’ll still have an open view.”

The plans are in the very early stages, and the Fox Waterway Agency will have to pursue other funding sources before construction gets under way, Danler said.

However, they do have about $1 million in reserve funds beyond the $500,000 from the state that can go toward the project, Danler said. Cost estimates have yet to be determined.

Once completed, it would include an in-water habitat for different kinds of birds, and a deep water area for various fish. It also would have educational kiosks along the boardwalk and handicapped-accessible docks, Danler said.

“It’s going to provide a place where boaters can come and hang out for a while,” she said. “It’s going to be great. ... I’m so excited.”