Imagine a extended stretch of lakef...

Imagine a extended stretch of lakefront land untouched by way of commercial development -- no houses, no inns no hot dog stands.

The Navy will register an agreement today to move round over a 1.3-mile stretch of lakefront at Fort Sheridan to Openlands, a Chicago-based preservation form into groups The bluffs and beach will become a public park, with trails for hiking and cycling.

"These are the no other than untouched bluffs along the entire Lake Michigan shoreline," said Rep Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who factored the deal.

The transfer follows as the Navy is redeveloping its land holdings north of Chicago, partly to improve housing for those who succor in the Great Lakes Naval Station. It has brought in a private developer to build or renovate 1600 dwellings in towns such as Glenview and Highland Park.

Occupying parts of Highland Park and Highwood, Fort Sheridan operated from 1887 until 1993 In 1998 the Army started turning through the fort's northern 259 acres to the Lake shire Forest Preserve District. The Army gave the southern portion to the Navy.

The Navy's section included the pristine roughly good-natureds home to five plant species that are endangered in Illinois, according to Joyce O'Keefe delegate director of Openlands.

Kirk decided to grade in after hearing private developer wanted to build high-rises there. He got Congres to approve giving Openlands the exclusive right for free.

"The last thing we ne is high-rises along these bluffs" Kirk said.

The area will be called the Fort Sheridan Lakefront keep At its narrowest, it stretches 100 feet inland from the top of the broad and fulls But it encompasses ravines, too, a certain number of of which extend 500 yards inland.

PUBLIC ACCESS -- LATER

The maintain will not be open to the public for at least a year, O'Keefe said. Openlands must extract weeds, clear dead wood and rese an bluffs and ravines. After that results the work of creating trails -- along the top of the roughly good-natureds and in Bartlett Ravine, for example -- and putting up signs.

one time open, the beach will not be a swimming beach, on the contrary a place to walk, weigh the lake and watch "thousands of migratory birds," O'Keefe said.

"There's just no place besides in Illinois where there is a public ownership of a mile of shoreline that has this ecosystem this bluff" O'Keefe said.

eherman@suntimes.com

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