Page last updated on September 16, 2022 at 2:14 pm
Each week, Mayor Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Griffin provide video updates on recent news and key initiatives. In today's video, Mayor Hamilton discusses Griffy Lake with Tim Street from Parks and Recreation.
Mayor John Hamilton:
Hi, this is Mayor John Hamilton, and I'm here with my friend and colleague Tim Street. Introduce yourself, Tim.
Tim Street:
Sure. Hello, I'm Tim Street. I'm the Operations and Development Division Director for Bloomington Parks and Recreation.
Mayor John Hamilton:
We're not in the office today, Tim.
Tim Street:
No.
Mayor John Hamilton:
We're out by Griffy Lake, and we're celebrating its 50 years that it's been in the park system.
Tim Street:
That's right.
Mayor John Hamilton:
And before that, it was a reservoir I know for the city. But what's going on today that we're celebrating particularly?
Tim Street:
Sure. We're celebrating 50 years of Lake Griffy as a community and recreational resource. Since the 1970s, Bloomington Parks has had a hand in operating Lake Griffy for all of those purposes, whether it's nature or bird watching, hiking, canoeing, or all of the different things that have happened here over the years. So, we're celebrating that history. But we're also celebrating the completion of this improvement, this bicentennial bond improvement, that is the accessible fishing pier behind us and the causeway, the accessible path along the causeway that is giving safe access to the trails on both the south side and the north side of the lake.
Mayor John Hamilton:
I've been out here a lot. I remember it was always a little tricky, people walking along the road trying to get to the trails.
Tim Street:
Yes.
Mayor John Hamilton:
And really no access here to the lake for fisher people., and that, so it's really a spectacular new addition that gives people access in a new way safely.
Tim Street:
That's right. Yeah, we were never quite comfortable with how people had to walk on the road. People would park here at the Griffy parking lot and walk north up to the north side trails, and be walking the road in the road to do it.
Mayor John Hamilton:
On the road literally.
Tim Street:
So this was a really unimproved side of the causeway. It was just some rip-rap and a few volunteer trees that had come up. Since the eighties, I haven't been here that long, but I know there's been a vision for this walkway since the 1980s, and we're happy to finally make that a reality.
Mayor John Hamilton:
Well, it's a beautiful day. And this is like a 100-acre lake, but 1200 total acres?
Tim Street:
That's right.
Mayor John Hamilton:
That the Park Department preserves, nature preserve. It's a spectacular asset for the city, isn't it?
Tim Street:
It really is. We're so proud to have this as an asset. Our natural resources team does a great job looking at science, thinking about the best ways to manage this, whether that's invasive species, whether that's the impact of deer, whatever it might be, really relying on the science to make decisions about how to care for this place.
Mayor John Hamilton:
Well, I would just say it's a new Griffy Lake in a way, 50 years old, but in the future, near future, I think we're going to have a trail that goes all the way around this lake, right? In the next year or two, we hope.
Tim Street:
That's right. We're standing here on the new accessible fishing pier, which I also mention is a great sunset spot if anyone wants a sunset spot in town.
Mayor John Hamilton:
Nice, nice.
Tim Street:
People have historically accessed the north side trails by going up this way. And if you went to the south side before, there actually wasn't any official access up onto the hill.
Mayor John Hamilton:
So I recommend you come out to Griffy Lake. Check it out. It's newly accessible to all people here and a wonderful new asset. At 50 years old, we're celebrating that. And Tim, thanks for all of your work that you do with the Parks Department, making this place so special. And you can check out the website for more details. Until then, Tim Street and John Hamilton. Thanks so much for listening.