Dateline: Thursday, June 9th. Special Board meeting of the Winnetka Park District. Standing room only. Hundreds of residents. In chairs, on the floor, out the door. Three hours and thirty-two minutes. One motion. Carried. 3-to-2. Withdraw the applications to the US Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Stat.
Rapp: Yes
Root: Yes
Seaman: Yes
Archambault: No
James: No
(Lussen: Absent)
(Codo: Absent)
One for the vox populi.
Make it Right. Then Make it Better.
At 12:56 pm on June 10th, John Peterson, Director of the Winnetka Park District, called the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers. We take it back. Stop with the review. We’ll talk later. Sent out a press release to confirm.
The proposal that would have combined Centennial and Elder beaches into a single multi-use lakefront beach surrounded by a steel-louvered wall is dead in the water. For now.
Rescind, Check. Regroup? Reboot?
Rabbit hole. Tunnel vision. Forest for the trees. Deal fever. A gazillion reasons to end up on the wrong side. It happens. What’s next is what counts. This is a town with a reputation for great second acts (think Stormwater Solution, Galleria, New Trier, possibly D36, and the Post Office site).
But if Thursday night's meeting is a tell, the WPD Board's got bigger problems than a dream gone bad and a miffed co-applicant. Note to self: Commissioners in the boat before stake in the sand. Then there's this.
That Hell Hath No... Thing.
The Board held two open houses to show and tell its plan-plus-wall – after the application was submitted to the USACE and IDNR for permitting.
When residents voiced growing opposition to "The Wall," the Board held several meetings to explain and were accused of tone-deafness.
The Board continued to negotiate in private session – allowed, if not required, when real estate and salaries are discussed. But time behind closed doors was too much for too many.
Claiming limited staff time, the Board failed to publish minutes of past meetings or record and post meetings online. [Note; the video of the June 9th meeting has since been posted. Good intentions meet good start.]
It didn't help that the new commissioners had to FOIA their own Board's work product, and they let residents know how cool they thought this was not.
Now the 1,400-and-counting who let it rip on change.org, and the hundreds who attended and spoke at Village Council and Park District meetings are side-eying both the process and product and saying what's next better be better than good. No margin.
Drawing Board? Negotiating Table? Court? Lookin' at you lookin' at options.
The Property owner does the right thing and honors the original contract.
The Property owner does the right thing and honors the original contract – the Park District makes nice with naming rights.
The Park District takes the owner to court. Breach of contract? More like something called “specific performance.” Meaning promises made, promises kept, or the deal is off. No damages. Just get over yourself and stand by your word.
The Park District decides they can live with the property-in-the-middle.
The Park District buys the property at “fair market value” with monies that at this point it doesn’t have. Looks for an angel.
The Park District walks away. Hopes for a better climate one day. Beaches bluffs continue to erode.
The Park District fixes what it can. For now. The beach is a mess. Get it to useful until they can figure out a long-term solution.
What We're Watching?
Baby v. bathwater. It hurts to be on the wrong side. Hopefully, the WPD Board President will have the strength and courage to tee up this issue on the agenda until it is resolved.
Other voices. Will anyone who is legitimately in favor of the project-with-walls speak up?
Pots, planters, plantings. Necessary if no wall?
Juice in the tank. Will those residents-with-thumbs-down speak up and help find a solution to process or product?
Of course, we’ll keep you posted. It’s us. Curious, diligent, dedicated to getting it right. Or at least right-er.
...and the Village Council?
For now, it’s VC Out. Residents let ‘em know where they stand at last week’s VC meeting. The VC won’t see the project until – make that if – it comes before them for zoning relief. Give that a year or so.
R.I.P. or Let ‘Er Rip.
Help the Board Reboot. Here’s all you need to put a little meat on your message.
Watch
The June 9th WPD Meeting Ya, we know. Hard to hear, but earbuds help. A lot.
Read:
Riparian Rights. Illinois Park District Code – outlines rights and responsibilities of Park Districts regarding public waters and their shorelines.
Bookmark:
The WPD's new One Stop Shop for all documents authored by the WPD about "The Wall" including:
August 25, 2021 presentation to the public with various IDNR concerns and the Board's responses.
September 9, 2021 presentation further explaining the breakwaters and the planter pockets.
The October 10, 2020 Exchange Agreement (AKA Land Swap).
The October 13, 2020 Application to USACE and IDNR – the one the Commissioners just '86'd...
...and every piece of business the WPD authored on "The Wall" since then. Wh-hoo for transparency – if you can find it.
Now you're ready:
Warren James, President: wjames@winpark.org
Christina Codo, Vice President: ccodo@winpark.org
Mickey Archambault: marchambault@winpark.org
Remember, everyone you know is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind.