Residents Raise Concerns About Plans For Fence At Public Beach In Winnetka

WINNETKA, IL — Numerous residents have raised concerns about the recent approval of a permit that would allow the Winnetka Park District to install fencing at Centennial Beach for a proposed dog park project.

Last year, the park district submitted an application to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources requesting a permit to build fencing at Centennial Beach. The project would include an area of about 0.68 acres of the village's shoreline with chain-link fencing on both ends of the area.

The fencing would have gates on both sides and would be temporary with plans for a future permanent design, according to the park district's application, which was posted on its website in October. In the proposal, Parks and Maintenance Director Costa Kutulas said the fencing in necessary to maintain the use of the off-leash dog beach.

"The proposed enclosed area will provide a safer, more controlled off-leash environment for dog owners while ensuring continued shoreline access for non-dog beach users, as required by state and federal agencies," Kutulas wrote in the proposal.

Residents worry that the park district has misrepresented the facts in their proposal in an effort to privatize the public beach. In letters submitted to the IDNR, residents argued that while the park district said the fence would go into the lake only 15 feet, its drawings seem to show that the fencing would extend over 100 feet on one side.

According to IDNR Public Information Officer Brandon Damm, the department reviewed the park district's application pursuant to the department’s Regulation of Public Waters administrative rule and determined it was permittable. In order to approve a permit, the IDNR considers several factors, including public comments and the applicant's response to the comments.

In the permit's approval, the IDNR mentioned that park districts have the right to enclose a portion of submerged land, "in which there shall be shoal and shallow water not fit for navigation." Resident Kris Schriesheim told Patch that the area is easily and frequently navigable by boaters in the area and argued that the shoreline was being falsely described.

Though the residents argue that the permit was based on inaccurate information and should be rescinded, the IDNR said there is currently no basis to consider rescinding the permit at this time.

In this matter, the park district also received permitting approvals from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecosystems and Environment, and is anticipated to receive another approval from the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

With the permit approved, the park district will present its proposals to three subcommittees before village trustees take a final vote. The proposal is expected to be discussed at the following upcoming meetings:

• Plan Commission - Jan. 28, 7 p.m., Winnetka Village Hall
• Zoning Board of Appeals - Feb. 9, 7 p.m., Winnetka Village Hall
• Design Review Board - Feb. 19, 7 p.m., Winnetka Village Hall