Elder Lane Beach reopens to public sans water and pier access

For the first time this decade, the Winnetka Park District’s prized Elder Lane Beach will be open — but in a limited capacity.

The district’s Executive Director Shannon Nazzal announced during the Park Board’s Thursday, May 22 meeting that Elder will open to patrons this Memorial Day weekend in a “sand-only” capacity. Swimming and access to the waters of Lake Michigan will not be available this season as part of the beach’s opening, officials said.

Nazzal told park commissioners that Elder will be staffed and will have set operating hours, adding that the beach will be closed outside of those operating hours. Park district staff will monitor the beach during operating hours while overnight security will do so overnight.

The beach house and restrooms will also be open to patrons, Nazzal said. The beach’s pier is also fenced off and off-limits to guests, officials confirmed during the May 22 session. Park officials also said signage throughout the beach, as well as communications with residents, will note the restrictions in place for this season.

Park commissioners lauded district staff for the “interim plan” to get the beach open, in some capacity, this year.

“In the spirit of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, we are opening sand-only at Elder,” said Park Board President Christina Codo, who later expressed her gratitude by thanking the district’s staff for the “enormous amount of additional work” to open the beach.

“I expect that the neighborhood and the community will be very happy,” Commissioner Cynthia Rapp also noted.

As previously reported by The Record, Park Board commissioners in January of this year directed park staff to explore how to get the long-closed beach ready for this summer.

Park officials have for years stated Elder’s lengthy closure is due to known and documented hazardous conditions. The beach’s waters, according to officials, feature large pieces of debris, including broken concrete and metal. Those “known hazards” are still not fully cleared from the water, making it unsafe for swimmers.

Cleaning it up

The park district is working to move forward with extensive clean-up procedures of both Elder and Centennial beaches, officials noted. The district has all of the necessary permits to proceed with the clean-up work but is still in the process of finalizing a contractor to complete the work.

Nazzal told commissioners that the district went out to bid on the clean-up work but did not receive any formal submissions from contractors. District staffers believe the lack of bids was in large part due to a timeline restriction the park district placed on the project, Nazzal noted, adding that officials had prioritized getting the work done this summer.

The district is now looking at taking the project back out to bid but without the timeline restrictions, Nazzal said. Clean-up work at Elder needs to be completed before the park district can safely open water access at the beach.

Beach improvement update

The limited opening of Elder this season comes as the park district continues efforts to advance its extensive renovation plans for both Elder and Centennial beaches through the village of Winnetka’s review process.

The park district’s request for a special-use permit and steep slope exceptions related to its proposed upgrades at Centennial is set for a second review by Winnetka’s Plan Commission on Wednesday, May 28, Nazzal confirmed.

Winnetka’s zoning board had previously reviewed the district’s application over the course of several lengthy meetings in late 2024 that ultimately resulted in a negative recommendation from the board.

Park officials have submitted the necessary application materials related to the district’s plans for Elder but have not yet received a date for the start of the formal review process through the village’s boards and commissions.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.