Centennial Beach plans hit with another negative review

For the second time in five months, a Village of Winnetka regulatory board has rejected Winnetka Park District’s plans for Centennial Park and Beach improvements.

In a unanimous 6-0 vote at its Wednesday, May 28 meeting, the Winnetka Plan Commission recommended denial of the park district’s plans for Centennial, with commissioners saying the plans do not meet the standards for a special use permit.

The village’s Zoning Board of Appeals also levied a negative recommendation on the Centennial plans via a vote on Dec. 9, 2024, as previously reported by The Record.

The Winnetka Park District is seeking a special use permit to allow for improvements to both the park and beach, and steep slope exceptions to enable, among other proposed alterations, an ADA-compliant walkway.

Wednesday night’s almost three-hour meeting was the second time the Plan Commission heard from the park district, after a previous meeting in January left commissioners with questions following a presentation from the park district and commentary from residents.

Prior to the discussion and vote, Winnetka Park District staff gave a 45-minute presentation that summarized their plans, explained the decisions behind those plans, and featured testimony from some of the plan’s consultants.

But the presentation didn’t convince the planning commissioners to recommend the plans, which were unaltered from January. The park district, however, did provide written responses to questions that were raised at the previous meeting.

Pier remains a sticking point

Much like their counterparts on the ZBA, the planning commissioners expressed the most concern with the park district’s requests for a proposed 240-foot pier at Centennial Park Beach.

Commissioner Mamie Case said the proposed improvements to Centennial are inconsistent with the Village’s comprehensive plan, specifically regarding land use.

“The proposed pier represents a significant expansion of built infrastructure into the lakefront, which has historically been preserved as a natural passive use space,” she said, later adding that it “conflicts with the village’s shoreline and environmental goals, and we should seek to minimize shoreline alteration and preserve the natural habitats that we have along Lake Michigan.”

Case also said she didn’t feel the park district adequately explained why the pier was necessary.

“And I’m deeply concerned about the public safety risk the pier proposes, given that it’s likely going to have use by youth programs, proximity of swimmers, and boats,” she said, while adding that, in her opinion, the park district didn’t provide a safety plan that would alleviate her concerns.

Safety surrounding a pier was a common concern among the other commissioners, including Chris Enck, who also serves on the village’s Historic Preservation Commission.

“I understand the necessity for doing something here so the erosion is reduced at this location,” he said. “But the walkway out onto the structure doesn’t seem like it serves much of a positive purpose versus what could result in potential safety risks, especially when lifeguards are off-duty, and the difficulty in securing something like that at night.”

He added that he believes the proposed pier “just encourages people to climb on it more than what’s there existing.”

Commissioner Liz Kunkle, who also represents the village’s Environmental and Forestry Commission, called the plans “overengineered,” and said there must be better options.

“I’m not an engineer. … I don’t have a better solution,” Kunkle said. “I just feel like it’s a little bit too much for the space we’re talking about,” further suggesting that the park district scale the plans back.

Other concerns and what’s next

Commissioners also shared concerns about the proposed ADA-compliant walkway.

“It lacks a detailed engineering plan, a risk mitigation strategy to ensure year-round safety for ADA users, and in its current form, presents physical risks to all users,” Case said, adding, “although the walkway is intended to provide inclusive access, it’s massive in scale with the 10-foot wide ramp and a design that probably looks better on paper than in practice.”

Commissioner Cyrus Subawalla said he believes the proposed walkway is too steep without areas for users to pause.

“They need places to rest,” he said, referring to users who are in wheelchairs.

Commission Chair Layla Danley said everybody believes that Centennial needs improvements and protection, but the park district’s plan is not one that does either.

“There seems to be a dichotomy that’s being presented that it’s this or nothing,” she said. “If we don’t do this, we’re doing nothing, and I don’t think that that is what anybody is saying.”

Following the vote, Park District Executive Director Shannon Nazzal made a brief statement to The Record, saying that the park district appreciates the Plan Commission’s review of the documentation and the comments shared by the public.

“While we are disappointed in the result, we look forward to bringing our application to the Design and Review Board next,” Nazzal said.

The Design and Review Board is the final of the three village regulatory boards that the park district must face before ultimately appearing in front of the Winnetka Village Council.

Although the park district’s plans have received two negative recommendations, neither ends the project, and the Village Council will make the final decision whether the plans move forward or not.

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