Park district, New Trier lock in parking agreement

A long-running informal agreement between two public agencies is shifting gears after officials jump-started discussions to reach new terms.

Winnetka Park District commissioners during their Thursday, Dec. 18 meeting approved a formal agreement with New Trier High School for the use of a portion of the district’s parking lot at Elder Lane Park.

New Trier will pay the park district $31,500 in accordance with the new agreement, officials said during the meeting. Sixty designated parking spaces will be allocated to New Trier for student use during school hours, according to the terms of the agreement.

Shannon Nazzal, the park district’s executive director, told the board that the two parties have “for quite some time” had an agreement allowing New Trier to use the space but that there’s never been a written, formal pact for that usage.

Past fees, according to district documents, started in 2002 at $20,000 and reached $25,000 in 2010. The most recent total New Trier paid the district was $27,000, Nazzal said.

Given the informality of the agreement, park district officials kicked into drive discussions surrounding formalizing the process and establishing a written deal for the future.

In addition to the $31,500 price tag, the agreement also includes an annual escalator that’s tied to the Consumer Price Index, capped at 5%, per district documents.

In a memo to the board, Nazzal said the deal allows the district the ability to “make future adjustments in the event of construction or redevelopment at Elder Lane Beach, ensuring flexibility as the site evolves.”

New Trier’s School Board previously approved the agreement, which now also has the greenlight from the Park Board.

Nazzal, in her memo to staff, said negotiations “remained positive” throughout the process and the “proposed agreement reflects a shared interest in supporting students, providing clarity for both parties and responsibility managing district property.”

Park Commissioner Jeff Tyson thanked district staff for “negotiating the terms of the agreement,” adding that the previous informal structure was stale.”

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