Glencoe building task force to review lakefront parking concerns

Facing increasing demand from lakefront residents to do something about parking congestion near their homes, Glencoe officials are creating a task force to study the area and come up with recommendations on how to address those concerns.

Village Manager Phil Kiraly briefly spoke about the Beach Parking Task Force during the Glencoe Village Board’s regular meeting on Thursday, July 16, and said that applications are now open for interested residents.

As previously reported by The Record, residents who live close to Glencoe Beach and Lakefront Park have demanded change from Village officials over the past few months, saying that there is a lack of parking enforcement in the area and it is causing problems for those who live near the lake.

Several neighbors have argued that nonresidents have contributed to the issues, which reportedly includ littering and parking in front of driveways and fire hydrants.

In April, the Village Board passed several ordinances aimed at addressing the parking concerns, but residents have argued that those ordinances aren’t enough and that more needs to be done.

Kiraly said at Thursday’s meeting that the task force is being created “in response to continued review of the public concerns and questions that have come up over the last several months regarding parking and congestion around Glencoe Beach and Lakefront Park.

“In response, the Village and (Glencoe) Park District are forming a joint task force to review parking and other operational questions in that area,” he continued.

Kiraly added that the task force will consist of community members and be co-chaired by a Village trustee and Park Board commissioner.

Applications for the task force are due next Friday, July 24, but Kiraly said that deadline may be extended.

The current timeline, according to Kiraly, is to have the task force formed in August, and that they will hold public meetings at the Takiff Center monthly from September through December, and possibly in January if necessary.

The goal of the task force is to ultimately come up with recommendations for both the Village Board and Park Board to consider.

Applications for interested community members can be found on both the Village and park district’s websites, in addition to social media platforms for both governing bodies, and it was reportedly included in Friday’s Village e-news.

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