Spot Check: Residents told the Winnetka Park District to Pound Sand. Here's what happened. What's next is anybody's guess. |
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A donation-turned-joint venture, a land-swap with conditions, an Exchange Agreement without them, 22 months of closed session negotiations, board members in the dark, proposals published but not seen, an angry vox populi, a recalled government application, a dug-in board president, a silent "silent majority," a closed-session Guest of Honor with a microphone, and an IDNR with time on its hands. For now.
Welcome to sausage-making, Winnetka-style.
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It was all going so well. The plan for the June 16th Winnetka Park District Board Meeting was to listen to the residents, meet in closed session with the owner of the property between the two beaches (AKA the guy on the other end of the Exchange Agreement and the co-applicant for US Army Corps of Engineers/Illinois Department of Natural Resources permits) then return to open session and boldly and confidently announce next steps in the rollout of the combined Elder and Centennial Beach – the last Big Deal in the 2030 Waterfront Master Plan. Kumbaya.
Then the wheels came off.
Cringe-worthy moment on steroids. After more than an hour of public comments, the Property Owner went off script, took the microphone, pleaded his case to an open-mouthed audience, hijacked the amygdalae of several commissioners who subsequently engaged, offered to nix his wall (but not his plantings, landscaping, or demand that without permits, no swap) and handed out a "solution" he was certain would be approved by USACE/DNR.
Oh, and "I'm not waiting 6 months for you to approve this."
Checkers meet chess.
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WPD Revised
9/9/21
Submitted
10/13/2020
Recalled
6/10,2022
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Orchard 2020 Proposal
6/16/21
AKA Sacrificed Queen?
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In 2016, the Winnetka Park Board approved the Waterfront 2030 Plan – the Master plan to preserve and improve all 5 of Winnetka's beaches and its beachfront parks.
Ticking through the Plan, the Board was down to the last deliverable – a combined Elder-plus-Centennial beach with a best-case purchase of the property between the two beaches – when the owner offered to swap it out for a part of Centennial Park.
And signed a contract – an Exchange Agreement – for a simple 1-for-1 land swap. Called "generous."
Agreement in hand, the Board and its consultants went to work on the details, including a breakwater design to preserve the eroding lakefront. The Property Owner said he needed security and privacy. A breakwater became a wall with steel louvers. With landscaping. In planters. On his property. Making him a co-applicant and netting the Park District an additional 30-plus feet of beachfront. Thank me later.
He also needed assurances this deal could get done. So, called it: Permits before property. And a confidentiality clause to make sure negotiations stayed private.
A simple land swap no more. The "gift" from "a generous donor" morphed into a "deal" with a co-applicant in a joint venture. With a taxing body. Negotiated in private. Details hidden from public scrutiny.
USACE/IDNR had concerns that the walls-plus-louvers restricted access and views. But residents, concerned about the loss of the dog beach at Centennial, missed the significance of the revised breakwaters.
In the fall of 2021, with the concept and Exchange Agreement finalized, the Board, with the Property Owner as co-applicant, went for final permitting. The Park Board then held two open houses to present the plans to residents.
This time, residents got it.
On June 16th, after two contentious-defining Park Board meetings, and a recall of the application, the Board attempted to try to get back on track.
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What do They Want? When do They Want it? |
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Residents, no louvers, no wall; Property Owner, OK, but planters, landscaping, and a seat at the USACE/IDNR table, or no deal.
Not quite sure who was the rock, who was the hard place, the Board dug in:
Seaman: Let's not do this again. Two commissioners plus Park Board staff in every negotiation, no disrespect to the two who'd gotten us here.
Root: No deal until title. Stake in the sand. Get to closing, then work "collaboratively to do the design.” Until then, nothing to see here.
Lussen: Winnetka is anti-progress. "Help us get to the right spot." Optionality matters. Fix the beaches, then see where we are.
Rapp: To clarify, the Board voted on the Plan on August 26, 2021, but the public didn't see the louvers until September 9, 2021.
Codo (Board Co-Chair): The District's "250-basis points in the money" and has until December to use it. Refinancing at today's rates? Ouch.
Archambault: Cautions against analysis paralysis. Seconds having two commissioners plus staff at all meetings – for best thinking.
James (Board Chair): Expected the deal, signed in October 2020, would take "6-18 months" to closing. The contract “did not contemplate anything to do with the lakefront improvements.” Best case: Sole applicant.
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- Immediate vs excellent? For all those "clock is ticking's," a little context. The Village of Winnetka just approved the Stormwater Management Project. Eleven years after negotiations began. The Park District's only been at this for 2.
- Zero-to-hero and back again? The Property Owner's willing to go "no wall." Why? Why now? And why in public after 22 months of closed doors?
- When Board President James says we're back to square one, which square one does he mean?
- How long is perpetuity? If permitting is granted jointly, what happens when board members who cut this deal term out? What protections/rights/responsibilities do taxpayers and their reps have then?
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Walk away, Warren? Many residents want the Board to walk away from the deal. The Master Plan includes an option to combine the beaches without the property-in-the-middle while waiting for the right time to acquire it. No hands tied, no joint responsibilities.
- Most of all, those 22 months of confidentiality. And what the Board members know that at least one of them wishes residents did. Will the Property-Owner-with-a-Microphone release the District to find out? How are the Board's hands tied? What's the deal...really?
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According to Board President James, 5 months, and money. The Board starts over. - or as over as it can. Pays for withdrawing the application. Promises to include public comments in the new application.
The most obvious move is to call the contract – as Commissioner Root says, "We're in our 5th contingency period" – redesign the breakwaters, move them onto Park District property, put the property-in-the-middle on hold, and go for permits as a sole applicant.
Unless the unknown knowns from those 22 months of closed sessions are lying in the tall grass.
And The Waterfront 2030 Plan?
Maybe it's time is not now. Most of it has been completed. Commissioner James says we may only have money to cherry-pick elements of the combined lakefront beach, anyway, so maybe now's the time to get done what we can get done.
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Next Up - July 18th "Work Session."
They promised.
Time and place, TBD.
An agenda would be nice, too. As soon as we know, you'll know.
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Learn – Learn – Share.
Commissioner Root says "if you knew what we know..." Learn what you can. This is a good start.
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Videos of the last two (and only recorded) WPD meetings here.
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Video of the June 7, 2022 Village Council meeting here
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WPD Document Dump here. Plans, revised plans, contracts, presentations, applications. Check back often. As they generate work product, they promise to post it here.
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WPD Video presentation of the combined beach plan with breakwaters explained here.
Back by popular demand:
Lucky Strike Extra:
And where to go to put it to work:
Don't be a stranger.
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Correction: Our last Spot Check stated that the next time the Village Council would see the proposed Beachfront Plan was for zoning relief. This is incorrect. The Village Council would see the Plan for a Plat of Consolidation.
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