Village president claps back at ‘unacceptable’ comments from ex Park Board member

Winnetka Village President Chris Rintz shared some parting words for James Hemmings after the recently resigned park board commissioner ripped village officials on his way out.

Rintz, during the Winnetka Village Council’s Tuesday, Jan. 21 meeting, withheld any lengthy statement, but when the topic arose, he called the comments made by Hemmings, who announced his resignation from the park board in mid-December, “unacceptable.”

Rintz’s remarks came after longtime Winnetka resident Irene Smith addressed the council during the public-comment portion of the meeting. Smith expressed concern over the comments Hemmings included in his letter of resignation, particularly his description of the village’s zoning board of appeals as “intellectually strained.”

Smith went on to applaud the zoning board as well as trustees and staff for what she described as the “thorough, professional and fair” job they have done thus far in reviewing the park district’s plans for Centennial Park Beach.

As previously reported by The Record, Winnetka’s zoning board, after more than a dozen hours of deliberation across three public meetings, voted to recommend denial of the park district’s beachfront plans at Centennial.

Hemmings, who was at the time the board’s vice president, announced his departure from the Park Board two days after the zoning board’s vote.

Hemmings’ resignation letter — which the park district sent to The Record upon request — criticized and insulted members of the Zoning Board of Appeals for opposing the park district’s plans for Centennial Park Beach, citing Village officials’ lack of expertise to make such decisions. He also blamed Village of Winnetka staffers for a Zoning Board that he said was under-informed on lakefront issues.

In addition to writing that village regulations are stepping on the Park Board’s authority, Hemmings also criticized village officials and Winnetka residents for the district’s inability to move forward with lakefront projects.

Rintz took a moment to provide a public response to Hemmings’ comments after Smith’s statement during the Jan. 21 meeting, saying it was difficult to keep silent after Hemmings’ “untrue” words.

“All I can say is that Mr. Hemmings should understand what standards each of our approval boards is required to look at, and they don’t need to know about littoral drift to understand zoning concepts,” Rintz said.

“I’m very disappointed in Mr. Hemmings,” Rintz continued. “I thought he was a fine gentleman the few times that I met him. It’s sorry that somebody who served for less than 18 months can go to the press and shoot their mouth off like that and it’s unacceptable.”

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