Village officials talk residents through review process for park district’s Elder-Centennial application

Winnetka trustees continued their preparations for a zoning relief application from the Winnetka Park District that will soon sail its way into their chambers — and will likely face a lengthy review process and a boatload of public feedback.  

The Village Council devoted a portion of their Tuesday, Aug. 6 meeting to reviewing the special-use process while also detailing for the community the several roles and responsibilities of the council’s advisory boards.

Trustees’ formal review comes in advance of an approaching request from the Winnetka Park District for its Centennial Park and Beach project.

The park district’s plans for both Centennial and Elder park beaches, previously covered by The Record, would create a renovated swimming beach, viewing pier, breakwaters, boardwalk, landscaping and off-leash dog park.

More specifically, with its request, the park district is seeking a permit to allow the construction of its proposed improvements to the beaches, a variance to permit development in the setback from the ordinary high water mark, an exception to allow development in the steep slope zone, and an exception to approve construction of retaining walls in the steep slope zone, as also previously reported by The Record.

David Schoon, Winnetka’s community development director, said during Tuesday’s meeting that the park district has opted to first move forward with its zoning relief application for the scope of work at just Centennial Park and Beach. 

The park district is allowed to do so “since Centennial is a separate legal parcel from Elder Lane Park and Beach,” Schoon said in a village memo to trustees. 

According to information presented by Schoon at the meeting, the park’s application for work at Centennial is currently under review by village staff and consultants. Winnetka park officials first submitted their special-use permit application in early April.

Village officials provided the park district with their first round of feedback on the proposal in late April, according to a staff memo from Costa Kutulas, the Winnetka Park District’s director of parks and maintenance. 

Park officials then followed up in late May and subsequently received feedback from the village. 

“At the end of June, staff completed its second review of materials submitted by the Park District and provided the Park District staff with comments and informed them that additional information is necessary prior to determining that the application is ready for review by the advisory bodies,” Schoon said in his memo to the council. 

Schoon also noted the park district “submitted revised plan sheets and some of the revised narrative materials” in mid-July. He added that village staff are expecting to receive additional materials from the park district related to its application in early August. 

“It is not unusual for a special use permit application involving site improvements to require multiple staff reviews prior to the application being ready for review by the advisory bodies,” Schoon said in the memo and reiterated to trustees at the Aug. 6 session.

According to village officials, the earliest that Winnetka’s Zoning Board would begin its review of the park district’s application is September. 

The park district’s quest for village approval will likely include at least one public hearing before each of Winnetka’s advisory boards (the Zoning, Design Review, Plan commissions) before making its way in front of the Village Council. 

The purpose of Tuesday’s proceedings, which included a presentation from Schoon and brief deliberation from trustees regarding the special-use process for this application, were largely to summarize for the community how the park’s request will be handled. 

“We really want everybody in the community to understand the process and what the appropriate places to come and register your concerns are along the way,” Village President Chriz Rintz said, adding that “people are having a difficult time understanding the multi-stage approval process that we have.” 

Following Schoon’s presentation, officials spent the majority of their remaining time discussing what project elements — and to what extent — the various advisory boards will review prior to the proposal reaching the council’s docket. 

Officials also took time to clarify the permitting process. It was noted that a common community concern was that permits for the project could be issued before or during the review process.

“I think one of the biggest takeaways is that no permits can be issued until zoning entitlement has been given,”  Village manager Rob Bahan clarified “ … (Permits being issued) is not going to happen until zoning is completed. The special-use process has to be completed in full.” 

Overall, trustees felt the meeting proved beneficial for the community’s understanding of the upcoming application. 

“I think this is a great session to have so that everyone’s on the same page,” Trustee Bob Dearborn said. “I think it’s good for the applicant to make sure that everyone is thinking the same way of this process. This is really good.” 

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