Analysis recommends replacement of a foot of soil to remedy glass and other hazards in Crow Island Woods

The Winnetka Park Board on Thursday directed staff to work together with Village and school district leaders to figure out how to clean up Crow Island Park after construction left debris, including glass.

The unanimous Oct. 24 vote comes five months after park district staff discovered debris in Crow Island Park and the surrounding areas as a result of the Village of Winnetka’s ongoing stormwater project.

As previously reported by The Record, park district staff previously met with the Village to come to a solution, but the park district was not satisfied with the plan the Village had put forward.

Winnetka School D36 officials have also said they had been dealing with debris left behind at Crow Island School.

The park district ultimately hired GEI Consultants, of Chicago, to do a third-party analysis of soil conditions at Crow Island Park. Their final analysis and recommendation for remediation was released on Oct. 9.

Costa Kutulas, director of parks and maintenance for the Winnetka Park District, said on Thursday that GEI took three soil samples from Crow Island Park for analysis. They determined that the first sample contained 3.8 percent of deleterious, or harmful, materials, while the second sample was at 4.7 percent and the third 6.2 percent.

GEI’s report indicated that the debris included broken glass and metal shards.

The suggested remedy for debris removal, according to Kutulas, is to remove the top 12 inches of soil and replace it with clean topsoil.

Kutulas also said in his report that Crow Island Park rentals have “declined a little bit,” but that the park district is still seeing some people asking to use the park facilities.

Park Board President Christina Codo suggested that commissioners direct Kutulas and Shannon Nazzal, the park district’s executive director, to meet with Winnetka Village Manager Rob Bahan, Village Director of Engineering James Bernahl, and D36 Superintendent Dr. Kelly Tess and her engineering staff to come up with a solution.

“I just wanted to articulate that as experts in the room solving the problem, all three parties get together,” Codo said, noting that she felt commissioners didn’t need to be present at any meetings.

Commissioner Warren James said whatever solution the three entities come up with should, at a minimum, follow GEI’s recommendation.

“I would add that I hope that this can be done expeditiously,” he said. “It’s been five months since this condition was first observed, and I think the public deserves a prompt response and remediation.”

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