Winnetka Park Board nixes results from Elder/Centennial survey

The Winnetka Park Board voted to throw out the results of a survey surrounding the Elder Lane/Centennial beach project after a board member expressed concern over not being included in the process.

The five-question engagement survey was given to those who stopped by the Park District booth at the Winnetka Farmer’s Market alongside a short slideshow presentation.

The project has been in the works for years with plans to upgrade both Elder Lane and Centennial beaches with multiple breakwaters, a fenced-in dog beach, an ADA-accessible pathway down to the beach and more. Controversy has followed the project as well with residents campaigning against a now-dormant land swap deal between the Park District and billionaire Justin Ishbia. The swap, if completed, would see the Park District receive the land at 261 Sheridan Road that Ishbia currently owns while he receives a similar-sized parcel of land at the southern end of Centennial Park.

Multiple new village ordinances, a lawsuit against the Park District, another lawsuit against the village and public organizing have stemmed from the project since the swap was signed in October 2020.

Commissioner Colleen Root, who is currently under a year-long censure from her fellow board members, suggested the survey be updated to add the option for written comment but was told by Executive Director Shannon Nazzal that because responses have already come in, this would spoil already recorded results.

Commissioner Warren James argued the results should be tossed outright, saying the board should have been given the chance to “carefully craft” the questions and calling the survey invalid and simplistic.

“If we’re going to send out a survey, the board should know about it,” he said.

Board President Christina Codo explained the survey was created by staff to serve as engagement at the Farmer’s Market, not as a stand-alone on the Park District website. She said she would like to preserve the comments that have already been submitted.

“It’s an attempt to engage people. It’s an attempt to educate them,” she said. “Had we known that we would be eventually putting it up on our website, we would have designed a different survey.”

James pushed the issue further, noting a campaign by those opposed to the project to skew the results has been circulating.

Codo called a vote to keep the survey up on the website but did not receive a second. A second motion by James to pull the survey resulted in a 5-1 vote with Codo voting against the removal.

The Park District has responded to two rounds of comments from the village in the ongoing special-use permit process for the project. Winnetka Park District Director of Parks and Maintenance Costa Kutulas said the village is helping staff craft presentations for each board the project plans will need to clear. Plans need to be reviewed by the Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Design Review Board. Kutulas expects those reviews to begin in September but no dates have been confirmed as of yet.

The Park District was still waiting for results of the village’s stormwater survey as of the July 22 meeting. Results of the study will dictate if the existing stormwater outfall pipe at Elder Beach is sufficient or if it needs replacing. Results were originally expected in early July.

Estimates for the Elder portion of the project currently sit at $6,870,064 but includes additional funding if the stormwater pipe requires work. Cost estimates for the Centennial portion are estimated at $6,555,749. Both estimates do not include contingency costs.

Plans are still on track to have both beaches open for the 2026 season, barring any further delays, according to a memo from Kutulas.