Winnetka halts new lakefront construction
Village acts amid concerns about bluff destruction
The Winnetka Village Council voted 5-1 on July 18 to approve a nine-month hold on new lakefront construction.
The move was taken in response to concerns about construction at Justin Ishbia’s lakefront property and the impact bluff destruction could have on neighboring properties.
Since Ishbia purchased four homes along Sheridan Road in Winnetka, three of which have been demolished and encompass a 3.7-acre consolidated lot just south of Centennial Park, residents have expressed concern about his plans. Ishbia has said he and his wife plan to spend $43.7 million to construct their new home, on top of the $39.9 million already spent to purchase the properties.
Since he is the southern neighbor of Centennial Park, Ishbia’s plans were considered as the Park District drafted its plans for the rebuild of Elder Lane and Centennial beaches. He is also the owner of 261 Sheridan Road, a property in between Elder and Centennial beaches that has prevented the Park District from combining the beaches for decades. A controversial land swap deal was signed in October 2020 wherein the Park District would receive 261 Sheridan Road and Ishbia would be given about 70 feet at the south end of Centennial that abuts his property.
Residents came out in May 2022 to protest proposed steel barriers included in the Park District plans for renovations at the beaches. Permits were pulled from submission in June 2022 and the park board has since reworked plans but not resubmitted due in part to remaining uncertainty surrounding the land swap.
The latest development in the saga includes the ongoing destruction of the bluffs along his property as part of the construction.
These concerns reached Village Council and research began into what authority the village has over what goes on at its lakefront.
With the construction pause now in place, new construction that would disturb soil on the steep slope area, including the bluffs and 40 feet of tableland back from the edge, would be prohibited. Specific carve-outs were made to accommodate lakefront homeowners who maintain their bluffs with protective measures like
reinforcements and invasive plant removal.
There is also wiggle room for emergency situations where repairs to existing structures would be needed to stabilize bluffs.
Construction would not pause on Ishbia’s property because permits have already been approved and granted.
For the permits that are sitting in limbo with the village, Trustee Rob Apatoff suggested the village’s coastal engineer look them over and get them through the system so as not to hold up projects that have already begun. One such homeowner, Brandi Levinson, spoke at the July 18 Village Council meeting and said when she and her husband moved to their lakefront home they were told the bluff is only marginally stable and could face issues with continued wear.
“Our bluff is a ticking time
bomb that we have actively been trying to diffuse ever since we purchased the property,” she said.
Those opposed to the moratorium, such as lakefront homeowner William Jackson, worry about the impact regulation could have on property values, saying constraints on land — whatever they are — will lower the value of any land it regulates.
“We all want safety, stability, things of that nature; we just don’t want requirements that cause us to not do what we want to do,” Jackson said. “I’ve poured millions into the stability of the bluff. You change that, I won’t put money into it and it’ll be a big issue.”
Winnetka Village President Chris Rintz said he hopes the community gives the village the chance to protect the bluffs and assured lakefront homeowners they aren’t looking
to impact property values. He pointed the finger at developers coming into the village looking to build large properties and get out while leaving homeowners in for the long haul with the consequences.
“I would challenge any homeowner to go over to the Ishbia’s, and they’re going to be homeowners, but tell me if that’s something that you would want to live with in its current state for the next two or three years of your life,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to help with. We’re trying to help so that people don’t have to deal with that sort of issue.”
Along with the pause on lakefront construction, Village Council voted unanimously to approve the creation of a lakefront preservation overlay district. An overlay district provides extra regulations beyond existing zoning codes to protect certain
kinds of land, in this case on publicly owned land in the village. This would include all publicly owned beaches and street end beaches in the village. If the new landowner wanted to build on the property, they would have to go through a special use permit process with the village.
Officials say the overlay district is designed to protect publicly owned land and preserve it for future generations.
Former Winnetka Park Board President Warren James admonished the village’s timing of the proposed ordinances during the July 20 Winnetka Park District Board meeting saying the village acted against the spirit of cooperation by scheduling them during the July 4 holiday weekend knowing many residents would have vacations planned and the Park District wouldn’t have adequate time to respond.
“The actions taken by the village board appear to be clearly driven to supplant the judgment of this board,” he said. “The publication of notice at the eleventh hour. The actual documents being released at 5 o’clock on a Friday of a holiday weekend for consideration Thursday, that action does not say, ‘We want to work with you.’ Especially when just a week or so prior there was a meeting of the presidents of the board.”
He also said he was particularly disappointed in Commissioners Cynthia Rapp and Colleen Root for walking out of the Park Board special meeting where the board was set to discuss a potential protest against the village in response to the ordinances.
“We can’t act individually. We can only act as a board,” James said. “We can speak our mind as individuals as I am now. Personally, I’m very disappointed.”
James was not at the July 5 meeting citing holiday family plans.
The pair responded saying protesting the village’s plans is against the spirit of cooperation and the Park District still has the right to file suit against the village if the Board chooses to.
“Sitting here, I did not like the direction that the meeting was taking during the comments. I came in with an open mind. I listened. I observed. I asked questions and then I expressed my opinion by leaving, which is a completely valid action under our rules,” Rapp said. “It’s like a filibuster in the Senate. You can operate within your rules to express what you believe is right. The whole thing was disappointing.”
James further questioned Root’s and Rapp’s ability to serve as the board liaison role with the village and the second member on the negotiations team for the stormwater project respectively. Codo replaced Rapp with Vice President Eric Lussen on the negotiations team.
Lussen said the goal of both governmental bodies is to preserve the beach and bluffs, it’s just a question of how to get there.
Despite concerns by the Park Board, many residents have expressed gratitude for Village Council stepping in to make what they see as positive change.
Residents including former Park District Board commissioner Mary Garrison and Vicki Apatoff have tried to continue using the beaches along Ishbia’s property but have been met with security donned with a body camera telling them the beach is private property.
When they informed security the beach is considered public property and residents are legally allowed to walk the beaches at the waterline, the Winnetka Police were called. Police arrived and informed the group they are allowed on the beach but to be sure they don’t enter the construction zone.
Chants of “The Karens are going to jail!” could be heard from the property as construction workers looked on.
“I’m so thankful that Commissioners Rapp and Root walked out that night. It was a pivotal moment,” resident Joanna Karatzas said. “The Village Trustees are acting to try to spare the bluffs which you have seen disappeared on 300 plus feet south of Centennial. I think that should be like an ice pick in your heart.”