Highland Park’s plan to tighten security at its water treatment plant “fails to provide safe and reasonable access to the South Beach,” according to the Park District of Highland Park task force that’s been studying the issue for months.
The Park Avenue boat launch, just south of Highland Park’s water treatment plant, sits on city-owned land that for years has been leased to the Park District of Highland Park, which owns the boat ramp, the floating dock and the building that houses the North Shore Yacht Club.
After city officials announced this fall the boat launch area would be closed to public use in an effort to heighten security at the water plant, the boating community pushed back in protest. City officials agreed to work with the park district task force on a plan to balance security with access.
The mission of the task force was to study the feasibility of boaters using the ramp given the city’s plan to set up a perimeter fence around the water plant, which effectively closes the road on the west side of the plant and creates two-way traffic on the east side.
“We don’t think it’s workable,” said Nelson Armour, a task force member and longtime Highland Park resident, summarizing the task force’s recent report.
The boat ramp will be open this summer, as per usual, but its future beyond that appears murky at this point.
Armour said he was “mildly, cautiously optimistic” that some alternative plan could yet be worked out with the city.
It remains to be seen how much the city is willing to adjust its security plan to compromise for recreational boating.
“Obviously, security is a high priority for us and we want to provide the perimeter fencing, but we also believe in doing what’s in the best interest of the public,” City Manager Ghida Neukirch said.
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Next, city staff will review the task force’s recommendations before bringing any suggested changes to the City Council, Neukirch said.
The most substantial change would be to allow some public traffic through the road on west side of the water plant, but Neukirch said it’s unlikely the city would yield to that request.
“As a staff, we’re not comfortable with allowing vehicular access on the west road,” Neukirch said.
Beyond the task force concerns, the park district’s insurance cooperative – the Park District Risk Management Agency – called the east side of the plant “inadequate for two-way traffic” and recommended a civil engineering study.
Liza McElroy, the park director’s executive director, said the task force’s analysis would be presented to the park board of commissioners in early March. From there, park board members may approve the engineering study for this summer as a next step.
“Further study is required to see what can be done,” McElroy said. “What we know is the current configuration won’t work. What’s beyond that, I don’t know.”
Twitter: @NorthShoreTrib