New Regulations at Elmwood Dunes Has Mixed Results

When Wilmette officials opened Elmwood Dunes Preserve to the public, they approved new rules including no swimming, campfires, smoking or drinking in hopes of shaping the beach to be a passive use nature preserve, but so far, the results have been mixed, Chicago Tribune reported.

Dennis Chookaszian, a homeowner who lives to the north of Elmwood, says he’s had to call police six times for reasons such as people on his property to illegal swimming; the village says regulating the beach is a work in progress and the park district has agreed to have staff at Elmwood on weekends and holidays, for which the village reimburses the park district about $7,900, plus additional $1,500 for beach maintenance, the newspaper reported.

Elmwood Dunes Preserve is an 80-foot wide, 600-foot long strip of land wedged between two properties on the lakeshore that runs from the eastern end of Elmwood Avenue to Lake Michigan. In the past Chookasizan has offered to buy the property for the full $1.2 million appraised value and maintain it as a nature sanctuary.

Earlier

• Committee Recommends Public Nature Preserve for Elmwood Avenue Property
• Gallery: Residents Clean Up Elmwood Beach