Rosewood Beach

I stood out in the streets this summer, in downtown Highland Park and Ravinia, collecting signatures to limit the footprint of the proposed Rosewood Beach project. Easily, 7 of 10 people signed on to limiting development. Approximately 3 of every 10 expressed a need to learn more before signing. Only a rough half dozen said they would want more than the “small footprint” to provide for “basic beach needs” with “other amenities provided on a seasonal basis” as the petition put forth. I spoke with 400+ people, which of course does not represent all of Highland Park, but it is, I believe, no less than Park District polled as they set about committing large amounts of public money to an agenda that was of their own making. In response, volunteers have gathered approximately 1000 signatures opposing the Park District’s proposal.

The way Patch Local has framed this story is misleading. The grant money is put forth prominently, though grant money would not pay for the bulk of the initial project, much less any of the considerable future upkeep. It does not seem at all unlikely that costs would soon usher in a new "pay to visit Rosewood Beach" scenario as has happened in Glencoe and Lake Forest once their beaches were developed. We have very little open beach for the public. We have little undeveloped, natural space. I would suggest to those seeking a high amenity swim beach that Glencoe in only a few miles further south.

It is frustrating to have put so many months of volunteer labor into gathering together voices that have gone unheard, only to have Patch decide that "fairness" means putting an equal number of pro and con statements out to those who have little knowledge of what is truly being proposed. This would not seem to represent an accurate picture of public sentiment, or even some of the basic facts, which in some cases are misrepresented by those commenting.  

The Park District has had a great deal of paid personnel working on and pushing this issue for years. (The first referendum failed miserably.) They have spent our tax money printing glossy presentations and sales materials, which twist the conversations that I have heard in public meetings. When they got wind of a group of volunteers working to sign petitions because countless voices of people opposing this were never listened to, the Park District stepped up its efforts and hired a PR person to push harder.  I am glad that after much awareness- raising effort that the Park District is finally starting to acknowledge the dissent and consider what the public might really want. It will be interesting to see what happens at the public meetings on May 2nd and 6th.