Life's a Beach: How to Renovate Rosewood

There are few summer pleasures as universal as stretching out on a beach, enjoying sun, sand and surf. 

From Highland Park to Hawaii, San Diego to Sydney, I have had the opportunity to visit seaside sand bars all over the world. Yet there is one beach I haven't visited in many years -- , right here at home in Highland Park. 

Part of the reason is the easy beach access I have in Fort Sheridan, with both the OpenLands and Forest Preserve access. The rest is my impression of the facility as small, cramped and, in all honesty, not much of a beach.

Options for renovations

Since 2008, the Park District of Highland Park has aimed to improve the city's primary public beach. Various proposals have been surfaced, proposed, challenged and argued since the efforts began. 

In an effort to unify divergent visions for the future of the beach, the Park District recently assembled a Rosewood Beach Task Force. Members include existing Park District board members as well as community leaders. 

As reported last week, the. Three architecture firms have been given the opportunity to design proposals for the beach. David Fairman, Park District Commissioner and the Chairman of the task force, told Patch that the proposals are intended to deliver on key principles -- more year-round use of the beach, bicycle access, provide needed facilities and comply with the requirements of an $850,000 museum grant. Proposals are due later this year.

Controversy continues to surround the project. The Ravinia Neighbors Association (RNA) has expressed concerns with the general idea of a permanent structure at Rosewood Beach, with a letter campaign and petition started a year ago. They agree the lakefront is ripe for new attention, and suggest small changes to improve the character of the beach and adjacent park grounds. However the neighbors, and about 150 signatures on their petition, feel that the Park District's vision is overbuilt, that there is no need for an interpretive facility and that concessions at the beach are unlikely to succeed.

Development can be good

In the Town of Fort Sheridan, we have actively encouraged development that will bring people from outside the neighborhood to enjoy its features. The forest preserve, the historic buildings, the Midwest Young Artists facility, the beach access and the OpenLands project all increase the traffic in the neighborhood.

Yet in Ravinia, the neighborhood voices mostly say NIMBY ("Not in my back yard"). The comments on the RNA blog scoff at the idea of a "party room," or any thought that the beach needs to be anything other than what it is. 

I disagree.

I support the Park District's vision. In a community where a beach is normally considered only a summertime asset, why wouldn't we construct a facility that would increase that property usage to year-round? A climate-controlled building with a large-enough room could suddenly transform Rosewood into a waterfront classroom. The lake, hidden behind homes along 90 percent of Highland Park's lakefront, would suddenly become more accessible to all, 365 days a year. 

Yes, a small building just with restrooms and showers would be enough. Adding a muliti-purpose room (four more walls, a little more roof, a little more ventilation) will not significantly add to the cost of the overall project. Yet it adds tremendous flexibility to the space for years into the future. I would love to have a birthday party for one of my little ones at such a facility. Sure, we could go have it on the beach today, but a room allows parents to keep a closer eye on children in a more controlled environment. It also provides a solution for an extra-hot or rainy day for people to still enjoy the beach.

An unobtrusive facility

Where I agree with the Ravinia Neighbors Association is that the facility should be designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. I do not claim to be an environmental expert, so I can't comment on the many assertions that a building cut into the side of the bluff will damage the bluff. To me, building along the bluff seems more desirable than at the foot of the parking lot, blocking the view of the lake itself. 

It seems like, when combined with the planned enlargement of the beach itself, and perhaps the advocated wood paths instead of asphalt, and using LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) gudelines, the Rosewood project could be a 365-day-a-year win for Highland Park, on par with Heller Nature Center, the Rec Center or other great facilities. 

Why wouldn't we want our beach to measure up to the rest?