Winnetka Village Council approves lot consolidation regulation in wake of ongoing lakefront controversy

Alex Hulvalchick, Chicago Tribune
·2 min read
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The Winnetka Village Council approved an ordinance limiting lot consolidations within the village in response to resident concerns about Justin Ishbia’s property on the lakefront.

The council voted unanimously during its Dec. 19 meeting to approve the measure, which would see lot consolidations go through the same special-use permit process required for other land use changes. A lot consolidation request would need a special-use permit if the requested new lot would be two times greater than the minimum required lot size or the minimum required average lot width. Sizes and minimums vary by zone within the village.

Village President Chris Rintz said during the Nov. 14 Village Council meeting that the ordinance is designed to help prevent large homesteads from being built on large consolidated lots. He said if someone were to come in and purchase multiple lots, they could build huge homes on the lot and effectively change the character of the neighborhood.

Rintz was not in attendance at the Dec. 19 meeting.

The issue came to a head in the village after council approved the consolidation of four lots totaling 3.7 acres owned by Ishbia along the lakefront just south of Centennial Park with plans to build a $43.7 million mansion there for his family.

The village is also looking to add steep slope regulations that would prevent the building of unauthorized structures on the steep slope region of the bluffs in an effort to protect them.

A public hearing on the steep slope regulation is schedule during the Jan. 9 Village Council meeting.

Residents who have opposed Ishbia’s construction and dealings with the Winnetka Park District said they approve of the lot consolidation effort with hopes it could prevent wealthy residents from buying up the lakefront and preventing passage along public property.

Other residents, including John Edwardson, a lakefront homeowner and neighbor to the north of Elder Lane Park, argue there are better ways for the village to manage the issue.

“What we heard over the months and years is that you wanted to prevent another thing happening like what happened at 251 Sheridan,” Edwardson said. “We have a lot of creative people on this Village Council and all you can think to do is to regulate every other lakefront owner with steep slope regulations because you’re unhappy about one homeowner and what they did. There’s got to be a different way to handle it.”