The Evanston Human Services Comittee voted Monday to allow South Boulevard Beach on to remain open on weekdays.
When forced to cut spending in February, City Council decided to save $4,000 annually by closing the beach swimming area on weekdays starting this summer as a provision of its 2003-04 budget. But the closure decision soon prompted unfavorable reactions from residents near the beach.
Cynthia Curran has lived near South Boulevard Beach for 30 years and has swum in Lake Michigan every season.
“It reminds me a little of a Meigs Field,” Curran said of the closing, referring to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s recent order to destroy the Chicago airport’s runway.
According to Douglas Gaynor, director of the parks, forestry and recreation department, the closure would have saved the city $4,000 a year.
Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd), whose ward includes the beach but was absent from the meeting, submitted a written statement in support of keeping the beach open. “Every one of (Evanston’s) beaches makes an enormous contribution to the quality of life in Evanston.” Wynne also said in the statement the projected savings were “only a fraction of what we have been told during the budget process.”
Ald. Gene Feldman (9th) moved to approve an amendment to reinstate weekday operation.
“I couldn’t possibly support closing the beach for $4,000, with the commensurate impact on the heart of the community,” he said.
In other business, the committee handled concerns about residential group homes.
Evanston resident Sylvia Livingston complained about what she says is the illegal founding of a group home for elderly people. The home is on Kirk Street in the Eighth Ward. The nonprofit Housing Options is planning to turn the house next to Livingston’s into a home for four or five disabled elderly women.
Livingston said the presence of the home would violate Evanston zoning laws and bring down property values on Kirk.
Wolkenberg told city officials at the meeting that establishing a residence or group home on Kirk was “a bad plan for Housing Options as well as a bad plan for the community.”
The committee will consider Livingston’s complaint at its next meeting, on May 5.
