Chart Our Future City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Master Plan | Page 17

FACILITIES
Develop Forest Park Beach Boathouse
• Design and construct a facility at Forest Park Beach to provide support and programming space for the sailing program and other boating and beach uses.
Description
Forest Park Beach offers unique programming and recreational services through the boating center. The Parks and Recreation Department rents kayaks, sailboats,
and paddleboats out of this facility and operates the sailing programs for child and adult education. These programs and activities are fairly unique in the
Chicagoland area and are popular among Lake Forest residents and non-residents. Many participants in the Connect Phase suggested that sailing and boating could
be improved and expanded with the addition of indoor space at Forest Park Beach specifically designed for the support of these activities. Currently, classes are
held off-site at the Recreation Center or under the open-air pavilion at the beach. Neither option is meeting program needs as the Recreation Center lacks the size
and purpose-driven space to teach specialty classes and the shelter is unusable during inclement weather and in the winter. In addition to providing sailing-specific
program and classroom space, a new boathouse will likely need boat and equipment storage and high-quality restrooms and locker rooms. Other in-demand indoor
amenities identified in the Indoor Space Needs Study may also be appropriate at the boathouse such as rental space, multi-purpose program space, or a small
performance venue.
Improve Vehicular and Pedestrian Access to Forest Park Beach
• Complete erosion control and road improvements on the north access road to Forest Park Beach
• Consider adding an adjacent designated lane or path for bike use
• Monitor and control slope erosion
Description
Forest Park Beach is located along the shore of Lake Michigan at the bottom of a steep bluff which is experiencing serious erosion. In the summer of 2017, the Parks
and Recreation Department had to close half of the north access road reducing the road to a single lane due to erosion which made the paving unsafe for vehicular
traffic. In the summer of 2018, the wooden boardwalk and the other half of the northern road were also closed to the public when further slope erosion made them
structurally unsound. This boardwalk was removed later in 2018. Following these closures, the only access to the beach is the southern access road and the staircases
at the middle and south of the beach. None of these routes are accessible and this has severely limited parking at Forest Park Beach with the north lot being
inaccessible.
The beach is a very popular destination in the City of Lake Forest and was the overwhelming favorite park reported in the online survey (41.9% of respondent’s
favorite). Many users do not live near Forest Park Beach and drive to the park to visit. Parking was in high-demand before the road closures and improving access
to the beach was suggested by many online survey respondents and stakeholders. Most of the comments regarding vehicular access called for repairing and fully
reopening the north access road. For pedestrian access, comments cited a lack of seating along the paths and difficulty physically getting to the beach from the
top of the bluff. Even before the wooden boardwalks were closed, there were no ADA accessible paths down the bluff. Additionally, a few stakeholders and survey
respondents commented that bicycles are not allowed in Forest Park Beach, further limiting resident’s options for access and alternative transportation methods.
ENVISION: STRATEGIES
CITY OF LAKE FOREST PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
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