In February 2024, the Winnetka Village Board passed ordinance MC-01-2024, also known as the Steep Slope Ordinance, to protect Winnetka's beautiful bluffs.

The set of ordinances that comprise MC-01-2024 severely limits the buildable land area and limits what homeowners can do to improve their homes. 

These ordinances material impact the property values and will have “spillover effects” onto the property values across the village. Since these ordinances were passed, no lakefront property has sold. 

As importantly, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) noted in an independent report that the property owners themselves are the best caretakers of the bluffs, not the village. The village is struggling to take care of the public bluffs it is currently responsible for. 

As a result of the MC-01-2024 ordinance, Winnetka property owners have filed a lawsuit, that can be found here.  

It is the belief of these property owners that the village trustees are not stopping at the lakefront and are considering setting limit rights across all Winnetka’s new building expectations and standards. 

It is worth noting that the village is spending tremendous resources and dollars on legal fees, instead of working with residents to resolve these issues.

While it is a very complex issue and is loosely tied to other property rights issues in the community, there are four main components to the MC-01-2024 ordinance:

• Homeowners can only consolidate 2 PINs
• Homeowners' property line begins at the water line, NOT the 'high-water' mark, thus preserving the privacy of the lakeshore homeowners
• Homeowners are restricted from building 50 feet from a bluff
• Homeowners would have to plant natural vegetation between the bluff and the water line

Winnetka residents assert that this ordinance violates Illinois state law (LaSalle Sinclair factors) and is a taking value without compensation. It also ignores the concerns and priorities of Winnetka citizens. 

Note: Wilmette and Evanston do not have slope ordinances. And Winnetka topography is more like Wilmette than Glencoe -- which is formed from glaciers versus lake bed.

Furthermore, the residents believe The Village Board conducted a predetermined process and did not listen to overwhelming voices that spoke out against these ordinances, and others. 

Over 60 citizens wrote letter to the village asking the village council not to pass the ordinances. Only a few but consistent load citizen were in favor of these ordinances.

A grassroots community organization, WAVE (Winnetkans Against Value Erosion)  has advocated for: 

• Increased government transparency
• Note: Winnetka Trustees have not openly responded to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests
• Winnetka homeowner's interests, especially those that impact rights as property owners and tax dollars are being protected in any new ordinances passed
• The Village Board to run a more inclusive process
• The Village Board is required to follow the law
• Educating and updating the community, mobilizing residents to advocate against harmful future ordinances

A timeline of news articles on the subject can be found here.  

Our Town Winnetka Recommendation:

No one wins if this lawsuit goes to court. 

The heartfelt recommendation is that cooler heads prevail, and the Village Council goes back to the drawing board and fully reconsiders MC-01-2024.

The objective would be to deliver a more sensible, realistic approach; one where the community benefits from our beautiful lakefront and the current and future lakefront homeowners can improve their homes and beachfront in value-increasing solutions, without terrible restrictions.