Dog owners along Winnetka's Centennial-Elder Lane lakefront have no clear path to off-leash beach access after the Park Board and Village Council reached an impasse over safety measures at the dog beach, which has operated for more than 30 years.

The Park Board voted unanimously on July 23 to install a barrier between Centennial's dog beach and adjacent Elder Lane Beach, where people swim. But the vote came with a catch: the barrier can only move forward if the Village Council agrees to exercise its home rule authority, which would let the park district bypass state and federal permitting for beach improvements.

Village President Bob Dearborn has signaled that agreement is unlikely. Park Board President Elise Gibson told commissioners at the July 23 meeting that Dearborn informed her in a private meeting that the Village Council will not revisit any fencing proposals and does not intend to move forward with a previously discussed Tower Road pilot dog beach program, as reported by The Record North Shore.

The result is operational limbo. The Park Board says a barrier is essential to protect swimmers at Elder Lane Beach from off-leash dogs. The Village Council says it won't approve fencing. Neither body has proposed a next step that the other will accept.

Safety concerns drove the vote

Multiple commissioners framed the barrier as a liability issue. Commissioner Christina Codo said the risk of dogs wandering onto Elder Lane Beach, where swimming is permitted, was unacceptable to her as a board member.

"I cannot expose this organization to that kind of liability. I don't care if there are zero incidents now — one incident is too many," Codo said.

Commissioner David Seaman compared the situation to operating a beach without lifeguards, saying some type of barrier acceptable to the Village is the equivalent safety measure for an off-leash dog area.

New leash rules take effect

The Park Board also voted 6-1 to amend Ordinance 504, requiring dogs to be leashed when entering and exiting dog-friendly areas including Centennial. Park Board attorney Adam Simon said the rule establishes designated entry and exit points as a condition of using the beach.

Commissioner Colleen Root cast the lone dissenting vote. She proposed an alternate version that would have required leashes only at entry and exit but allowed off-leash use on the beach itself, arguing that leashed dogs running in and out of the water risk tangling and creating a safety hazard. Root also contended dog owners bear responsibility for supervising their animals under the existing village leash ordinance.

Simon explained that Root's alternate was premature because the Village must exercise home rule authority before the park district can formally allow off-leash dogs at Centennial.

How the standoff developed

The Village Council rejected the Park Board's fencing plan earlier in 2026 after multiple advisory commissions gave it a negative recommendation. The Village then proposed a Tower Road Beach pilot program that would have run July through September, temporarily closing Centennial's dog beach during that period.

Dog beach users packed the Village Council chambers in early July opposing any Centennial closure. The Village Council indefinitely tabled the Tower Road pilot at a special meeting. The following evening, the Park Board unanimously approved the pilot with the condition that Centennial remain open during it.

Now both proposals appear dead.

The next Winnetka Park Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27, when a consultant is expected to present change orders related to the broader Elder-Centennial beach renovation project. No Village Council meeting date has been announced to take up the home rule question.