Dog owners who use Centennial Park Beach for off-leash morning walks face a potential relocation to Tower Road Beach under a proposal Winnetka Village officials pitched to Park District leaders this month.

Village President Bob Dearborn told the Village Council on Tuesday, June 16, that he and two other Village officials met with Park District leaders on Monday, June 8, and proposed moving the decades-old off-leash dog beach from Centennial to Village-owned beachfront at Tower Road.

The proposal would limit dog access to early-morning hours, approximately 6 to 9 a.m., before the beach opens to swimmers.

No agreement has been reached, and the Park District has not publicly commented on the proposal. Negotiations remain ongoing.

The dispute traces to 2025, when Cook County officials informed the Park District that Centennial Park Beach no longer met regulatory guidelines for an off-leash facility, according to Park Board discussions reported by The Record.

The specific regulation has not been publicly identified. The Park Board responded by approving a fenced-in dog beach plan at Centennial.

That plan drew unanimous negative recommendations from the Village's Plan Commission, Design Review Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals before the Village Council rejected it 5-1 on Monday, May 19.

Trustees called the fencing proposal "excessive, unprecedented and fundamentally flawed."

The Park Board then voted 5-2 on Wednesday, May 28, to direct staff and legal counsel to pursue an intergovernmental agreement with the Village on lakefront improvements, including the dog beach.

At the June 8 meeting, Dearborn was joined by Village Manager Kristin Kazenas and Village Attorney Peter Friedman. The Park District sent Executive Director Shannon Nazzal, Park Board President Elise Gibson, and Park Board attorney Adam Simon.

Dearborn said the Village was "not prepared to discuss in substantive detail" a broader intergovernmental agreement or memorandum of understanding, though officials "respectfully listened" to the district's thoughts.

Since that sit-down, Dearborn said Gibson asked whether he had raised the intergovernmental agreement concept with the full council. He confirmed he had spoken individually with each trustee before the June 16 meeting.

Tower Road Beach is a swimming-only beach where boats, jet skis, and paddleboards are already prohibited, according to the Park District's website. The beachfront land at Tower Road is owned by the Village, not the Park District.

For Centennial Park Beach users, the outcome hinges on whether the Park District accepts the relocation or continues pushing for an on-site solution.

No next meeting date or formal negotiation timeline has been announced.