Wilmette's Village Board of Trustees and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings are both cancelled the week of Monday, July 14. But between then and Tuesday, July 21, four other North Shore boards will take votes on a short-term rental ban, a contested TIF district, a lakefront dog beach agreement, and a library tax levy that together touch property owners from Waukegan Road in Northfield to Elm Street in Winnetka.

Meanwhile, the house at 610 Forest Avenue in Wilmette just sold for $5.5 million during the week of June 29, topping all Cook and DuPage County residential sales that period. The 6,020-square-foot, six-bedroom home was built in 1915.

Winnetka: short-term rental ban heads to final vote

Winnetka's Village Council is expected to vote Tuesday, July 21 on a formal ban of short-term rentals, defined as stays of fewer than 60 consecutive days. The ordinance would also cap residential turnover at two unique tenants per 12-month period.

Trustees introduced the ban at their July 7 meeting but tabled final adoption after Trustee Tina Dalman raised concerns about a loophole in the family-member exemption. Trustee Bridget Orsic said she disagreed with the delay: "I would want to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and if we need to tweak any definitions…I just don't want to keep pushing this off."

Village President Bob Dearborn suggested tabling to tighten the language. Three trustees were absent July 7. Community Development Director Scott Mangum told Pioneer Press that short-term rentals were technically prohibited by their absence from the zoning code, but without definitions, enforcement was nearly impossible. Staff discovered a local Airbnb listing dating to 2021.

Glencoe, Northfield, and Wilmette have already banned rentals shorter than 30 days.

Northfield TIF: two school districts formally oppose

The proposed TIF district along Happ Road in Northfield faces a joint review board meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, July 15. No public agenda has been posted. Residents can check village.northfield.il.us for confirmation.

Under Illinois TIF law, the joint review board, composed of representatives from all affected taxing bodies, must issue an advisory opinion before the village can formally adopt the district. The opinion is non-binding but carries political weight.

New Trier High School District 203 formally opposed the TIF on Monday, May 18, arguing it would freeze tax revenue flowing to the school and shift the burden to other taxpayers, according to the Record North Shore. Sunset Ridge School District 29 followed on Monday, June 9, unanimously passing a resolution against the plan, citing concerns about a potential surplus of new students and a lack of transparency from the village.

The Northfield Village Board moved its next meeting from July 28 to Tuesday, July 21.

Winnetka: Tower Road dog beach awaits village sign-off

The Winnetka Park District Board unanimously approved a pilot program on Tuesday, July 1 allowing off-leash dogs at Tower Road Beach from 6 to 8:30 a.m. weekdays and 6 to 9 a.m. weekends through Monday, September 7. The condition: Centennial Beach stays open for on-leash dogs during the trial.

The village and park district split ownership of Tower Road Beach, with the park district leasing the village's half since 1942. Dearborn said the two bodies were "not together on it yet." The Village Council is expected to take up the intergovernmental agreement Tuesday, July 21.

Wilmette Library: levy ordinance and Friday hours

The Wilmette Public Library Board meets Tuesday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower-level auditorium at 1242 Wilmette Ave. The agenda includes Tentative Ordinance No. 2026/27-218, the library's annual tax levy for fiscal year 2026/27. The levy amount has not been posted. The board also discussed a recommendation at its June 16 meeting to change Friday evening hours starting in fall 2026.

North Shore government calendar: July 14–21

  • Wednesday, July 15 (unconfirmed) | Northfield — Joint review board, TIF advisory opinion. Check village.northfield.il.us for agenda.
  • Monday, July 20 | 7 p.m. | Kenilworth Village Board — Continued review of Park Place PUD and Certificate of Appropriateness at 515-519 Park Drive. Agenda at vok.org.
  • Tuesday, July 21 | Winnetka Village Council — Short-term rental ban vote; Tower Road dog beach agreement. Check winnetka.org for posted agenda.
  • Tuesday, July 21 | 6:30 p.m. | Wilmette Public Library Board — Levy ordinance, Friday evening hours. 1242 Wilmette Ave., lower-level auditorium.
  • Tuesday, July 21 | Northfield Village Board — Meeting moved from July 28. Check village.northfield.il.us for agenda.