At their meetings this week, the Highland Park City Council and Park District Board of Commissioners approved an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for the City-owned property commonly known as Park Avenue Boating Facility. Under the conditions of the IGA, the Park District will have the right to use the property for public recreation purposes for a term of 50 years, including but not limited to fishing, power boating, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, use of the Yacht Club building, camp programming, and other comparable activities. No rent or fee will be paid to the City by the Park District for the term of the agreement.

The agreement allows the Park District to make any necessary repairs or improvements to the boating facility so long as they do not impact the operation and maintenance of the water plant or present any threat to the safety and security of the water plant. Also, under the terms of the agreement, the City will continue to maintain all parking lot areas (except for the North Parking Lot, which is owned by the Park District and the storage lot areas south of Yacht Club). The Park District will be responsible for enforcement of parking regulations for the parking lots on the Park Avenue Boating Facility.

“This is a wonderful example of how two governmental bodies can work together to address the needs of the community for generations to come,” said Barney Ruttenberg, President of the Park District Board of Commissioners. “With this agreement in place, the Park District can now take the appropriate steps to ensure long term access to recreational boating at Park Avenue Boating Facility, consistent with the Board approved Lakefront Master Plan.”

“The City values our partnership with the Park District of Highland Park, and appreciates the hard work of elected officials and staff to develop an agreement that will serve our community well into the future,” said Mayor Nancy Rotering. “Formalizing responsibilities relative to the maintenance and use of this public lakefront area will allow the Park District to enhance boating and recreational water activities while ensuring the City’s access to the property for emergency water rescues and the security of Water Treatment Plant operations.”

The continued partnership between the City of Highland Park and the Park District of Highland Park will facilitate efforts to restore the Park Avenue Boating Facility’s boat launch and pursue additional improvement projects to ensure the community’s continued enjoyment of this natural resource.

More information about the Park Avenue Boating Facility is available at pdhp.org. Questions regarding the Facility should be directed to the Park District of Highland Park, Mitch Carr, Director of Recreation and Facilities, [email protected].