Planning staff announced July 16 that the Village of Lake Bluff will hold an open house on July 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Public Safety Building to present materials and the timeline for the Green Bay Road project. The session will feature display boards and staff to answer questions, staff said.

Commissioners also discussed a separate policy issue: the village board is working on regulations for e-bikes, low-speed electric scooters and small electric motorcycles. Planning staff and police are coordinating on an ordinance draft that would initially focus on the Central Business District (CBD) and sidewalks, and would classify different device types. Staff emphasized the work is ongoing and that state legislation passed recently creates definitional and enforcement issues the village is addressing.

A planning commissioner said other North Shore communities have recently adopted regulations addressing low-speed scooters and that Lake Bluff’s draft language is being “workshopped” to fit the village’s circumstances and the new state law. Police staff and planning staff reported a low number of incidents to date but noted increasing complaints about “near misses” between pedestrians and fast-moving electric devices. Commissioners said enforcement and definitions—particularly the differences between low-speed scooters, higher-powered e-bikes, and motorized mini-bikes—remain central concerns.

Staff said they are also coordinating with Lake County on trail rules and noted targeted enforcement has occurred in some places (police stopped and spoke with riders in at least one recent instance). The draft ordinance and further discussion will proceed through the village board process; no formal ordinance was adopted during the July 16 meeting.

Next steps: look for public materials and staff at the Green Bay Road open house on July 30; staff and the police department will continue drafting e-mobility regulations for Village Board consideration.