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Board debates opening Island Walk; members propose poll to build support
Summary
Members revisited a longstanding dispute over whether certain waterfront developments should open pedestrian access to the Island Walk. Staff said a prior commission vote was 3–2 to leave access private; members plan community polling and outreach to persuade commissioners.
A recurring, heated topic at the Sept. 24 Community Enhancement Board meeting was whether private buildings should be required to provide pedestrian access to the Island Walk.
Andy, a village staff member, told the board that the commission previously voted 3–2 against forcing the openings: "I think we discussed, there was a vote, to force the buildings...it was 3 2 in favor of, not opening it," he said, describing the split. Other members argued the Island Walk is a vital public amenity and noted long-term examples of open access in parts of the village without reported crime incidents.
"Been 11 years open, and there hasn't been 1 Island Walk incident," Andy added when defending how the amenity has functioned in practice, prompting members to say strong community support could change commissioners' votes.
Nick Ty Nicholas Quay told the group he would set up a poll in the village Facebook group and circulate it in local text networks to measure support and encourage residents to contact commissioners. Several members said they would help craft plain-language materials and circulate links to demonstrate broad public backing.
Board members did not vote on any ordinance changes; instead they agreed to gather community feedback and prepare materials to present to the commission should momentum grow. The board asked staff and volunteers to report back at a future meeting with poll results and draft outreach language.
