According to a press release put out by Morry C. Matson, president of the Edgewater Beach Group, voters will have the opportunity to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for the proposed Edgewater Beachwalk. He said the public policy question referendum will be included on election day ballots on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

If the question is on the ballot, residents in all 48th Ward precincts as well 40th Ward precincts located in the Edgewater neighborhood will have the opportunity to flex their voting power on the issue. No matter what the outcome, however, the referendum will be non-binding.

In the release, Matson also openly expresses concern over those that have actively sought to defeat the proposed Edgewater Beachwalk. He said,”The Restrictionist voters in the 48th Ward for the past thirty years have denied Chicago Southside residents access to a three-quarter mile stretch of Edgewater’s lakefront and have vowed to actively campaign against the referendum to ensure that the measure fails.”

He continued,”Restrictionist voters here fear that Southside residents will bring their crime, drugs and prostitution to the shoreline.”

The scope of the proposed Edgewater Beachwalk is to extend the lakefront park and bike path (which currently ends at Ardmore Avenue) to Devon Avenue. The plans include new beaches, a beach house, a docking area, a dog park and acres of new lakefront green space. Renderings of the proposed Edgewater Beachwalk were created by famed Chicago architects Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill.

More open houses as well as a public debate are currently being planned for this Fall.

Visit edgewaterbeachwalk.com for more information.