Third Year Running, No Park Supervisor for the Point

The Conservancy's work day 31 October 2021.

Updated: Dec 3, 2021

At the Chicago Park District’s (CPD) annual budget review for 2022 fiscal year, Promontory Point -- for the third year running -- will not have a park supervisor. In 2020 and 2021, the Point's park supervisor position was not filled although budgeted. In 2022, the Park District eliminates the position entirely.

Rick Shaheen, Midway Plaisance park supervisor, has graciously helped us over the past two years. (Thank you, Rick!) Plus Promontory Point Conservancy and other Point lovers have assumed much of the work a park supervisor undertakes and oversees: collecting garbage and debris, clearing away vegetation and collecting fallen branches for removal, removing rocks and rubble off the parkland, and calling for City, Park District and other services.

The Conservancy assumes that the buoys that usually go along the cove to the north of the Point were not put in place this summer because there’s not a park supervisor to request this work. Ald. Hairston’s 5th Ward office is unable to explain why no buoys as usual. A decade old agreement between the CPD and the Conservancy permits swimming at the Point (It was declared a surfing beach!) and the buoys protect swimmers from jet skis and boats entering the cove. We can only assume that without a park supervisor we’ve lost an advocate within the Park District for Point swimmers.

Also very important, no supervisor managing the park may also explain why more and more cars drive up and onto the Point and park on the grass for longer than temporary drop-off.