Membership loss sinking Lake Minear beach near Libertyville

Generations of Libertyville-area residents spent summers at Lake Minear, a former gravel mine affectionately known as the pit.

A community staple since it opened in 1957, Lake Minear beach has had its ups and downs, but it's been able to weather the arrival of fancy water parks and other competitors such as nearby Independence Grove Forest Preserve.

But the entity that operates Lake Minear beach and its amenities says it is operating for the second consecutive year at a “significant financial loss” and can't sustain itself without an influx of revenue or other measures.

“Even in our worst years, we've never been like this,” said Mary Conn, the director of membership for the Libertyville Boat Club, a nonprofit volunteer group with 58 years remaining on its 99-year lease with lake owners.

A meeting is set for 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kreuser & Seiler, 200 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. It is part of the process of deciding whether to permanently close the beach or find options to make it viable to continue to operate.

“I would definitely say it's an emergency,” Conn said. “We've tried really hard. We don't want to cry wolf too many times.”

Twice in the last 20 years, the white flag has been raised as membership dipped. Both times, the organization rebounded once the word got out. But despite marketing attempts, including a free day at the beach, there's been no making up lost ground after a bout with swimmer's itch two years ago.

The common condition appears as a rash caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites that infect some birds and mammals. Conn theorized it may have been introduced during area flooding at the time.

“That year, we were set. We had 800 members by early June,” she said.

It was like the old days, when the membership list would be full by May and those who didn't act quickly were out of luck. Conn said the board of directors expected repercussions, but not to this extent.

The itch, which had never been seen before or since, disappeared in two weeks, Conn said. But the damage was done. There are now 510 members, with 750 needed to break even and 1,250 the maximum.

Membership is open to anyone and prices have been rolled back to the early bird fee of $150 per family with other options available. Daily admission has been discussed as a possibility, but that's not an option in the lease.

“They wanted it to stay a small community lake,” Conn said of the owners. “That's why we sell memberships.”

For now, Lake Minear is what it always has been: a community with a beach and simple amenities where families picnic and spend the day from Memorial Day to Labor Day,

“It was the place to be,” recalled Conn, who has been coming here since she was a girl. Downtown Libertyville wasn't far away and provided a midday respite for scores of kids. “Ride our bikes. Get some A&W for lunch. All our friends were here.”

Libertyville residents Ethan Pavelske and Lauryn Such, both 19, worked for three years at the lake as lifeguards and now are co-assistant managers.

“I've talked to people who have been coming here for 40 years,” Pavelske said. His earliest memories are of biking to the beach with friends, swimming and playing volleyball.

Such said she would hate to see the beach close. “A lot of people would.”

@dhmickzawislak