Evanston’s Environment Board voted to recommend to City Council Thursday night a proposed ordinance that would add more environmental protections and limit sale of public land along the city’s lakefront.

A draft Lakefront Protection Ordinance has been in the works for the last several months, with the Environment Board discussing the ordinance at multiple meetings since late last year.

The ordinance would create a Lakefront Protection Zone that would include all publicly-owned land east of Sheridan Road and Lake Shore Boulevard, numerous adjacent parks and beaches, as well as Northwestern University’s Landfill area.

It would also require the city to complete a baseline assessment of the zone within two years of the ordinance’s adoption to determine the area’s condition.

Members of the environment panel spent a majority of Thursday’s meeting offering final recommended changes for the City Council to consider.

Board member James Cahan questioned why the ordinance allowed for the city to sell lakefront property, when it was something most of the panel did not want.

The ordinance would allow the city to sell or lease property along the lakefront only after a public hearing is held and receives two-thirds support of City Council members.

Previous drafts of the measure sought to find ways to prevent the city from selling or developing its lakefront land.

Ald. Clare Kelly (1st), one of the sponsors of the ordinance, said she agreed with tighter restrictions, preferring sales and long-term leases require a referendum vote. However Kelly added that she wanted to ensure the ordinance received support from the entire council.

Meanwhile, member Olin Wilson-Thomas sought clarity in how short-term rentals were defined in the ordinance. Such leases would be for 90 days or less and require only a simple majority of council members to approve.

Hypothetically, he asked, what would stop a future City Council from continuously approving a lease every 90 days with a simple majority.

The panel agree to recommend the ordinance be amended to allow entities to only have one short-term lease within a calendar year.

Kelly told Evanston Now after the vote that the council will “hopefully” consider the measure next month.