In response to complaints of COVID-19 safety violations, the village of Lake in the Hills has imposed new rules at Indian Trail Beach, including reduced hours, visitor restrictions and increased oversight by staff.

Beginning last Saturday, Indian Trail Beach shifted their weekend hours to 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. and announced that non-lifeguard village staff will be on site on the weekends to ensure that patrons comply with capacity limits and other safety guidelines, according to a recent news release.

“We’ve heard the concerns of our residents and feel these changes will alleviate capacity issues and promote social distancing at our beaches,” interim Public Works Director Peter D’Agostino said in the news release.

The other major change is that people who are not residents of the village of Lake in the Hills will not be permitted on the beach unless accompanied by a resident, according to the release. The village will not charge entry fees.

If the 50-person capacity limit continues to be disregarded, the village may take the additional step of shutting down the beach on days when there are too many people, according to the release.

This goes for Butch Hagele Beach as well, which will not be staffed by the village but will be monitored closely by Lake in the Hills police for any violations of the 50-person limit, according to the news release.

Fishing at Indian Trail Beach is prohibited, according to the release. Local anglers can visit Nockels Park or Echo Hill Park instead. The beach's boat storage area currently is only accessible to boat owners.