Stormwater/Roads
Stormwater
A meeting was held on October 24, 2018 to address stormwater concerns and other items of concern in our community.
A majority of the residents who came to the meeting were concerned about stormwater flooding. Representatives from Cook County (see meeting notes for names and contact information) offered to help and encourage residents to contact their office to address their concerns.
- Cook County has regulations in place to ensure new/remodeled construction does not increase the likelihood of flooding. However, there is no height restriction in the building codes on development of homes. Homes with higher elevation can increase the likelihood of flooding.
- The largest amount of flooding in the area is in backyards. Anything in the resident’s back yard is county property and cannot be accessed by the Highway Commissioner.
- Front culverts need to be unplugged and maintained by residents to keep water flowing to the outlets. The Lyons Township Highway Commissioner, Sean Mc Dermott has assisted with flooding in some cases by clearing out front culverts and redirecting flow where possible. The township has a limited budget but they do their best to assist where possible. See link below for a map detailing driveway culverts that have been replaced (indicated by a dot). More recently but not included on the map is 1619 54th Street.
- One way to address the increased flooding in backyards is through Green Infrastructure (GI) projects. However, projects on private property would have to be paid by residents. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) is willing to discuss GI options in a group format if there is enough interest. If you would like the LGHCA to set up a group meeting please email us at LHCA.com. If there is enough interest we can respond by arranging a meeting with MWRDGC.
- In addition, through sponsorship with the township, funding can be applied for to address stormwater flooding on public spaces. However these projects require partial funding from the community. A survey conducted by LGHCA revealed few people were interested in funding widespread projects through a tax increase. Unfortunately, as an unincorporated area funding is not expressly budgeted for the needs of the Highlands.
The MWRDGC does have responsibility for the entire Cook County watershed. The Watershed Management Ordinance applies to all development within the boundaries of Cook County. This ordinance addresses only development and redevelopment on properties over 0.5 acre, and does not include single family homes, but it is an important document affecting the Highlands. Copies of the ordinance can be found at www.mwrd.org.
If you have questions please contact our Stormwater Committee Chairman, Barbara Scapardine.
Roads:
Thanks to the Township Highway Commissioner, many roads have been repaved, please see link to map below. Streets indicated with an “X” have recently been repaved. Additionally and most recently streets not included on the map are:
- Franklin Ave: Plainfield to 59th
- 62nd Place Edgewood to Gilbert
- Sunset and Blackstone 63rd to 62nd
Patching Wolf Road
Howard Ave
Harvey Ave
Links:
Click here to see a map detailing driveway culverts that have been replaced (dots). Street repaving is indicated with an X.
Click here for complete notes from the October 24, 2018, Community Meeting
Green Infrastructure Information:
Rain Gardens A How To Manual for Homeowners. University of Wisconsin-Extension
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/shorelandzoning/documents/rgmanual.pdf
Iowa Rain Garden Design and Installation Manual
https://iowastormwater.org/rainscaping/rainscapes/rain-gardens/
Sustainable Landscape Systems for Managing Stormwater. Chapter C – Rain Garden Design and Construction, Ohio State University Extension.
http://www.centralohioraingardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Sustainable-Landscape-Systems-for-Managing-Storm-Water-2nd-Edition.pdf
District Of Columbia Department of Transportation, Green Infrastructure Standards
https://ddot.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddot/publication/attachments/2014-Final%20DDOT%20Green%20Infrastructure%20Standards.pdf
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Green Infrastructure Partnership Opportunity Program
https://mwrd.org/green-infrastructure
New York City GI Page
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dep/water/green-infrastructure.page