Long-awaited study of downtown Buffalo Grove released
Buffalo Grove late Thursday released an online link to a study that could help determine the fate of a controversial proposal for a massive development in the area currently housing village government offices.
The study of floodplain and soil suitability for development on the sites of the Buffalo Grove Golf Club and the village campus properties could determine the feasibility of using the 116-acre site for a downtown. The study, conducted by Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd., and other documents related to the proposal are at vbg.org/downtown.
Village Engineer Darren Monico will present the study's findings at Monday's village board meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Village officials said they received the study, which was commissioned last February, on Thursday afternoon.
In August 2012, CRM Properties Group Ltd. proposed an approximately 65-acre mixed-use development containing a new municipal campus, retail stores, upper-story residences, condominium towers, high-quality public gathering places, cultural amenities and other site improvements.
The proposal drew immediate opposition from some village residents, and village officials promised no action would be taken without study and public input. The study cites existing conditions, which include the major watercourse, Buffalo Creek, running through the site, and a secondary watercourse, Farrington Ditch, which has three-fifths of a square mile of drainage area at Old Checker Road and four-fifths of a square mile of drainage area at its confluence with Buffalo Creek.
In a summary, the report, which looked at five alternatives for relocation of the ditch and/or the creek, rejected two of them, saying, "… we do not recommend relocation of Buffalo Creek, as it would result in increased permitting requirements for the entire site."
It adds, however, that, "In our opinion, the (three) alternatives presented in this report would be permittable by the regulatory agencies. It is anticipated once site survey, refinement of the layout and preliminary engineering are completed, the permitting will take 18-24 months."
It says the project site contains floodplain and floodway associated with both the creek and the ditch. "Any proposed changes to the site will need to meet the regulatory requirements" of various local, state and federal agencies.
The alternatives which the study believed could win approval were:
• Alternative 1A, which relocates Farrington Ditch to the east side of the development adjacent to the residential neighborhood located between Buffalo Grove Road and the golf course, which would provide "flood reduction benefits to the homes on St. Mary's Parkway that are adjacent to the creek."
• Alternative 2A, which relocates Farrington Ditch to the west side of the development and "provides approximately 59 acres of buildable area (including 6 acres for stormwater detention)."
• Alternative 3, which relocates Farrington Ditch to the east side of the development, and as with Alternative 1A, would require the relocation of the confluence of Buffalo Creek and Farrington Ditch.