Arlington Hts. looks at options to fix flooding problems

Fixing flooding problems for 660 homes in southern Arlington Heights would cost $11.6 million, according to a study discussed Monday night by the village board.

Half of the 280 homeowners who answered a survey said they had some sort of water in their homes during heavy rains, said Dennis Bowe, superintendent of utilities in the Public Works Department.

Streets that have had one foot of standing water would only have half that much if the plan were implemented, village staff said. Emergency vehicles could then safely travel the streets.

The area includes land bounded by Arlington Heights Road on the east, Magnolia Street on the north, Fernandez Avenue on the west and Pickwick Road to the south.

The plan was reached after the village staff analyzed a study by Brown and Caldwell, an engineering firm with an office in Chicago. Improvements would include expanding the Cypress Detention basin, adding a pump station and adding and replacing some sewers.

Village staff members told trustees at a Committee of the Whole meeting they were not optimistic about finding the money needed for the project.

However, staff members also said they plan to make an improvement to provide some relief that would cost $111,000. It would involve lowering a pipe segment on Arlington Heights Road so water no longer would stand in that pipe.

Trustees asked staff to determine approximately how much more it would cost to have no water filling the streets, rather than settling for six inches, and to find the cost of issuing general obligation bonds for the $11.6 million project.

Residents of the area who attended the meeting said they thought village officials finally realized how severe their problem is.

Jennifer Ford, who lives on the 100 block of West White Oak Street, said she wishes the village would at least block off the street when it floods so traffic does not push wakes against homes. Residents also said they would appreciate help sandbagging.