Hawthorn Woods shares state grant with residents

Residents of the Glennshire neighborhood in Hawthorn Woods will be sharing in the proceeds from the village's first state grant.

About 225 checks of $774.34 each will be sent to property owners in the subdivision that has been the focus of a fight with Lake County regarding water system upgrades for several years.

The $175,000 grant, secured by state Rep. Ed Sullivan, was awarded about a year ago. But the village didn't receive the actual money from the state until about a week ago. On Tuesday, the village board agreed to pass it along.

The check came from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for costs associated with upgrading the existing water mains. Funding was available for replacement of aging or failing infrastructure, according to Pam Newton, the village's chief operating officer.

“It's an extreme situation, a burden on our residents,” said Mayor Joseph Mancino. “The board agreed with me this would be the best use of the money.”

Mancino, who was elected in 2009, made finding funding for Glennshire a priority.

“He specified that we needed a grant for the Glennshire system rebuild,” Newton said. “Everybody was looking for grants to offset the cost to residents.”

Water became an issue in one of the village's older neighborhoods off Old McHenry Road near Lagoon Drive in June 2005, when the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said the system was not in compliance because of a lack of chlorine disinfection and needed to be upgraded.

The well water system was built by developers in the 1950s and `60s and was typical of the times with pipes sized well below modern standards, low pressure and no fire hydrants.

The county bought the 20-well system in the 1970s with the thought that eventual improvements would be the responsibility of the users, according to Lake County Public Works Director Peter Kolb.

“We never thought there was a dispute about who that should be,” he said.

Years of controversy and legal battles ensued for the $3.6 million project.

The county agreed to contribute $1 million to the project as an IEPA deadline for a resolution of the situation approached.

Ultimately, water users were given the choice of paying $11,600 upfront for the system or financing it over 30 years through increased water bills.

“Everyone is now on the new system,” Kolb said. “During the next year, we'll be abandoning the old wells and capping them.”

Kelly Corrigan has lived in the subdivision since 1995 and was elected village trustee two years ago. She abstained from the vote Tuesday but said she planned to send an e-mail to neighbors regarding the grant funds.

“It's $774 that nobody expected,” she said.