Glenview board approves Tall Trees flood-relief project
Attempting to remedy neighborhood flooding that's been trouble for years, the Glenview village board approved an initial amount of $9.5 million toward stormwater and road improvements in Tall Trees.
On Tuesday, Jeff Brady, Glenview's director of Community Development, outlined a plan intended to significantly reduce flooding, protect homes and provide emergency vehicle access throughout the subdivision during "100-year rains," such as a 2008 deluge that dropped 9.5 inches on the area.
It's a four-phase project estimated to run through 2027. On Tuesday, trustees approved Phase I, targeted to start May 23 and finish around the end of this year. In the plan's timeline the village noted a preconstruction neighborhood meeting date of May 15.
Phase I focuses on improvements on Silverwillow Drive, Basswood Lane and Basswood Circle. Much of the work was already due to handle "aged-out" infrastructure, Brady said.
"This entire neighborhood was constructed in the '60s (1960-62), now's the time to reconstruct all of the utilities," he said. "That includes the total reconstruction of the roadway and opportunities to upsize the existing storm sewers, put in new water mains and repair, reline or replace some of the sanitary sewer section."
The key to the stormwater removal will be installation of huge box culverts, 16 feet wide and nearly 6 feet tall, within Basswood Lane to serve as water storage. The culverts will work in tandem with an underground pumping station at the intersection of Basswood Lane and Sequoia Trail that will direct water to the West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River, which borders Tall Trees on the east.
The pumping station requires an aboveground generator, transformer and control cabinet, which would be located near existing village equipment in Tall Trees Park, accessed by East Lake Avenue on the south. The village worked with the Glenview Park District on that aspect.
Brady said about $4.1 million of the cost is attributed to regular road reconstruction and the main and sewer work, while around $5.5 million is due to the stormwater benefits. The village on Tuesday awarded a contract of $9,562,342 to DiMeo Brothers, Inc., of Elk Grove Village, the project's low bidder by nearly $2 million and a firm Glenview often uses.
The Phase I proposal, approved 6-0 by trustees, combined several resolutions. They included an intergovernmental agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for $1 million in grant funding and an amendment to the 2022 Capital Improvement Projects budget for more than $2.38 million, reflecting cost increases since Phase I was initially budgeted.
The village said there were available funds to be transferred to cover the overage without it affecting future projects.
Phase II, scheduled for 2023, would target Blackthorn Drive and Redbud Lane. Phase III, in 2024, focuses on Sequoia Trail from East Lake Street to Chestnut Avenue and Tulip Tree Court.
Currently estimated at $1.8 million for Phase II and $3.8 million for Phase III, the Army Corps of Engineers is providing about $1.2 million toward Phase II, and all of the cost would be associated with normal street reconstruction, according to the village.
Phase IV, estimated at a currently unfunded $4 million, proposes construction of a berm along the river to mitigate overflow and creating additional stormwater capacity in the Techny Basin.
Tall Trees will lose about 20 trees due to Phase I, though Brady said new trees will be planted in parkways.
Matt Brannon, a Tall Trees resident who addressed the board after the presentation, was pleased with the village's communications regarding the project, and with the project itself.
"It's a project that Tall Trees has been waiting for, and I want you all to know that the neighborhood is very supportive," he said.
"I currently represent the homeowners' association within the community, so as part of this I've been soliciting feedback, positive and negative, and I can tell you, the feedback I'm getting is universally positive," Brannon said.