Des Plaines grant will raise 14 cabins out of harm's way

Des Plaines will use a roughly $400,000 federal grant to help property owners on the historic Methodist Campground alleviate flooding, a city official said this week.

The funds, available through the federal Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, will raise 14 summer cabins onto stilts. All are located along the flood way of the Des Plaines River, said Tim Oakley, Des Plaines director of engineering.

It's the first such project to address frequent flooding on the campground, which has been north of Algonquin Road on the east side of the Des Plaines River for more than 100 years.

If successful, the city would apply for more federal funding to elevate all 123 homes on the campground, Oakley said.

"It's the first area in the city to flood," Oakley said. "Our public works facility is right across the street, but these (homes) get constantly inundated. One of the reasons it qualifies is because it's on the repetitive loss list of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This money will help the property owners elevate all of their properties."

On average, the homes need to be raised about 3 feet from their current elevation.

Each house or cabin on the campgrounds is privately owned. Since individual property owners cannot get federal flooding assistance, the city applied on their behalf, Oakley said.

The city won't be investing any of its own funds to raise the structures and will actually save money through reduced staff time inspecting houses damaged by seasonal flooding, he added.

"There is a 25 percent local match and the building owners are paying for (that)," Oakley said.