Remarks/ Correspondence from Visitors
Cheryl Jasek, 748 South Washington –
Spoke in support of plans proposed by the City of Elmhurst and Burke Engineering to build stormwater retention basins in Elmhurst parks. Ms. Jasek conducted research, took photographs (shared with the Board), and spoke with residents of the Downers Grove Park District’s Washington Park, where a similar basin has been built. In her conversations with residents of Downers Grove’s Washington Park, residents stated that the stormwater detention basins did help reduce flooding of homes, improved park features, provided spectator accommodations/seating, made parks usable quicker after a rainfall, and increased revenue by bringing in more teams to play on the fields. Ms. Jasek stated that she believes the proposed plans for Elmhurst are good, will help the community, improve the parks, and help flooding retention issues.
Mike Jasek, 748 South Washington –
Stated that he is a civil engineer who is currently working on a stormwater detention basin project in the Village of Wheeling parks similar to the one proposed for Elmhurst. In the two years working on the project, the basin has flooded three times and has worked perfectly as planned; he described that as the water recedes, the water leaves the basin, and the grass grows for kids to play soccer. He added that although there is some tweaking to be done to the proposed City plans, as a concept, the plan will work, is a viable option for Elmhurst parks, and will improve flood retention for residents.
Future Agenda
Apart from the item to discuss 413 S. York Road, the three other items requested by the Board at the May 14 meeting have been added to Future Agenda – Board Policy, Gateway update, and Stormwater discussion following V3’s review.
Staff Announcements: Executive Director Rogers
V3 Engineering has begun its peer review of the proposed City stormwater management plans. An initial observation made was the basin’s lack of elevation, which means the retention basin will not only immediately receive water from the actual rainfall but also take in water at inception from the drain piped area causing the fields to be saturated every time it rains. Should the elevation be raised and water contained in storm sewers then flow to the basin, fewer homes could be affected by the conceptual plans. This is an example of V3’s overview; they will continue to point out macro findings for the sub-committee to discuss and I will later bring back to the Board.
