This Burr Ridge Neighborhood Suffers Drainage Issues: Village

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge acknowledges that drainage is an issue in the Burr Oaks Glen South neighborhood. This subdivision is off of 79th Street and includes Woodside and Shag Bark lanes, among others.

On July 8, the village's attorney, Mike Durkin, wrote a letter to a family in apparent response to a letter from the family, which lives in the neighborhood and apparently expressed concern about drainage.

Durkin said the family's situation is common within the village, especially in the Burr Oaks Glen South neighborhood.

"(A)t every recent juncture, the Village has endeavored to help improve the drainage situation in your rear yard," Durkin said. "Village staff will continue to respond and monitor your situation when requested and will always be available to investigate any new concerns that you may have regarding stormwater drainage."

The lawyer's letter was made available to the village board, with Trustee Zach Mottl then forwarding it to Patch. Mottl said the village did not make available the family's letter. The family could not be reached for immediate comment.

In his letter, Durkin said the family pointed to the development of the nearby Cross Creek subdivision as causing drainage issues. But Durkin said all the lots have been developed and the stormwater is being directed into the subdivision's system. The grading, he said, has been designed to stop water from going toward the family's house, which is on Shag Bark Court.

The family, Durkin said, also stated that stormwater during the construction of the nearby Bucktrail Estates went toward Shag Bark Court. However, the lawyer said the water from Bucktrail flowed to Woodside Court, not Shag Bark Court. Now, that water is going into storm sewers, he said.

On July 13, Mottl asked Durkin to provide him the letter from the family.

"The village still has not provided me with the resident’s letter," Mottl said Thursday in an email to Patch. "The village is only giving me one side of the story, their side, and this obstructs me from doing my job as an elected official representing the residents of the village."

Mayor Gary Grasso referred questions to David Preissig, the village engineer. In an interview, Preissig said that when the two nearby subdivisions were approved, the village worked to ensure that downhill properties were unaffected by stormwater. In Burr Oaks Glen South, he said, some homeowners have had to take extra steps to mitigate stormwater issues in their rear and side yards.