Don't Delay Elmhurst Stormwater Project: Residents

ELMHURST, IL – Perhaps Elmhurst's biggest success over the last 15 years is flood prevention.

It has spent more than $40 million on stormwater projects. Gone are the days when big parts of the city flood after severe storms.

However, the city acknowledges that more work needs to be done.

At the same time, three Elmhurst aldermen last month asked a City Council committee to consider diverting money intended for stormwater work to other purposes. This is because of the city's recent budget troubles.

On Monday, residents from a northwest Elmhurst neighborhood showed up at the council's public works committee meeting.

Their message was simple: Do not delay work on a long-planned stormwater project in their subdivision.

Their neighborhood, North Graue Woods, is one of only a few without a stormwater system other than ditches and culverts.

They live on Shady Lane and River Glen and Ferndale avenues, just north of North Avenue and east of Fry the Coop restaurant.

The residents said they believed the project was on pause.

"I can't believe we're back here," Ferndale resident Emily Moran told aldermen at the meeting. "It's a little frustrating."

Mary Oehler, a Shady Lane resident, said her neighborhood was willing to produce more data so that the city sticks with the plan.

"Please unpause our project," she said.

David Czerwinski, who lives on River Glen, said the water has found its own natural path, creating problems for residents.

"It's easy to look at stuff on paper and say no one has complained in a couple of years," he said. "The problem remains."

His wife, Tina Czerwinski, added, "I know everyone likes to pick on the north side of Elmhurst, but we're still Elmhurst."

Alderman Jacob Hill, who lives on Ferndale, said the neighborhood has been patient. The residents have been organized, providing information to the city for years, he said.

"Our community has been very proactive in self-organizing and doing their best working alone and in conjunction with the city," Hill said.

Elmhurst Alderman Jacob Hill tells his colleagues Monday that his neighbors in the North Graue Woods subdivision have been patiently waiting for promised drainage improvements. (David Giuliani/Patch)

Last fall, Elmhurst aldermen approved spending more than $200,000 on engineering for the North Graue Woods work.

Drainage improvements in the subdivision are estimated at nearly $1.8 million.

If the work is done, it would stop 10 homes from flooding in a 100-year flood, while two still would be waterlogged, according to the city.

At the meeting, the committee's four aldermen – Emily Bastedo, Michael Bram, Mike Baker and Rex Irby – said they favored proceeding.

Irby noted the money spent on engineering.

"I thought that meant we launched that ship and it left Earth's orbit," he said. "I'm not going to retrieve that rocket."

City officials presented a list of the city's 11 remaining stormwater project priorities.

The city plans to post the document as part of a larger presentation on its page for meeting agendas. It will be included as part of the agenda packet for Monday's meeting.