Hinsdale Residents Demand Compensation For Flooding

HINSDALE, IL — More than three months after flooding in east Hinsdale, residents have yet to get compensation from the agency blamed for the problem.

The Illinois Tollway says it is looking to its contractor for the Interstate 294 project to reimburse residents for flood-related costs. Residents and officials agree the project caused the flooding.

The issue came to the forefront during Tuesday's Hinsdale Village Board meeting.

Village President Tom Cauley said residents have been told that they should go to the contractor, Chicago-based Walsh Construction, and then to a subcontractor.

"Residents shouldn't have to go around to figure out who caused the problem," he said.

A number of residents whose houses flooded attended the meeting. Three of them spoke to the board.

John Bloomfield, who lives at Fuller Road and Phillippa Street, said he has seen nothing like the June 26 flooding since he moved into the neighborhood nearly two decades ago.

He said the residents have received no updates from the Illinois Tollway, other than it was working on the issue. He urged the board to enforce its agreement with the state agency. In that pact, the agency ensured its project would do nothing to impede the village's stormwater drainage system.

"You have the opportunity to hold the tollway accountable, so we aren't tossed between different vendors," he said.

Cauley said he agreed with Bloomfield's comments.

"The tollway should have stepped up to the plate on this. They have not. Now, it is the village's problem," Cauley said.

Tollway official Lanyea Griffin, who attended the meeting, pointed the finger at Walsh Construction. She said her agency understood the company would resolve the matter by last Thursday, but that did not happen.

"There have been commitments made by Walsh before that have not been met," she said.

Village officials suggested the agency withhold money from Walsh Construction until it compensates residents, to which Griffin responded, "All options are being explored to make this right."

Cauley encouraged residents in attendance to attend the Illinois Tollway board's next meeting, which is set for Oct. 21. When they asked whether Hinsdale officials would go as well, Cauley said he would. He also said he would write a letter to the head of the Illinois Tollway.

"We think much too much time has gone by," Cauley said.

He promised the village would update residents at its twice-a-month meetings until the issue is resolved.