Another Cause Of La Grange's Flooding?

LA GRANGE, IL — A La Grange group recently identified what it believes may be another cause of flooding on the village's south side. The village president appears to agree.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Cindy Brom, a member of Dry Up La Grange, said her group found a 2014 engineer's technical memo indicating that the 1999 reconstruction of Brainard Avenue lowered the lowest part of the street by 1.6 feet. It is in the area of 50th and 51st streets.

Brom asked the village to take the issue to its engineering firm, Christopher Burke, and figure out the impacts of the street on the neighborhood.

"We'd like to understand the causal effects and our rights from a legal perspective," she said.

Village President Mark Kuchler said he and board members were surprised to learn that the level of Brainard was lowered by 1.6 feet.

"I think it would be really hard to deny that that's had an adverse impact for people who live to the east of the country club," Kuchler said.

He said the village may need to raise the street to its historical level or perhaps even higher. The neighboring La Grange Country Club has been blamed for water that ends up in areas east of Brainard.

Kuchler said the village has asked the Christopher Burke firm to look into the issue. He thanked Dry Up La Grange for bringing forward the information.

"We're hopeful we can get progress," he said. "We would like to work with the country club and try to figure out a win-win-win solution that I truly believe is out there."

La Grange has long identified the Hanson quarry as being the chief cause for flooding on the south side. The village is embroiled in litigation with the owner, Hanson Aggregates.

In 2015, the village's voters approved going into debt for the 50th Street storm sewer project, but that hinges on a successful outcome in the litigation. Some residents are upset that the village is relying on the legal matters to solve the flooding problem, contending officials should consider short-term solutions.

The village is trying to install a drainage pipe across the quarry's property, alleging the quarry cut the former pipe in the early 1990s in violation of an easement.