It has been 133 days since the last major flood event in LaGrange and misinformation about mitigation efforts persists. Here are three common misconceptions and facts.
Misconception #1:
“Experts say a floodwall along the LaGrange Country Club on Brainard will not aid in reducing flooding.” All Village-affiliated experts and elected officials want this floodwall. According to engineers from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), Baxter & Woodman, and Heuer and Associates, in addition to Village Trustees and the former Public Works Director, Ryan Gillingham, the Brainard Avenue floodwall would be an effective part of the flooding solution. This floodwall would retain water only during extremely severe rain events and only for a maximum of three hours, a tiny fraction of the length of time it would take to kill a golf green. The Country Club has the power to provide almost immediate relief to hundreds of residents, many of whom are also members of the Club, with virtually no anticipated cost to its membership.
Of particular interest regarding the floodwall is the lowering of Brainard Avenue in 1999. According to Baxter & Woodman’s 2014 Technical Memorandum, the lowest part of Brainard along the proposed floodwall was lowered by 1.6 feet during the rebuild. Given this fact, along with the noted absence of serious flooding reports prior to 2010, Brainard Avenue likely served as a storm water barrier prior to 1999 anyway.
Misconception #2:
“The lawsuit with Hanson Quarry is the reason no solution has been implemented in the seven years since residents approved the $14.5 million bond.” Despite Hanson Quarry demolishing the pipe that conveyed storm water out of parts of LaGrange in 1992, Hanson Quarry sued LaGrange because they don't want any water from LaGrange entering the quarry. Hanson has delayed progress, however, MWRD has also had a hand in delays by placing tough burdens on the Village, such as the requirement LaGrange maintain a drainage ditch located in McCook. The current solution sanctioned by MWRD involves building a pipe around the quarry, which is not relevant to the Hanson lawsuit. The price tag on this option is over $70 million, while the original plan was only $25 million. The most cost-effective solution is to drain storm water into the quarry as originally planned. However, years of litigation and a severely backlogged Cook County court calendar have created an indefinite waiting period and uncertain outcome. The Village must and is pursuing other options. If LaGrange is to move forward with the MWRD $70 million project, it needs more money, which staff and members of Dry Up LaGrange are pursuing. More action is expected soon with a mediation scheduled November 9th between the Village and the Quarry. Additionally, the Village has also contracted for a supplementary study by Christopher Burke Engineering to look at alternatives. Those studies will be delivered by the end of this year.
Misconception #3:
“Only a small number of residents are impacted by flooding.” According to Baxter & Woodman's September 2020 Technical Memorandum, 460 structures in the south basin alone are impacted by flooding during a 10-year storm. These 10-year storms have occurred twice in the last 18 months. Even more structures would be impacted by stronger storms. As more residents secure flood insurance from FEMA and insurers continue to drop coverage for sewer backup costs, all LaGrange residents are impacted. Parts of LaGrange are quickly approaching a flood-zone designation, which hurts everyone's property value and the reputation of the Village. What's more, worsening flooding on 47th Street and LaGrange Road creates trouble for ambulances and other emergency vehicles, diminishes access to businesses and overwhelms the sewer most all residents share, increasing the probability that non-flooding properties will experience sewer backups.
This information has been brought to you by Dry Up LaGrange, a citizen's action group more than 700-strong. The mission of Dry Up LaGrange is to support efforts that use facts, logic, science and engineering to determine and implement workable short-term and long-term solutions to flooding in LaGrange. For more information email dryuplagrange@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.
