Villagers Urge Swift Action on Stormwater Plan

Residents of several neighborhoods who  into yards and basements may get some relief soon.

Presented to the Public Works Committee at a meeting Tuesday, a new plan by Northbrook’s Stormwater Management Commission targets 22 areas in the village for flooding reduction projects over the next nine years.

The plan calls for $16 million in improvements and was created by the Stormwater Management Commission along with consulting engineers from the firm of Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick Inc. It is the third plan the commission has created since it was formed 20 years ago.

The village is already working on several stormwater management projects. But the flooding has gotten worse in the past several years, officials said, because of increased development in the village, and aging stormwater drainage systems that date to the 1950s.

“The village is taking this as a very, very serious problem,” said Trustee Todd Heller. “We believe that this is a major, major duty and a responsibility.”

However, Heller cautioned that the village could not possibly eliminate all flooding with the plan—or with any plan.

Randal Newkirk, an associate with Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, emphasized the difference between “nuisance flooding,” which includes yards and streets and has minor effects of emergency access, and actual flooding of structures such as homes and businesses.

“Flooding really constitutes structural damage to a house or property,” explained Bob Robicsek, chair of the Stormwater Management Commission. The goal of the plan is to reduce structural damage, he said, not to eliminate flooding entirely.

It will be at least two and a half months before the village can implement the plan, assuming it is approved. First, village staff and representatives from the consulting firm will hear comments from interested property owners at two public meetings, scheduled for Sept. 14 and Sept. 24. (Specific times and locations have yet to be set.)

The Public Works Committee will review the plan a second time, taking into consideration those comments, before voting on a recommendation to the village board at a meeting in late September or early October. The Administration and Finance Committee will also meet to discuss funding for the plan before it finally goes to the village board.

At the earliest, trustees should receive a plan to vote on in November, according to Heller.

In its current iteration, the plan includes three major improvement projects, 19 neighborhood projects and a handful of other programs to help residents with flooding, including education, village code revisions and financial assistance. 

Hampton, Lenzini & Renwick ranked the improvement projects based on a cost-benefit analysis, weighing such factors as damage to structures, yards and cars; lost wages and income; cost of labor by the Public Works Department; the number of people benefited; and the cost of the improvements themselves.

Based on the firm’s analysis, the top three projects are the fourth phase of work on the Techny Drain retention system behind , construction of an overflow sewer on Shermer Road and improvements to drainage at the intersection of Midway and Whitfield roads, an area known as “Northbrook East”. 

The village has already completed two phases of work on the Techny Drain, which affects the Willow Creek subdivision including Canterbury Drive, and design of the second two phases is under way. The third phase is expected to be opened to bidding by contractors in late 2011 or early 2012.

Village workers are also already at work on a 3.5-acre detention facility that will alleviate flooding in Northbrook East. In total, , according to village engineer Paul Kendzior. 

Other projects, however, have yet to be designed. Although they may be ranked high on the list, some projects could encounter obstacles or red tape if the village needs to acquire land, obtain property agreements or work with other governments, according to Kelly Hamill, director of Public Works. That means the project rankings don’t necessarily mean they will be built in that order—ultimately, that depends on external factors, he said.

Residents in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting urged trustees to take swift action and avoid “paralysis by analysis.” 

“Let’s trust in the information and let’s please be able to stand by the timetable,” said Carolyn Schulz, who has lived on Canterbury Drive for her entire life and notes the flooding has gotten dramatically worse over the past five years.

While the village held meetings and revised the plan, she said, “My god, Rome is burning.”

Others wanted to make sure that flooding on their property would be properly addressed. Heller urged homeowners with specific questions about their home to attend either of the meetings in September, when village staff and members of the consulting firm would be available.

Residents can take a look at copies of the stormwater management plan at the library and at Village Hall. It is also available on the village's website.