This Western Springs Neighborhood Eyed For Drainage Upgrades

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — The Springdale neighborhood is seeing some of the worst flooding in Western Springs, officials said this week. It is in the southeast corner of town, near the unincorporated La Grange Highlands.

This week, engineers presented the Western Springs Village Board with the results of a study on Springdale flooding. The biggest problems are on Franklin Avenue and the intersection of 54th Street and Howard Avenue.

During the May 17 flooding, 4 feet of water ponded at Franklin and 2½ feet at 54th and Howard, the study showed.

Many believe that La Grange Highlands, which is on higher ground, is the biggest cause of the flooding in Springdale, the engineers said, but areas of the village also contribute.

The engineers, who work for Rosemont-based Christopher Burke Engineering, presented two options for solving the flooding problems, with the costs ranging from $3 million to $3.5 million. The solution, they said, would be excavating a part of the nearby Springdale Park to temporarily store water. But that would require the cooperation of the Western Springs Park District.

The most expensive option would reduce flooding to 1 foot of water in a 100-year flood, while the least expensive would reduce that level to 2 feet, according to the presentation.

"In this area, we have seen a lot of problems in the last few years," Village Manager Ingrid Velkme told the board. "It has gotten worse in recent history."

Village trustees wondered whether flooding problems similar to Springdale's exist in other parts of the town.

In response, Velkme said flooding also affects the Ridgewood neighborhood and other spots. The village is working on the Ridgewood situation.