Elmhurst City Council unanimously approves new stormwater contracts

ELMHURST – About 121 homeowners in southwest Elmhurst will benefit from a pair of upcoming stormwater projects, city officials said after the Elmhurst City Council passed a related ordinance and resolution at its June 4 meeting.

A dearth of comments among aldermen about the actions prior to unanimous passage of public works proposals at the meeting did not match the "very significant" nature of the projects approved, City Manager Jim Grabowski said after the meeting.

Grabowski said the approved projects, named Phase 1 and Phase 2, will reduce the level of stormwater seen even in the case of 100-year stormwater events. These kinds of storms are those that statistically have a 1-percent chance of occurring in a given year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Some homeowners' properties will even be taken out of the 100-year stormwater level area through the projects, he said.

Grabowski said he anticipates in the next few weeks, the city will be able to secure a land swap agreement with Royal York, a condominium complex at 110 W. Butterfield Road in Elmhurst,to be able to use Royal York property for the project known as Phase 1.

The Phase 1 project, which was passed via the ordinance, was awarded with a roughly $6 million contract to Swallow Construction Corp. of Downers Grove. The city waived competitive bidding, which is allowed under municipal code if at least two-thirds of aldermen approve it.

"We obviously want to get moving on that and help well over 100 homeowners in that area that have waited a long time, and we want to get them on line as quickly as possible," alderman Jim Kennedy said while presenting the report prior to the vote on the ordinance.

The Phase 2 project, which was passed via the resolution, will provide new stormwater storage on property the city has near Jackson Elementary School at 925 Swain Ave. in Elmhurst. The $1.6 million contract was awarded to Earthwerks Land Improvements & Development of Batavia.

"Good project, want to get moving," Kennedy said in his report prior to the vote on the resolution.

Elmhurst Director of Public Works Howard Killian said in a June 5 phone interview the projects are projected to begin in early July, and they are expected to be operational by the end of 2018.

"We're providing just over 28 acre-feet of stormwater detention, so the idea is that we will reduce the flood levels in those neighborhoods. ... In a 100-year storm ... we would expect it [the water level] to be about a foot lower than where it was in the past for a similar storm," Killian added.

Residents affected by the projects will be notified with direct mailers or door hangers at individual houses, and there will be meetings between the city and these residents later in June to discuss the projects, he said.

Alderman Mark Mulliner, serving as mayor pro tem in Mayor Steve Morley's absence, reminded residents to help public works staff in the case of storms by cleaning metal grate storm sewer inlets in streets in front of their homes, ideally before the rain hits.

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Know more

For information on stormwater projects in Elmhurst, visit elmhurststormwaterplan.org or call the city of Elmhurst at 630-530-3000.