Dangers, Unanswered Questions Give School Board Members Pause on Stormwater Remediation Issue

The idea of deliberately placing a "lake" next to a school is causing District 205 School Board members concern over the city of Elmhurst's plan to flood school and park property during heavy rains.

"Safety is probably the biggest issue we have to solve," School Board member Chris Blum said Tuesday. "How is that addressed? You're putting an 8-foot lake next to a preschool (Madison Early Childhood Center) for maybe two days. How have you done that creatively (in the past)?"

Staff from Christopher Burke Engineering, along with City Manager Jim Grabowski, made a presentation to School Board members Tuesday about the logistics of using three school properties for flood remediation.

"Safety … is a multifaceted aspect," said Doug Gotham, landscape architect with Christopher Burke. "I can appreciate the concern. At the same time, you have 4 feet of water on Washington Street (during a flood). It's the same security issue, but now it's your responsibility.

"Some see it as a safety concern, and we can accommodate that," he continued. "Other times it's not perceived as a problem."

Burke is proposing dredging Madison Early Education Center, Jackson Elementary School and two areas at Bryan Middle School. 

"We don't just want to build basins out there," Gotham said. "We want them to have a purpose beyond stormwater. These are only temporary holding facilities."

For the purpose of its flood remediation study, Burke measures flood storage volume in terms of acre-feet; one acre-foot is 325,851 gallons. For comparison, the Elmhurst Quarry has a capacity of 8,300 acre-feet. Engineers suggest the water would likely remain in the basins for two days maximum, but more likely one day in a severe rain event.

The city's plan that involves District 205 looks like this:

School: Madison Early Childhood Center 
Depth of excavation: 8 feet 
Flood storage created: 6 acre-feet 
Areas benefited: Washington Street area (41 homes) 

School: Jackson Elementary School 
Depth of excavation: 3 feet 
Flood storage created: 5 acre-feet 
Areas benefited: Jackson and Saylor area (14 homes) 

School: Bryan Middle School 
Depth of excavation: 8 feet 
Flood storage created: 18 acre-feet 
Areas benefited: Jackson and Saylor, Spring and Harrison (29 homes)

At Bryan, the city also is looking at excavating the gravel parking lot for additional storage, which was a surprise to School Board members, who seemed unaware of this fourth site. Flood storage here would be 23 acre-feet, Burke said, and require pumps to remove the water after a storm. The site would have a mechanical building and a diesel generator to back up the pumps.

"Would the Bryan gravel lot be an alternative to (dredging) the playing fields?" School Board President Jim Collins asked.

"More is better," Grabowski replied. "It could be in addition to."

During a major flood, about 80 acre-feet of water typically sits in low-lying areas, according to the Burke study. So, even if both District 205 and the Park Board sign off on the city's plans—five parks also are targeted for dredging—detention ponds are only part of the solution.

"What we are presenting here tonight can't hold that amount of water," Grabowski said. "We're looking at alternatives, which include private storm-proofing."

The city is investigating what can be done with individual homeowners on such things as removing reverse-slope driveways and disconnecting gutters and sump pumps from the storm sewers. It also is looking at making changes to its building code.

Grabowski said some homes will take on water no matter what, and for those, a city buyout "is a tool in the toolbox."

School Board member John McDonough said he'd like to see progress on those alternatives because they "would reduce the impact on School District property."

"I want to move forward, but I would also like to see progress on those other things, make sure everybody is pitching in and pulling their weight," he said.

Grabowski handed out answers to 41 questions board members came up with during their last meeting. Following is a synopsis of some of those responses:

What is the exposure to liability for the school district?
The School District should check with its insurance carrier. Security measures will be taken as necessary.

Will these concepts really protect the homes in the area?
Flood storage at the school sites and York Commons Park will provide a 100-year level of flood protection for about 50 percent of the homes in southwest Elmhurst.

What if the School District needs to add on to its buildings? Can the district provide stormwater storage to the city on a time-limited basis?
The city anticipates an agreement will be made in perpetuity unless storage can be provided elsewhere.

Will the city pay for maintenance?
The maintenance requirements would be spelled out in the intergovernmental agreement.

Could underground storage tanks provide relief without creating 8- or 9-foot-deep retention facilities?
Yes, but it is up to 10 times more expensive.

Has this been done near other schools?
Yes. Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Glenbrook North in Northbrook; Wheaton Christian Grammar School in Winfield, Wayne Elementary, Greenbriar School in Northbrook and Union Elementary in Joliet.

How will the city pay for these plans?
It is anticipated the projects would be paid for by a combination of grant dollars and city-issued bonds.

Several residents spoke in favor of the plan at Tuesday's meeting, but it is not "a silver bullet," board member Shannon Ebner said.

"This is just a really small piece of the puzzle," she said. "People think this is going to solve the problem. (But) there are still a lot of questions."

The next step is for Mayor Steve Morley, Collins and Park Board President Colette Kubiesa to get together and formulate a plan on how the three entities will work together, Collins said. Board member Margaret Harrell suggested community members also be involved in the discussion from the beginning.

City representatives were scheduled to make a similar presentation to the Park Board on Wednesday, but the presentation was canceled due to severe weather.

Board members agreed that they will have many more questions for city officials—"questions we haven't even thought of yet," Collins said.

The School District is under a lot of pressure to do this, Ebner said, "But we need to slow down and really look at the issues, and show what percent of the problem this will solve."

Grabowski said he appreciates the pressure the School Board is feeling.

"We're feeling the same pressure," he said.