La Grange residents press board for clarity on 50th Street storm sewer, quarry and flood relief

Residents urged the Village of La Grange on June 26 to provide clearer plans and timelines for flood mitigation after repeated basement backups and chronic street flooding in low-lying neighborhoods.

John Pluto, a La Grange resident, asked plainly: “Where is all the water gonna go from the reservoir?” He pressed whether the proposed storage would discharge to the quarry or be routed to the McCook Ditch and whether the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) facilities factored into the village’s plan. President Kukler and staff responded that design work is preliminary, that one option being considered is storage near Sedgwick Park (not under the volleyball courts at East Avenue), and that engineers — not the board — will determine technical siting. Kukler said the pipe in question would carry stormwater only and “will never interact with the combined sewer,” adding that the quarry would have responsibility to pump stored stormwater into the McCook Ditch in the proposed design.

Why residents are concerned: commenters emphasized long-standing localized flooding east of 47th Street and asked for timelines, funding details and assurances that projects such as turf or detention work at nearby school properties would not worsen runoff. Resident Laura West asked for “time frame, goals, funding” and urged “extreme caution” for projects that reduce permeable surface. Another resident described repeated flooding, alleged blocked drainage ditches between neighborhood lots and said his property has sustained substantial damage over multiple events.

Village context and staff response: President Kukler reminded the public that the village recently prevailed in litigation that affects options for discharging stormwater into a quarry and that the village has retained Chris Burke Engineering to begin mapping and analyzing areas north of 47th Street. Staff said the village contributed financially to programs (including homeowner assistance for overhead sewer/check valve installations) but that the initial program, which began May 1, 2022, was limited (15 homes in year one) and would not be applied retroactively to work done before that start date.

Residents also discussed larger regional infrastructure. Trustees noted the MWRD’s deep-tunnel/Reservoir projects and the McCook facility timetable influence the village’s ability to remove certain restrictions until regional capacity expands.

What’s next: trustees and staff said engineers will proceed with analysis and the village will update residents as the study progresses. Multiple residents asked for more explicit time frames and for the village to consider broader relief beyond piecemeal measures.