This house in the 6200 block of Linden Lane will be demolished to create a detention pond to help alleviate flooding in the neighborhood, Township of Lyons officials said. (Photo by Steve Metsch)
Flood relief coming to neighborhood in La Grange Highlands
By Steve Metsch
Roughly 15 homes in the Acacia Acres subdivision of the La Grange Highlands are expected to get flooding relief thanks to a $1 million grant from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to the Township of Lyons, officials said.
The money will be used to acquire one home, replace it with a detention pond, and install a drainage system.
Lyons Township Highway Commissioner Seat McDermott said that five to six homes flood when big rains hit.
“And another eight or nine take on water and get pretty close to (flood waters) getting into the homes,” McDermott said at the township board’s Aug. 9 meeting.
Building the detention pond, along with installing drainage lines leading to it, “would significantly alleviate flooding in that unincorporated area,” McDermott said.
The township will pay for engineering and legal fees, McDermott said.
McDermott said the owner of a ranch house in the 6200 block of Linden Lane has agreed to sell, making room for the detention pond after the house is demolished.
The neighborhood around 62nd Street and Linden Avenue has experienced flooding issues, Township Supervisor Christopher Getty said at the board’s Aug. 9 meeting.
“It’s an area that doesn’t drain very well,” McDermott added.
Regarding the plan, Trustee Donna McDonald said, “sounds like they’re on the right track.
There’s no estimate on how long the project will need to complete. Talks began two years ago with the MWRD, McDermott said.
Getty credited McDermott for pursuing and acquiring the grant from the MWRD.
Had the homeowner decided to not sell his house, the project would have stalled, Getty said.
In other business, the township board is moving its November meeting to a new date.
The board usually meets on the second Tuesday each month. But Tuesday, Nov. 8, is Election Day.
Getty suggested the board instead meets at 6 p.m. Nov. 14. Trustees unanimously agreed.
Local News
Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.
Neighbors
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge
By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers. The Bears…
Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …
Komatsu mining truck named 2024 ‘coolest thing made in Illinois’
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A mining truck manufactured by Komatsu was crowned the winner of the 2024 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of “the coolest thing made in Illinois” at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The truck was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest hosted…
Giannoulias calls for disclosure of lobbyist contracts
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For decades, lobbyists in the Illinois Statehouse have been required to report how much they spend wining, dining and entertaining lawmakers. Currently, though, there is no law requiring lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by corporations, industry groups or other special interest organizations. That…
Illinois Senate advances changes to state’s biometric privacy law after business groups split
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – It’s been more than a year since the Illinois Supreme Court “respectfully suggest(ed)” state lawmakers clarify a law that’s led to several multi-million-dollar settlements with tech companies over the collection of Illinoisans’ biometric data. On Thursday, a bipartisan majority in the Illinois Senate did just that,…
Illinoisans can now get documents notarized online
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new “E-Notary” portal launched by the secretary of state’s office. This process is one of the latest initiatives of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ ongoing effort to modernize the office and its services. Notaries…
Prairie Band Potawatomi becomes 1st federally recognized tribe in Illinois
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Nearly 200 years after Native Americans were forced out of Illinois, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has become the first federally recognized tribal nation in the state after a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior last week. The move represents the first victory in the tribe’s…