Village Stormwater Management

What is the Village Doing to Manage Storm Water?

While much of our storm water management system was initially designed more than 75 years ago, during the last 25 years, the Village has invested more than $12 million in a number of significant storm sewer improvements. These investments have improved both the capacity and condition of our infrastructure.

2015 Storm Water Update | May 27, 2015

In October and November 2014, the 2014 Storm Water Drainage Study completed by Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. (ERA) was presented to the Village Board. These Village Board meetings included presentations and discussions on the Storm Water Drainage Study for the Terrace Court and Greenwood Ave drainage basins and the Skokie Ridge and Madison Ave drainage basins. Following these meetings, Village Staff recommended the Village Board accept the 2014 Storm Water Drainage Study and consider the improvement recommendations as part of the projects to be included in proposed bond issue referendum targeted for Spring 2015.

In April 2015, Glencoe voters approved two referendum questions on infrastructure improvements which included $6 million for storm sewer improvements that were recommended from the 2014 Study. As such, Village Staff has begun working with ERA to develop a proposal for engineering services and a project plan for the upcoming improvements.

The proposed engineering services agreement is based on a project work plan that targets completion of the survey and design for each of the five drainage basins areas on a schedule that will permit bidding and construction of Terrace Court, Skokie Ridge and Hazel Avenue during 2016 and Greenwood Avenue and Madison Avenue in 2017. The full proposal can be viewed here.

Project Schedule

Terrace Court, Skokie Ridge and Hazel Ave/Village Hall Improvements

Project Initiation: May 2015
Complete Survey: June 2015
Complete Design: November 2015
Begin Construction: April 2016

Greenwood/Park and Madison Avenue Improvements

Project Initiation: May 2015
Complete Survey: July 2015
Complete Design: November 2016
Begin Construction: April 2017

2014 Storm Water Drainage Study Update | October 10, 2014

At its June meeting, the Village Board received a staff report on the May 12, 2014 flooding event and its impact throughout the Village. The report highlighted the positive performance of storm sewer systems in several areas served by storm drainage improvements completed by the Village in recent years. It also identified five specific areas of concern in the Village that continue to experience significant street and right-of-way flooding that impacts street passage, driveway access, and private property flooding including structural flooding. These five areas were impacted by the May 12 storm as well as during two storms that took place on June 21 and June 30.

Staff recommended these areas identified be studied, and in July the Board authorized Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. (ERA) to prepare a storm water drainage study of these targeted areas to better understand the cause, extent and severity of the flooding that occurs, and to evaluate alternatives to reduce the impact of future flooding. The specific targeted drainage basin areas included in the study are:

1. Terrace Court Drainage Basin

2. Skokie Ridge Drainage Basin

3. Greenwood/Park Drainage Basin

4. Madison Ave (400 Block) Drainage Basin

5. Hazel Ave Underpass at Green Bay Rd

Given the scope of the study and the number of properties in each drainage basin, staff is breaking the report into two primary parts and presenting the 4 residential basin areas over 2 separate meetings.

The October 16 Village Board meeting included a presentation and discussion of the Study for the Terrace Court and Greenwood/Park Drainage Basin areas (Part I).

The November 20 Village Board meeting included a presentation and discussion of the Study for the Skokie Ridge and Madison Ave Drainage Basin areas (Part II).

Linked below, summary memorandum prepared by ERA highlights the outcome of the study for the Terrace Court and Greenwood Ave Basin areas. The memorandum provides an overview of the data gathered for each storm drainage basin and the hydraulic and hydrologic analysis performed by the Village’s consultants in order to identify the existing conditions in each drainage basin. Different improvement alternatives were then evaluated and tested through the use of stormwater modeling software to determine what impact different proposed improvements would have on reducing stormwater flooding. Also attached are exhibits that: 1) define the limits of the watershed for each drainage basin, 2) present the existing conditions flooding limits, and 3) depict proposed conditions with the implementation of improvements for various levels of protection. Costs for these improvement options will be presented in detail. An important aspect of the outcome of the study is that no matter the level of public improvement, certain properties will require various levels of private improvement as well.

Village Staff and engineers from Engineering Resource Associates will present details and findings of the Study at the Village Board meeting on October 16 Residents in both the Terrace Court and Greenwood Basin areas have been notified and invited to

the meeting to hear the presentation to the Board and participate in the discussion.

The Village Board will not be taking any action at the October 16 meeting. The Presentation of the Study will provide information that will advise the Board during FY2016 budget discussions.

PriorityFloodingLocations_8_5x11_20140707

As highlighted on the map above, other areas of concern exist in the community as well. These areas are being evaluated by staff, and where possible, improvements will be integrated. Roadways controlled by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), including Sheridan Road, also sometimes experience flooding that impacts the safe travel as well as private property. The Village is working with IDOT to seek solutions to these issues as well.

Past Efforts

Highlights of our past efforts include:

Following record flooding in the Village in August 1987, a Village-wide storm water drainage study was commissioned by the Village Board and a report was presented in 1989. Based on seven flood prone areas of the Village identified in that original report, staff began to incorporate potential storm water improvement projects into the Village’s long range capital improvement program plans.
A follow-up study in 1992 on the East Diversion Ditch was used as the foundation for the eventual restoration of the ditch by Cook County in 2007.
Additional drainage studies have been completed on targeted drainage basins in the last 15 years.

The Village has completed the following major storm sewer improvements since 1988:

Stonegate Terrace Storm Sewer (1988)		$400,000
Fairfield Road Storm Sewer (1991)		$122,000
Washington Ave. Storm Detention System (1991)		$611,000
Crescent-Greenleaf Ravine Improvements (1994)		$75,000
East Diversion Ditch By-Pass Sewer (1999)		$920,000
Hawthorn Ave. Outfall Improvements (2004)		$152,00
N. Dundee Basin Storm Improvements (2005)		$675,000
Sycamore Ln. Storm Sewer (2006)		$377,000
East Diversion Ditch Restoration (2007)		$1,000,000
Beach Rd. Storm Sewer (2009-10)		$140,000
Palos/Green Bay Basin Improvements (2010)		$1,580,000
Harbor/Linden Basin Improvements (2013)		$2,183,000
Greenwood/Oakdale Basin Improvements (2013)		$1,740,000
Elm Place/Valley Basin Improvements (currently underway 2014)		$2,250,000
TOTAL		$12,225,000

Each of these major storm sewer improvements was designed, through increased pipe capacity, to reduce the severity and duration of street and right-of-way flooding which impacts private property and disrupts vehicular traffic access.

Village staff routinely monitors the performance of the storm sewer system Village-wide over the course of a year, and is able to target maintenance efforts based on reported and observed street flooding. Areas that routinely experience street and right-of-way flooding during moderate to heavy storm events are evaluated as potential candidates for more comprehensive study.