In an effort to slow stormwater runoff that contributes to flooding at neighborhood properties during big storms, a project that will also improve play at the 18-hole golf course is scheduled to start next July. When work is finished, the area would hold about 7.1 million gallons of water, more than three times the land’s current capacity, restricting the flow of water to nearby homes by more than 70%.
A $4.2 million project at the Glenview (Ill.) Park Golf Club to slow stormwater runoff and improve play at the 18-hole course is scheduled to start next July and should last one year, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Officials hope the collaboration between the village and the Glenview Park District will lower the chances of the runoff from the club damaging neighboring properties during big storms, the Tribune reported.
“I’m so excited about this opportunity,” said Don Owen, Glenview’s deputy village manager, who spoke during the August 15 meeting. “We know (stormwater) is a serious problem and a long-term problem.”
The park district plans to spend about $2.5 million toward the improvements, while the village is going to contribute about $1.7 million to increase the course’s capacity for holding rainwater, the Tribune reported.
When work on the golf course is finished, the area would hold about 7.1 million gallons of water, which is more than three times the land’s current capacity, officials said. It would restrict the flow of water by more than 70% to nearby homes, especially east of the course, which is where the water tends to gravitate naturally, said Bob Hamilton, of Gewalt Hamilton Associates Inc., an engineering firm that’s working on the project.
But residents who attended the meeting expressed mixed views over the improvement plan, the Tribune reported.
Bruce Erler, a Glenview resident affected by the runoff during big rainstorms, said he thinks the officials could do more to not just decrease but eliminate the impact to neighbors. Erler and other residents whose homes were flooded multiple times in the last couple of years criticized officials, saying the plan’s goal should be storm water management not improving the golf course, the Tribune reported.
“If playability of the golf course is the No. 1 priority, well then there is a problem right there,” Erler said. “It’s just plain common sense. It’s ludicrous (to be concerned about golfers) when you have houses under water.”
Erler likes to golf on the course but said he would rather sacrifice the number of holes just so the area could stop contributing to flooding. Further, he said the park district should pay to fix its own stormwater problems, which are affecting the surrounding area, the Tribune reported.
But to village officials, the situation is more complex than it looks—mainly due to differing roles of the park district and the village, the Tribune reported.
“It all goes back to the core missions of the Village of Glenview and the park district,” Owen said.
The village is responsible for stormwater maintenance while the park district concentrates on the upkeep of recreational services, officials explained. Under normal rules, Owen said, the park district would just improve their golf course, the Tribune reported.
“But we’re working together to try to improve the residents’ situation as much as feasible,” Owen said.
Robert Quill, superintendent of leisure services for the Glenview Park District, said the district has been working on the renovation plans for about 18 months, striking an intergovernmental agreement with the village in March, the Tribune reported.
The park district is excited to work along with the village toward improving the area, Quill said, but he added that officials are not making any big promises, the Tribune reported.
“This is not going to be the end of it all,” Quill said, referring to the flooding. “There are no guarantees.”
Some residents said they are excited to see at least a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, the Tribune reported.
“I’m happy to see the numbers,” said Kathy Gawel, a Glenview resident who lives next to the course. “All of this sounds great on paper,” Gawel said, echoing other residents. “But I can only pray it works.”
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