'End In Sight' For La Grange Flood Project

LA GRANGE, IL – No one knows when an appeals court will rule on La Grange's plan to drain stormwater into a McCook quarry.

But the village is nearly done with the project's engineering.

On Monday, Village President Mark Kuchler indicated the village may start the 50th Street storm sewer project even before the court decides.

In 2023, a Cook County judge sided with the village over the Heidelberg Materials quarry in long-running litigation, letting La Grange send the water to the quarry. The company appealed.

In the early 1990s, the company's predecessor broke a longstanding arrangement by cutting La Grange's pipe to the quarry, the village contended.

During public comments at Monday's Village Board meeting, Steve Koppel of Dry Up La Grange asked about the status of the project.

"It's been several years. Why are we still waiting?" said Koppel, who was wearing a lime green Dry Up La Grange T-shirt. "Is there an end in sight?"

Kuchler said it had been closer to a couple of years. He said the village did not start the permitting process until it prevailed in the trial court.

The multimillion-dollar project has already racked up more than $1 million in engineering bills, Kuchler said.

Koppel said his understanding was that the start of construction of the storm sewer hinged on the trial court's ruling.

But Kuchler said he did not think that was accurate.

"In a perfect world, we would get a decision before spending more money," he said.

In reality, he said, the village hopes to start construction sometime next year.

Koppel asked, "So the appellate court is, in no way, preventing the village from putting a shovel in the ground?"

"Correct," Kuchler replied. "There was no court order saying we can't put a shovel in."

Village Manager Jack Knight said La Grange hoped to go out to bid in the fall or early winter. (In response to a Patch inquiry, Knight said in an email Wednesday, "Regarding the 50th Street project, while it's difficult to predict the Appellate Court's schedule, it is anticipated that the case will be decided prior to construction."

Kuchler said the village has enjoyed cooperation from other levels of government in getting money for the project.

"I do strongly believe that our elected leaders are very interested in La Grange's flooding because of Dry Up La Grange and the number of members in the Facebook group," Kuchler said. "They understand votes."

The project is expected to help neighborhoods south of 47th Street.

After flooding in June 2021, southside residents denounced the village for waiting on litigation to solve the flooding problem.

Officials countered that the village would be unable to pay for the 50th Street project if it took smaller measures in the meantime.