On Friday, Sept. 27, the permanent fence around the Heather Hill storm water detention basin appeared to be finished, putting the flood mitigation project one step closer to completion.
Flossmoor Public Works Director John Brunke reported Sept. 6 that the main excavation work to create the basin adjacent to Heather Hill School was done.
The basin is part of a multiyear project designed to relieve flooding in the Heather Hill neighborhood and near the downtown viaduct.
Workers began installing the permanent, six-foot fence the week of Sept. 9. Also, erosion control blankets were spread over the newly seeded soil that week, with the exception of relatively small sections between the permanent fence and the temporary construction fence.
The seeding is expected to be done soon on those sections now that the permanent fence is completed. Brunke said the erosion blanket “helps the newly placed grass seed and dirt stay in place while it germinates.”
The existing chain link fence on the east side of the basin along the railroad tracks will remain but will undergo repairs, he said.
“There is still work remaining to finish the restoration of the project area which may take a few more weeks to complete,” Brunke said. Sidewalk and curb repair and replacement are among the final steps in the process.
The plan was to have excavation work done by Aug. 15 avoiding an overlap with the start of school, but Brunke reported to the Flossmoor Board of Trustees in August that weather delays prevented the contractor from meeting that deadline.
Incentives that were built into the contract for meeting or beating the deadline will not be paid, he said.
Residents who have construction-related questions can contact public works at 708-957-4100 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The project has been controversial in recent months. Residents opposed to the placement of the basin near the elementary school have spoken out at village, school district and park board meetings. They are concerned about children’s safety and have criticized the village’s manner of communication about the project.
At the Sept. 16 village board meeting, Kiana Jones made a statement during the public comment portion to question the village’s honesty and transparency. She cited a case of incorrect information about the basin included in the fall village newsletter published Aug. 26.
She quoted from a news item in the newsletter that stated, “In August, the permanent safety fence was installed and the contractor, Pan-Oceanic Engineering Co., moved on to the last step in this phase: final restoration (the installment of native and turf seeding and an erosion-control blanket) and project completion.”
The village ran a correction in the Sept. 4 email newsletter: “The installation of the permanent fence at the Heather Hill detention basin was delayed due to weather. It is now expected to be installed in early September.”
Mayor Michelle Nelson said, “It was a simple timing issue. We were trying to reach more people by having the information in the quarterly newsletter, but due to issues outside of our control, the construction schedule changed during the time between when materials went to press (Aug. 14) and newsletters arrived in mailboxes. We regret any confusion that may have been caused by our attempt to increase awareness. Up-to-date information was communicated in a timely manner via the project and school email distribution lists and via our website.”
Additional information about the project, including construction updates, can be found on the village website.
