Residents had an opportunity to view slides and artist renderings for the Polaris Stormwater Storage and Storm Sewer Improvement Project, which will begin next month in the Oak Lawn 6th District.
The meeting was held Oct. 9 in the board room of the District 218 Administration Center. Nearly 50 residents attended the session to learn more about the project that is being held to curb flooding in the eastern portion of Oak Lawn.
Most of the questions directed to the panel, which consisted of Mayor Terry Vorderer, Trustee Ralph Soch (6th), and Bill Meyer, director the public works department, were how much of an inconvenience the project will cause local residents?
The panel also included representatives from Christopher B. Burke Engineering, which will be working on the project. Client contact Lee Fell, project manager Darren Olson and Tim Carter, resident engineer, were on hand to answer residents’ questions and provide a timeline of the project.
Soch said this project has been discussed since 2011 and now the time has come to provide a drainage system to curb flooding that occurs more frequently in this section of the village.
“This project will have a huge impact for Oak Lawn,” Soch said.
The first phase of the project will begin with the installation of drainage improvements consisting of a 48-inch diameter concrete storm sewer system on Kilpatrick Avenue from the basin (south of 108th Street to 105th Street) and 105th Street east to Kedvale Avenue.
After underground work is finished, the trenches will be patched, and the entire roadway will be resurfaced with new pavement. As part of this work, damaged sections of curbs and sidewalks will also be replaced, according to Burke Engineering officials.
As far as the timeline for work on Polaris Park along the District 218 Administration Center, an excavation of 87,000 cubic yards of soil to create a six-foot deep stormwater storage basin with underdrains for improved drainage will occur.
Olson said that this is about the size of 27 Olympic-size swimming pools worth of dirt. He added that this will include the replacement of softball and football fields; improved access and viewing; and landscape restoration.
The roadway construction is scheduled to begin in March of 2026, Olson said. The roadway and storm sewer project should be completed by October of next year. The Polaris Park construction should be finished as well by next fall, Olson said.
Carter said that the Polaris Park Field should be ready for use by the spring of 2007.
Most of the residents wondered how inconvenient it would be during the two-year project? Vorderer said to expect some inconvenience.
“There definitely will be some inconvenience during the project,” the mayor said. “But when an issue comes up, we will figure it out.”
Olson told residents that contractors will only access the park site from Kilpatrick Avenue during construction. Residents had wondered if workers were going to be riding trucks up their streets? Olson said that would be minimal and they will not be using the Polaris School parking lot.
With the massive amount of digging, residents were also concerned about an increase in rodents in the neighborhood. Olson said a licensed pest control company will be making regular inspections.
“If it is evident there is rodent activity, residents can contact the website,” Fell said.
Carter also advised residents that he will be at the work site daily and can also be reached there.
The new system will be expected to contain large storms with excess water. The maximum drain time down time after a large storm will be about 29 hours, according to engineers. Officials said they expect the basin to fill up with water twice a year.
The contractor is required to keep roadways clean and free of dirt and debris, Carter said. Fell did inform residents who live along 105th and Kilpatrick that they will occasionally be unable to get in and out of their driveways. But he added that this will be temporary and they would work with residents if they are inconvenienced.
“This will be a big project and it will be inconvenient at times,” Carter said. “Bear with us and let us find a rhythm. There is going to be dust and there will be some noise. But let me know what I can do. I can be reached during the day at the site.”
Carter said that when the fencing goes up when the project begins, the park will be closed during this time.
The project will include new baseball fields, a football field, stairways, and ramps for maintenance vehicle access as early as next spring.
Construction hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays. No work will occur on Sundays or holidays, according to the construction company.
Soch said that the end result of this project will be that flooding in this section of Oak Lawn will be in the past.
“The waterstorm project will prevent flooding,” Soch said. “And we will have state-of-the-art baseball and other fields. This is a win-win for everybody, including the school district and the residents.”
More information about the project can be viewed at www.polarisstormwater.com.