Stormwater Control Project Forces Choice: Woods or Soccer Fields

The affluent suburban village lies about 20 miles west of Chicago. The area at issue is between Lenox, Riford and St. Charles roads and is characterized by woods and wetlands.

Although the project was approved by the village and park district boards in November, residents who have showed up at public information meetings about the project hope they can still put a stop to it.

Opponents plan to turn out to the next Park District Board meeting on Tuesday, May 6, saying this project "must be stopped immediately." Construction is expected to begin in June.

The Park District owns the land and is letting the village use it for stormwater retention from the 5-Corners commercial area.

In exchange, the village is permitting the park district to build two soccer fields on land that is now heavily wooded area with trees over 30" in diameter.

Resident Melissa Creech started a website to express opposition to the project at www.saveackerman woods.com.

"Park district surveys show the slated removal of 344 trees, and the survey lists only trees with a diameters of six inches or more. Countless more small trees and plants will be destroyed. Deer and other wildlife will be displaced," says Creech on the site.

Also, Glenbard West High School's Eagle Club started a website for teens that now has more than 100 students signed up to oppose the project, accoding to the local newspaper, "Daily Herald."

Creech and other critics say the village already has stormwater retention for the 5-Corners area in a large drainage basin north of the Walgreens drug store.

"There is NO existing stormwater problem," says Creech. There has been empty retail space in the 5-Corners area for years, yet the village would rather have another strip mall than preserve the woods, she says.

"Developers could provide their own stormwater retention on their own property - either in cisterns below ground or in small retention basins, but this will cost the developers money," Creech points out. "Instead, the village wants to take care of stormwater for the strip malls, which will make construction cheaper for the developers - but it will cut down the woods."

Glen Ellyn Public Works Director Joe Caracci said as part of the project, more than 100 new trees will be planted in the area.

The village has already acquired a stormwater detention facility from a property owner who agreed to deed the parcel to Glen Ellyn years ago. Now the village is planning to sell that property for about $500,000 after the regional stormwater detention area is built at Ackerman.

Money from the land sale will help pay for the Ackerman project, which is expected to cost about $465,000, Caracci said.

Creech challenges that plan, saying, "How does the village know it will be able to sell this land at all, let alone get their asking price? And what about the hundreds of thousands of dollars in trees that are headed to the chipper?"

Creech has written to the DuPage County Forest Preserve requesting permanent protection for Ackerman Woods.

"Experts from the Morton Arboretum and other organizations visited Ackerman Woods last week and they agreed that despite years of neglect and no maintenance, the woods have been largely, and surprisingly spared from invasives and non-natives. With wetlands bordering the north and south, this is unique property," she wrote in April.

Critics fault the Park District for failing to look into other locations for the soccer fields and failing to do a facilities usage study to see if current soccer fields are used to capacity.

Now DuPage County has decided to do a full permit review on the Ackerman Woods stormwater project, a review that could delay the project.

Late in April, members of Glen Ellyn's Environmental Commission voted unanimously to recommend the village take no further action on the project. The panel wants the village to explore options that would not destroy the trees.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.