Blizzard Leaves Village with Mountain of Bills

Downers Grove not only has piles of snow left from the blizzard of 2011, it has a pile of bills—about $175,000 worth.

Mary Scalzetti, emergency management coordinator, reported to the Village Council Tuesday that a typical snowstorm in Downers Grove costs the village between $15,000 and $20,000. However, the recent blizzard was not typical, dropping 21.1 inches of snow, the third-highest total in village history.

To recoup some of the money, Scalzetti said the village is working with DuPage County to secure relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“The magnitude of this storm had an enormous impact on our community,” she said.

Scalzetti reported a flurry of numbers:

• Village departments handled 805 distress calls, 101 of which came through the 911 system;
• There were 16 EMS calls, 12 of which ended up transporting storm victims to Good Samaritan Hospital; and
• Eighty-three vehicles were reported disabled and 25 were reported abandoned.

Mayor Ron Sandack, who participated in the meeting via telephone, said the village will need to “find some extra money” this year because of the storm’s high cost.

Commissioner Geoff Neustadt said Ogden Avenue at 10 p.m. Tuesday, the night of the blizzard, was “scary.”

“We didn’t have Lake Shore Drive,” Neustadt said, referring to the traffic problems and controversial closing of Chicago’s popular street during the blizzard, “but we had our problems here in Downers Grove, too.”

Scalzetti said major access roads were accessible by Wednesday afternoon last week. Local through streets were accessible by late Wednesday night. The village’s 333 cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets were accessible by Thursday evening.

“Our public works response was efficient, especially considering the extraordinary conditions they were working in, and the intensity of the storm,” Scalzetti said.

Village Manager Dave Fieldman said work is not done yet. Clearing intersections of snow drifts for better visibility and functionality, street-widening and possible updates of the village’s snow plan are steps that the village needs to take.

“We have communicated with our residents. We will continue to be in communication with our residents,” Fieldman said. “There’s more work to be done, and we’ll keep residents informed as we do that.”

Commissioner Sean Durkin expressed concern over the public works policy that allowed individual plow drivers, not a higher authority, to determine if conditions were safe enough to continue plowing through the night. Fieldman said several drivers decided visibility was too poor to plow around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Sandack called the storm a “teaching moment” for the village, but, like the rest of the commissioners who spoke, was complimentary about the village's response.

“I doubt any communities of our size did better,” he said.

Nelson Meadow Addendum:

The Village Council unanimously approved an addendum to the Subdivision Improvement Agreement attached to the Nelson Meadow subdivision that would split public improvement construction of the 11-lot development into two phases.

The development was approved in 2006 with the improvement agreement—the first of its kind in Downers Grove—but was put on hold by developer Joel Andersen when the economy soured.

Andersen has said he plans to begin construction on Phase I soon now that the addendum is passed. He said one buyer is set and the house is designed. Construction of the first house will be completed as the public improvements are put in place, according to Andersen.  

The addendum was modified since its Jan. 18 first reading regarding the time line for public improvements of both phases—which includes the widening of Jefferson Avenue and the construction of a detention pond on Lot 8, among others. The final version of the addendum stated all public improvements for the entire subdivision must be completed within five years of the addendum’s passing. Time lines are no longer tied to the pulling of permits by the developer.   

The addendum also increased the letter of credit provided by the developer to cover costs of public improvements should the developer halt operation.

Ten concerned citizens took the microphone during the Jan. 18 first reading of the addendum to make sure no other parts of the Subdivision Improvement Agreement would be changed, such as the protection of the black walnut trees along the property’s southeast corner and the use of Carpenter Street for the construction entrance instead the narrower Jefferson Avenue.

At Tuesday's meeting, there were only three public comments.

Mark Cronin, 1117 Jefferson St., expressed the neighborhood’s concern that the construction entrance for Phase II could not possibly be on Carpenter, since the three lots that are adjacent to the street make up Phase I. Fieldman said the construction entrance is something village staff determines with the developer and all other resident concerns will be addressed at a future neighborhood meeting.

Commissioner William Waldack supported the addendum, but said infill projects such as Nelson Meadow are “complicated” and “messy.

“There’s a lot we’re putting on staff,” Waldack said. “I hope you guys know what you’re getting into.”

Neustadt responded by expressing confidence in the village staff and likening the development to a porch remodeling.

“Sure this is a big project, but it’s no different than a regular old project in your backyard,” Neustadt said. “Let's be realistic here, this is a project that benefits the developer, the homeowners and the village.”

In other council action:

• As a part of Tuesday night’s consent agenda, the council unanimously passed a resolution that approves the purchase of five properties near the intersection of 2nd Street and Cumnor Road, where there’s a “high priority subwatershed” characterized by flooding of houses, yards and streets. The properties at 125 2nd St., 5129 Cumnor Rd., 5132 Cumnor Rd., 5135 Cumnor Rd. and 5136 Cumnor Rd. will contain an “above-ground detention storage facility” that will accompany a large-diameter storm sewer pipe.
• The council unanimously approved an ordinance to rezone a portion of the 2.21-acre property at 5101 Thatcher Rd. from Office Research and Manufacturing (ORM) to Light Manufacturing (M-1). The council also approved a resolution to consolidate the three lots on the property into one. Neuco Inc., which produces heating, ventilation and air conditioning control systems, is currently operating on the property. Neustadt abstained from voting on both the ordinance and the resolution due to a conflict of interest. The commissioner’s second cousin, Paul Neustadt, is the president of Neuco.