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Biting the bullet to move forward.
Here’s an odd one that has no attached narrative explaining the why and got no work-shopping. The village staff has worked on and council may approve buying properties that cannot have their stormwater problems remedied with what engineering resources are currently available. The four proposed properties are located at 121 8th Street, 125 8th Street, 118 55th Street, and 122 55th Street, all in Downers Grove.
Flood plain and LPDA=watery hell every time it rains.
These four homes are hit with a double whammy; they are in both a Flood Zone, which means they get water, and are in a Local Poor Drainage Area, which means the water has nowhere to go. At least some of these residents have pleaded for help for years from the village and until recently none was available past sending Public Works Crews to pump them out.
SW-038 in the 2009 CIPS program indicated that “2009 work includes a possible voluntary buy-out.” there’s only one other area in Downers Grove that has this combination of flooding and poor drainage and that’s the original poster child area for flooding at 40th and Gendenning on the northside.
The tax and market value of the four homes comes to higher than the allotted $500,000, but no purchase pricing is included in the authorizing Resolutions (Consent Agenda F, G, H, and I). There are additional stormwater funds available from the $25 million borrowing that may be used to cover the spread. The Resolutions come before council at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
Makes sense, and continues a long-standing policy of buying properties in flood plains.
In 1998 under Mayor Cheever, the Village bought two lots in the flood plain behind my home; and they are eventually planned to support a large detention area.
This also puts the mantra that “the Village should not be in the real estate business” into perspective. Sometimes it is the right thing to do.
As long as the village doesn’t profit from owning this land I don’t see a problem with it. Now if they sell this land down the line and make a profit then I think that is wrong. I am not really sure how I feel about this whole thing yet. Where are these people going to move to? We are losing 4 property tax paying homes and paying them off. I just don’t know…
The village under Cheever bough two homes in my old neighborhood also. They’re just empty lots, now. I’m guessing if this gets approved and goes through that’s what will happen there also.
humor
Chad, the village has never made money buying and selling land…
/humor