Green Infrastructure
Green Infrastructure is becoming increasingly popular as municipalities face crumbling infrastructure and communities are rethinking their approach to the built environment’s relationship to nature. The latest engineering research draws on nature-based solutions for treating stormwater run-off. In a nutshell, green infrastructure means designing spaces with less impervious paved surfaces to instead allow plants and the soil to percolate stormwater before it reaches surface water (such as the Landsman Kill and Crystal Lake) and groundwater. The percolation process manages stormwater runoff to filter out sediment and pollutants that can cause damage to the ecosystem as well as physical impacts such as erosion and sedimentation.
As a demonstration project for this new direction, the Village Board worked with Tighe and Bond on a feasibility study and concept plan. The project, which has a phased plan, would run along S. Parsonage St and the Lions Mini Park. Such a highly trafficked stretch, with one of the Village’s few green spaces, right on the way to the schools, represents a prime opportunity to engage with the school and community about these new green infrastructure and engineering practices and how this direction improves our natural systems. Other co-benefits, such as traffic calming and safer intersections, bolster the walkability and bikeability of this area.
The project would earn us points towards Silver certification.
Project Updates
In July 2021, we submitted for a 50/50 match Climate Smart Communities grant. In December 2021 we found out our application was not accepted.
We submitted for EFC’s GIGP 75/25 match grant in February 2021 (Environmental Facilities Corporation, Green Innovation Grant Program). In June 2021, we found out we did not get accepted.
Preliminary Concept Plan
At right you can see Phase 1a of the project. The price tag for this is ~$485K. Keep in mind that the Village would not proceed with this project without the EFC’s GIGP funding, which would cover 75% of the cost. You can download the preliminary budget that was submitted as part of our grant proposal.
Below, you see the complete phased plan.
You can download the PDF.
Please note, these are the preliminary concept plans submitted with the grant proposals. If we get a grant, the plan can be changed and improved with community input. So we would have public hearings in order to get that input.
