PHASE III OVERVIEW
The contractor, Earthwerks Land Improvement & Development, Corp., completed all major construction activity as of June 2023.
Monitoring and Management of Native Vegetation
The subcontractor, ENCAP Incorporated, will be monitoring and managing the site during the 2023, 2024, and 2025 growing seasons. This mainly consists of mowing and applying herbicide to non-native, invasive species to give the native species time to establish. A prescribed burn is expected in 2025.
Their annual report summarizing the 2023 growing season showed that all performance criteria of the contract for the first year of growth has been met. Therefore, the project is well on its way to becoming a high-quality natural area with a diversity of species of native grasses, sedges, forbs, shrubs and trees. Great White Egrets, Mallard ducks, frogs, toads, turtles, minnows, left-handed snails, Kildeer, Sandpiper, songbirds, and insects have all been observed throughout 2023.
Klein Creek Trail (aka Multi-use Path)
The multi-use path between Bennett Drive (Easton Park Townhomes) and Arrowhead Trail (270-290) has been repaved. Two new extensions have been constructed to Kuhn Road and Thunderbird Trail, providing additional access points and connection to the Steven Ravenessi Trail and Bark Park. A safety railing along the retaining wall and final landscaping between the path and the residential properties is still needed along the Thunderbird Trail extension, which will be completed as weather permits.
In addition, the bridge behind the Water Reclamation Center (i.e. between 270 & 290 Arrowhead Trail) will be removed and replaced with a smaller, pedestrian-sized bridge that is higher and elevated above the flood height. The bridge is currently being fabricated and delivery/installation is estimated for late Spring / early Summer.
SCHEDULE
| 2027 January |
Contract Deadline: Accepting all plants, trees & shrubs. |
| 2024 Spring |
Arrowhead Trail Bridge Removal & Replacement |
| 2023 November |
Replanted 10 Native Trees & Shrubs (Did not survive initial planting) |
| 2023 September |
Nearly 24,000 Plugs (All Native Species) Planted Along Streambanks & Wetlands |
| 2023 June |
100 Trees & 300 Shrubs Planted (All Native Species) |
| 2022-08-03 |
Notices were mailed to residents adjacent to the worksite notifying them of the upcoming construction. |
| 2022-08-03 |
The Village and Earthwerks conducted a pre-construction meeting.
|
PHASE II OVERVIEW
The Village's consultant, Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. (ERA), will be developing the construction contract documents during this phase. Their scope of services includes the following:
- Meetings / Coordination
- Data Gathering / Survey
- Utility Design
- Earthwork Calculations
- Stormwater Management
- Environmental Design
- Permitting and Alternative Funding Assistance
- Construction Documents
- Bidding Assistance
SCHEDULE UPDATES
The Intergovernmental Grant Agreement (IGGA) with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) stipulates the following milestones for Phase II - Final Design (see Exhibit B):
- Design, Permitting and Construction Contract Documents: December 31, 2021
- Draft Landowner Agreement(s): December 31, 2021
- Final Landowner Agreement(s): January 31, 2022
During the project's kick-off meeting on March 9th, ERA provided their tentative project design schedule.
| |
END OF PHASE II - FINAL DESIGN; START PHASE III - CONSTRUCTION |
| 2022-08-01 |
Resolution passed accepting DuPage County's ARPA funds. |
| 2022-05-02 |
Award of Contract approved by the Board of Trustees to Earthwerks Land Improvement & Development, Corp. |
| 2022-04-27 |
Invitation for Bids was posted on April 5th and closed on April 27, 2022. |
| 2022-04-18 |
Resolution No. 3244 accepting $125,000 in DuPage County WQIP funds. |
| 2022-01-17 |
The Board of Trustees passed Resolution No. 3234 authorizing the execution of a grant agreement with the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW). The agreement provides for up to $1,100,000 in construction funds for the stretch between Kuhn Road and the Water Reclamation Center's outfall. |
| 2021-12-30 |
Staff submitted documentation in support of the IGGA milestones due December 31st. |
| 2021-11-01 |
Staff presented the scope of work for the project to the Village Board of Trustees. |
| 2021-04-01 |
A 2nd notice was mailed to residents regarding land surveyors and brush clearing. |
| 2021-03-15 |
A notice was mailed to residents notifying them of the award and introducing this website. |
| 2021-03-09 |
The Village and its consultant, , conducted a project kick-off meeting on March 9, 2021.
|
COORDINATION
The following is a list of non-residential parties the Village is also coordinating with for Section I:
- Easton Park Home Owner's Association
- Carol Stream Park District (Memorial Park)
- Carol Stream Fire District (Fire Station No. 28)
- Public Works / Water Reclamation Center
- Commonwealth Edison (ComEd)
BACKGROUND
The Village completed a Pond and Stream Bank Study in 1998 where Klein Creek from Thunderbird Trail to Kuhn Road (aka Section I) was identified to exhibit moderate streambank erosion. Several attempts to acquire grant funding between 1998 and 2005 were unsuccessful, at which point the project was dropped from the Village's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). However, the erosion of the streambank continued, as well as accelerated by several flooding events in 2008, 2010, and 2013.
DuPage County was awarded an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) 319 grant to develop the Klein Creek Watershed-based Plan, which was completed in August 2017. The Village awarded Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. (ERA) a contract in September 2016 in order to provide input to the County on the details of said plan, as well as to prepare a concept design and grant application to the IEPA for the subject Section I of Klein Creek.
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (IEPA) 319h GRANT
The concept design was completed in March 2017, but the grant application for IEPA 319 funds was purposefully delayed until August 2019, which is when the IEPA prioritized projects within the Des Plaines River watershed (includes Klein Creek). The application requested $1,000,000 in funds based on an estimated construction cost of $3,100,000 (32%). The IEPA notified staff in August 2020 that the Village was a finalist and the Inter-governmental Grant Agreement (IGGA) was fully executed in February 2021 (Resolution No. 3170).
The IGGA will reimburse the Village for costs related to both design and construction at a rate of 50%, for up to $1,000,000 (not-to-exceed). The scope of work described in the IGGA was developed by translating the concept design into the following "Outputs" as listed below (see also Exhibit A of IGGA):
In addition to the above, three Educational Signs and this Website is also required as part of the public outreach.
The IGGA also stipulates the following milestones as listed in Exhibit B:
- Design, Permitting and Construction Contract Documents: December 31, 2021
- Draft Landowner Agreement(s): December 31, 2021
- Final Landowner Agreement(s): January 31, 2022
- Construction Completion: July 15, 2023
Execution of the IGGA marks the end of Phase I and the start of Phase II.
DUPAGE RIVER SALT CREEK WORKGROUP (DRSCW) FUNDING
At their quarterly membership meeting on June 30, 2021, the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW) announced their intention to sign a Grant Agreement (GA) with the Village. The GA was officially passed by the Village's Board of Trustees (Resolution No. 3234) on January 17, 2022 and will provide up to $1,100,000 in funding to construct a portion of Section I (a.k.a. Section I-A), which is the portion between the Water Reclamation Center's outfall and Kuhn Road. However, the GA stipulates that the Village will use the funding it saves towards the streambank stabilization of another stretch along Klein Creek upstream of the Water Reclamation Center's outfall.
In addition, the DRSCW's funding of Section I-A will require that the Village relocate some of the "Outputs" from its IGGA with the IEPA to another stretch along Klein Creek. These "Outputs" are estimated to be 1.4 acres of Wetland Restoration, 5 acres of Riparian Buffer, 1,970 feet Stream Channel Stabilization, and 2,470 feet of Streambank Stabilization.
The Village has chosen Section III, which is from Mitchell Lakes to Illini Drive, as the most practicable stretch of Klein Creek to relocate said "Outputs". Section III is about the same length as Section I-A and, just like Section I-A, the Wetland Restoration can be done entirely on publicly owned property (i.e. Park District’s Outdoor Storage Area and Village property north of the Library).
DUPAGE COUNTY STORMWATER - WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (WQIP)
The DuPage County Stormwater Management Planning Committee voted on March 1, 2022 to approve the 2022 recipients of the County’s Water Quality Improvement Program grant. The Committee selected three projects countywide, all of which aim to improve the quality of DuPage’s streams and rivers. The Village of Carol Stream was awarded $125,000 for Section I.
DUPAGE COUNTY STORMWATER - AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA)
The DuPage County Stormwater Management Planning Committee voted on July 7, 2022 to approve recipients of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) municipal grant program. The Committee selected 26 projects that will improve flood control and water quality countywide. The grant awards a 50/50 costs share, up to $500,000, to for shovel-ready projects that demonstrate flood protection and resilience measures. The Village of Carol Stream was awarded $500,000 for Section I, $500,000 for Section III, and $250,000 for reconstructing the Mitchell Lakes outfall, whose construction will be combined with Section III.
