Plans are moving forward to find a solution to persistent flooding in Sauerman Woods and on U.S. 231 during heavy rains.
The Crown Point Board of Public Works and Safety approved hiring American Structurepoint Engineering to study the problem and design a drainage improvement project.
The firm will be paid $250,000 for both the engineering and design phase of the project. Greg Falkowski, the city’s chief of staff, said the money will come from an 80/20 matching grant from the Little Calumet River Basin Commission. The city qualified for the grant because the drainage project has a regional impact on stormwater management.
“This is a first good step partnership with the Little Calumet [River Basin] Commission,” Mayor David Uran said.
Sauerman Woods is about one mile east of downtown Crown Point and is bound approximately by 113th Avenue and South Street to the north, U.S. 231 to the northeast, Briarwood Subdivision to the south and west and Briar Estates to the east, according to the contract.
The park is directly across U.S. 231 from a tributary of Beaver Dam Creek. The tributary drains north along the Crown Point Sportsplex where it joins Beaver Dam Ditch just north of Summit Street. Beaver Dam Ditch is a tributary of Deep River.
Greg Lorig, project manager for Structurepoint, said the study will look at what is coming into the existing pond, what to do with water in the park and how to get water across U.S. 231, among other issues.
The study also will identify how to enhance existing park amenities in conjunction with the stormwater improvements. The amenities include a multi-use path around the detention basin, fishing pier and landscaping. The city also plans to clean the downstream ditch along the Sportsplex and enclose a portion of it.
The city will have the opportunity to apply for another grant to help pay for construction and implementation of the project, Lorig said.The first phase is expected to take about five months.
Board member Tim Gryzch said he is glad the city is working toward a solution to the flooding issues in the area.
“Flooding there has always been a concern in the city. Sauerman Woods floods a lot,” he said.
Uran agreed he would like to be able to provide flooding relief for the Briarwood subdivision and Sauerman Woods.
“If we can slow down the stormwater and detain it in another application, that’s a positive for the city,” he said.
Lorig said he expects the project will be ready to go out to bid a year from now.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
