These should be answered fully before any permits to proceed with the demolition of Hofmann Dam are issued. If the project proceeds:
1. What will be the width of the river, not the depth, at various locations upriver of Hofmann Dam: Indian Gardens, Salt Creek/Scout Cabin, the railroad bridge, Forest Avenue and 31st Street? This will disclose how much river bank will be exposed.
2. Is all the funding for the completion of all phases of the project in hand, so that we know it will be properly completed in a timely fashion? If they find remnants of earlier dams that need to be removed, will they have enough money to finish Swan Pond, which is scheduled to be last?
3. Will the removal of these dams provide passage for invasive species like the Asian carp and zebra mussel into the upper Des Plaines?
4. Why doesn’t the village insist these projects, which will take two, three or maybe four years to complete and involve thousands of truckloads of materials being removed and delivered, be staged from the south bank?
5. Specifically, how much of the park land will be spoiled by the staging areas? How will the aspects of dust, sound, haul routes, parking, temporary structures, toilet facilities, etc. be handled?
Since all these questions remain unanswered, and there is, by their own numbers only negligible flood mitigation if any, why did the village scurry to grant the easement for the first phase of construction? Why would anyone sign on to projects like these without knowing how it will be accomplished, paid for and what the outcome will be? I guess that is more than six questions. Factual answers please.
Donald Spatny
Riverside
