News|LaGrange Highlands residents

The La Grange Plan Commission meeting that took place December 12 did not seem to effectually address the concerns of La Grange Highlands resident Marjorie Bohnhoff regarding the “expansion” by Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. The hospital located in La Grange has been looking to replace the Professional Office Building on the north end of the campus with a new Medical Office Building on the Southwest end of the campus. This move has brought concerns by village residents as well as La Grange Highlands residents because of a constant drainage issue. The water drainage problem existed before the hospital decided to make improvements but residents are concerned that the changes in the hospital campus might augment the problem. Residents living near the hospital have flooding problems in their property. Bohnhoff said “I am tired of walking through two inches of water to get to my mail box.” She said that other residents have had water rise up the driveway halfway to their house. Bohnhoff’s residence is on 52nd place and it abutts the hospital campus. Bohnhoff has lived in her current home since 1952 and even saw “the hospital go up.” Bohnhoff doesn’t like what she hears from the hospital regarding some of their solutions for the water problem. She said that the Chinese Elm there are half dead and won’t absorb water like the engineers think. Bohnhoff did like the shallow retention pond idea including the waterloving plants, like cattail, they plan on putting in. CEO Tim Cook said that they had met with the residents before and the most important issue raised was a drainage issue on the southwest side of the hospital campus. Cook said that the hospital was looking into improving the drainage issue affecting the residents. Cook emphasized that the hospital wants to be a good neighbor and will work on addressing the issues affecting their neighbors. Another La Grange Highlands resident Marylu Gebka said that she was happy that officials from the Township of Lyons were present at the meeting representing the people of unincorporated Cook County. Gebka said that the hospital had not addressed a lighting problem. Gebka said that she was concerned with car lights coming into people’s residences since the hospital parking lot would be closer to residents’ homes. Gebka also said that a stop light was crucial for 52nd Place because of current traffic conditions and the new hospital entrance on Willow Springs Rd. Gebka said that it would be almost impossible to exit 52nd Place turning south onto Willow Springs Road. Bohnhoff said that the study on traffic patterns in the area must have been done on a time when school was out because between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. there is a high traffic volume. Village of La Grange Assistant Director of Community Development Angela Mesaros said that the next meeting will be held on January 9 and the hospital will offer more details about water retention issues. Mesaros said that the village is looking for more volume figures and details and residents will get an opportunity to express their concerns. Bohnhoff said that she hopes that they will add more landscaping because she is not too happy about looking into a parking lot.