Elm Grove residents will see referendum question on the 'daylighting' of Underwood Creek

Elm Grove residents will decide this November if the village should complete a longtime stormwater management plan by daylighting Underwood Creek in a $8.5 million project that village officials say would not cost taxpayers more money.

The village will ask voters to greenlight this project ― which has been almost 20 years in the making ― through a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Here's what to know.

What does 'daylighting' a creek mean?

Stream daylighting brings buried waterways that have been diverted underground, in most cases for development, back to the surface. The result is an uncovered, restored stream.

In downtown Elm Grove, about a 900-foot portion of Underwood Creek that once flowed freely was confined by concrete so what is now the Sendik's building and parking lot could be developed over it. The stream flows through a box culvert underground, which is now failing, according to the village.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has indicated they won't permit a repair of that box culvert, so if the city doesn't do anything, costs would be the responsibility of property owners, mostly businesses in the downtown, according to Village Manager Tom Harrigan.

The village is taking charge of the project because it's a major step in flood mitigation planning for the whole community, Harrigan said. Daylighting the creek would be a good financial, environmental and recreational benefit for the village and its residents, according to Harrigan and other village leaders.

Why must part of Underwood Creek be brought back to the surface?

Long before downtown Elm Grove was developed, Underwood Creek was in its natural state as a long, winding channel that took up a lot of space and was surrounded by a wetland, according to Village Trustee John Schindler, who has a background in hydrogeology.

"This wetland acted like a giant sponge, absorbing water during heavy rainfall, and letting water out slowly during dry spells," Schindler describes in a video educating residents about the daylighting project.

By 1958, part of the stream in Elm Grove was developed over, and routed into a concrete culvert which no longer absorbed the water as the wetland did.

Downtown flooding became a regularity, including a deadly flood in August 1998 in which two boys drowned.

The village took flood management measures in 2005, but paused one of the final steps ― bringing the creek to the light of day ― until it secured grants to fund the project.

This last effort to mitigate flooding will affect dozens of communities both upstream and downstream in the Menomonee River watershed for the better, according to Schindler.

What would the new part of Underwood Creek look like?

Currently, Underwood Creek starts to flow underground near Watertown Plank Road and goes under the parking lot and Sendik's before emerging just southeast of the grocery store's building. The daylighted stream would meander along the railroad tracks east of the Sendik’s on what is now parking spaces, according to the proposal.

The daylighting project would bring a naturalized stream back to downtown and include a walking path that connects to the Hank Aaron Trail. Plans also call for the demolition of a railroad bridge and the construction of a new parking lot.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the downtown for the better," Schindler told the Journal Sentinel.

The rerouted stream would also benefit the wildlife who call the creek home. Once the stream is naturalized and their path is no longer blocked, salmon and northern pike may swim all the way upstream from Lake Michigan to Brookfield to spawn, according to Schindler.

Why is the project going to referendum?

The project must go to referendum because it exceeds $1 million. All public works projects that exceed that cost must be decided on by voters in a referendum, something residents in the village decided in a spending limit referendum in April 2022.

How would the village of Elm Grove pay for the daylighting of Underwood Creek?

Village officials have long discussed the possibility of sending this project to a referendum.

The estimated cost of $8.5 million will be covered by the tax increments generated in TID No. 2, grants and stormwater user fees residents already pay, meaning taxpayers will not see any increase on their bills for this project, according to Harrigan, the village manager.

Harrigan also said the actual project cost will likely be lower than $8.5 million, but officials wanted to estimate higher to account for changes in construction costs and other fees.

According to Harrigan, more than $3.4 million of the project will be covered by Tax Incremental District No. 2, which is mostly made of commercial properties and created to help flood control implementation. Stormwater User Fees, which property owners already pay, would be reallocated to cover about $5 million of the project, he said.

The village has a $300,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that must be used on construction and restoration by the end of 2025. Officials have also applied for more grants, according to Schindler.

These two grants have already been used in the project:

• $175,000 grant for engineering from Fund for Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
• $250,000 for property acquisition from Fund for Lake Michigan

Board of Trustees voted on resolution after meetings with opportunities for public input

Village President James Koleski and Village Clerk Katie Panella signed the resolution to submit the question regarding the creek to a referendum during a special Board of Trustees meeting Friday, Aug. 23.

The board had discussed the referendum question at length in previous meetings and gave the opportunity for the residents to give input in a public hearing and in public comments earlier in the week, Koleski said in the meeting.

The resolution passed 6-0, sending the referendum to the November ballot.

What's the referendum question on Elm Grove residents' ballots?

Here's what the question will look like on the ballot, according to the resolution:

“Shall the Village of Elm Grove complete the Stormwater Management Plan developed in response to severe flooding by daylighting and realigning Underwood Creek south of Watertown Plank Road through the downtown area?

The existing creek enclosure located under the Park and Shop parking lot and the Sendik’s building is failing, and will not receive permitting for significant repair from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Village will acquire land and easements and construct a naturalized streambed for the purpose of Village stormwater management. This project will protect public safety, create public space, connect pedestrian pathways and enhance the economic viability of the downtown. The project will be paid for with funding from Tax Incremental Financing District #2, existing storm water fees, and grants. The total project cost SHALL NOT exceed $8,500,000. __ __ YES ____ NO"

Contact the reporter at bfogarty@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Elm Grove residents will see referendum question on the 'daylighting' of Underwood Creek