SEBA Park All-Inclusive Playground

Village of South Elgin

OBJECTIVE

The Village of South Elgin wanted to provide an all-inclusive, fully-accessible playground while staying within a strict budget. HLR donated engineering services to help make this important addition to the community a reality.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Our team prepared plans and specification for this $1.3 million project while meeting all stormwater management, compensatory storage, and erosion and sediment control requirements. We also assisted with permit coordination as well as construction layout. Monthly progress meetings between the Village of South Elgin and the project architect were conducted to discuss design requirements, changes and budgetary updates, and project issues and solutions.

Our pro bono engineering services included stormwater analysis and design services. Filling within the floodway and floodplain of the Fox River required compensatory storage as per IDNR and Village regulations. However, this challenge was compounded by the need to meet Kane County Stormwater Management requirements for retention and detention. To satisfy both sets of requirements, we developed a series of basins and strategically graded areas. The basins were designed with vegetated bottoms and raised outlet pipe elevations, allowing for water infiltration into the soil. Additionally, we proposed an outlet control structure at the main site outlet to regulate the flow rate leaving the site due to the increased impervious area from the new playground surface and equipment. Furthermore, we made cuts in other open areas to meet compensatory storage requirements while protecting the proposed playground equipment from floodwaters.

The design process also necessitated intensive coordination with various entities. Monthly progress meetings were conducted between the Village of South Elgin, the project architect, and us to discuss design requirements, changes, budgetary updates, and any issues. Furthermore, HLR had to coordinate with several permitting agencies to obtain the necessary permits for design approval and construction. These agencies and permits included:

• Kane County Stormwater Management – Stormwater Permit
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Water Resources – Floodway Permit
• Kane DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District – Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Approval
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Regional Permit for impacts to Waters of the U.S.

The park received recognition by winning the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association’s 2015 Outstanding Facility & Park Award.