Pump station permit review Wednesday

Despite complaints from several neighbors demanding delays, a city panel is scheduled to review building permits for a water pumping station at 2525 Church St. on Wednesday.

Plans for the facility to serve the Morton Grove-Niles Water Commission on the site of the former Shore School were reviewed by the Design and Project Review Committee on Feb. 7 and approved by the City Council on Feb. 12.

The plans drew hardly any public comment at that time, but opponents turned out at Monday’s City Council meeting to object, even though the project was not on the council’s agenda.

A rendering of the proposed pump station and the planned adjoining splash park, looking northwest from the corner of Church Street and McDaniel Avenue.

Permit plans to be reviewed by DAPR on Wednesday show that the east wall of the pump station would be about 75 feet further west of McDaniel Avenue than that of the existing school building, which served disabled students.

Glenn Mackey of 1711 McDaniel Ave. told aldermen Monday he believes impact studies of the project should be done by an independent group before the project is approved.

He said neighbors were worried about health and environmental effects and possible reduction in their property values from the project.

Several other speakers voiced similar concerns. City officials have said the facility will not create adverse impacts for the neighbors and that a planned splash park adjoining the pump station will provide a new amenity for the adjacent park.

The city already operates pumping facilities at the main water plant on the lakefront and at the water storage tank on Gross Point Road in northwest Evanston.

A pumping station is required as part of the city’s effort to generate new revenue by expanding its water service to additional communities like Morton Grove and Niles. City officials say that if the project remains on scheduled those two communities could start receiving Evanston water by early next year.