Special Bulletin

Underwood Creek Daylighting Referendum to be on the November 5, 2024 Ballot

Due to the project exceeding $1M, it must go to referendum. In April of 2022, a spending limit referendum was passed which requires that all public works projects in excess of $1M are required to be approved by voters through referendum.

On Friday, August 23rd, 2024 the Village Board of Trustees approved a Resolution to bring the Underwood Creek Daylighting project to a referendum vote on the November 5th ballot. The referendum language will read as follows:

"Shall the Village of Elm Grove complete the Stormwater Management Plan developed in response to severe flooding by daylighting and realigning the 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"

Why are we daylighting the Creek?

The underground box culvert that was built in the 1960's was NOT permitted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the WDNR will not permit repairs or replacement of the box culvert. If the box culvert fails, the parking lot above could collapse, rendering a main commercial node of the Village paralyzed. Naturalization of the Creek would become the responsibility of the private property owners upon unexpected failure. There would be no certainty on a timeline for the restoration.

The WDNR required the Village to actively pursue funding to accomplish the future daylighting of Underwood Creek with an ultimate goal of replacement. In 2003, the Village began the Underwood Creek Flood Management project to reduce the risk of flooding in Downtown Elm Grove during large scale rain events. The Flood Management project was successfully tested during a heavy rainstorm in June 2008 and several times since then, during which no overland flooding of any downtown structures occurred. Daylighting the Creek is the final step.

Daylighting the Creek utilizes a design incorporating natural elements that will help to restore the waterway’s natural path and provide a habitat for native fish and wildlife species, while providing floodwater storage during high-flow events.

Preemptive planning and construction BEFORE failure of the underwood box culvert ensures economic viability of the downtown will be maintained.

What will this project cost?

The estimated project cost is $8.5 million. Updated cost estimates have been received from the Project Engineer which reflected an increased project cost from 2019 when the daylighting effort first began. Increases in project costs have been driven by concerns of soil contamination and costs to handle these soils properly. Recent environmental soil testing has shown that contamination levels are low, and therefore should bring down the project cost.

The cost of the project will be covered by the tax increments generated in TID No. 2, grants, and stormwater user fees that residents already pay. This means that taxpayers will not see any increase on their property taxes for this project.

The Village has successfully secured the following grants, while still seeking additional grant opportunities:

$75,000 through the Fund for Lake Michigan
$85,000 through the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District (MMSD) Green Infrastructure Partnership Program
$200,000 through the Fund for Lake Michigan
$300,000 through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

What will the new Creek alignment look like?

The new Daylighting design keeps the businesses affected by construction in mind each step of the way. The site plans will be moving forward to include a pedestrian path east of the channel between Watertown Plank Road and Wall Street and a pedestrian bridge over the channel in order to connect the path to the commercial area. This plan will provide safe and direct connection between the pedestrian path system north of downtown and the path south of Wall Street. It will also foster increased pedestrian traffic to the local businesses via the pedestrian bridge. Keep up to date with project plans and construction documents here.

What will the parking lot look like when this project is completed?

Currently, the plans show a right-turn "out", left-turn "out", and one-way "in" on Watertown Plank Road. The Village is actively pursuing discussions with the owners of the Park & Shop to relocate the Park & Shop sign in order to accommodate this traffic pattern.

There is also ongoing coordination with the property owners to design a new parking lot configuration. However, the parking lot is on private property, and the final design of the parking lot will be up to the property owners. Existing parking will remain west of Sendik's.

Where can I learn more information?

The Village has been maintaining "Underwood Creek Daylighting" project pages on the Village website. By clicking the button below, you will be able to review information from meetings where the Underwood Creek Daylighting project was discussed, read through "FAQs", review construction documents, and follow links to recent publications about the project.

The Village will also be holding two (2) Public Information Meetings on Thursday, October 24 at Village Hall. These sessions will begin with a short presentation followed by a Q& A session and an opportunity to review renderings.

Underwood Creek Daylighting Project Page

When can I vote?

There are various methods for you to vote. In-Person Absentee voting will take place at Village Hall beginning Tuesday, October 22nd through Friday, November 1st. You can also visit myvotewi.gov to request an absentee ballot to be mailed to you until October 31st at 5:00 p.m.