City of Evanston Roadmap Report 2020-2021 provided by Smithgroup and reshared for your convenience.
Executive Summary:
During the winter of 2019/20, the City of Evanston, along with many other communities around the Lake Michigan coastline, was subjected to a series of damaging storm events with high winds and large waves resulting in flooding, erosion and lakefront property damage. The recent storms were exacerbated by historic high water levels, which have continued throughout 2020, and are expected to persist at above average levels through the winter of 2020/21. Anticipating further damaging storms, the City has conducted a condition assessment and prioritization of the publicly-owned lakefront shore protection features and developed this guidance document, which contains recommendations for short and midterm resilience measures. Observations from the condition assessment identified several areas of concern along Evanston’s lakefront. The primary method of protection is a series of rubblemound revetments which were installed during the 1980s in response to a previous episode of record-high water levels. Issues requiring either short- or mid-term interventions include loss of revetment section, insufficient freeboard, armor stone displacement and/or disintegration, and exposure of more easily erodible foundation materials. The most urgent needs that were identified during the assessment and prioritization process have begun to be addressed through procurement of shoreline improvements and temporary flood protection (Public Bid 20-36). This document describes a series of potential interventions to be considered in the mediumterm (approximately 2021-2025), which build from Goal 1 of the City’s Lakefront Master Plan: “Establish practices and policies to preserve and enhance the lakefront’s natural environment”. These interventions are categorized as:
Temporary and/or Non-Capital Intensive;
Capital: Rehabilitation of Existing Structures; and
Capital: New Structures and Features.
The overarching philosophy of the potential future improvements is to protect the shoreline and keep the lakefront as a community asset that is usable and accessible to residents. A component of this is to provide adequate protection that allows for the maintenance and improvement of multi-use trails, and supports the City’s preferred recreational, cultural, and educational programming, including enhancement of natural habitat areas.
City of Evanston Roadmap Report 2020-2021 provided by Smithgroup and reshared for your convenience.
