White Pine Utility and Street Improvements
Project overview
This project includes underground utility work followed by street reconstruction: Utility work includes water main and water service line replacement, minor storm sewer improvements and sanitary sewer spot repairs. After all the underground work is complete, asphalt pavement will be removed and replaced at various locations. Finally, ADA accessible route improvements, landscape restoration and other associated improvements will be completed as part of the work.
Construction work can be noisy, dusty and inconvenient, but we hope you find the end result worth the temporary disturbances. The Village, its engineering consultant and construction contractors are working together to minimize disruptions and keep residents informed of any direct impacts, like loss of water service, driveway access or the like.
Stay informed
Sign up for weekly updates on this project via email newsletter here. The project’s e-newsletter will be the only continual source of updated information on the project’s status and neighborhood impacts. Residents will only receive written notification if they will lose temporary access to their driveway or water service. Signage may also be posted at times directing where it is not safe to park. Please note there may be periods of time where access to driveways is restricted and street parking is required.
This project includes underground utility work followed by street reconstruction: Utility work includes water main and water service line replacement, minor storm sewer improvements and sanitary sewer spot repairs. After all the underground work is complete, asphalt pavement will be removed and replaced at various locations. Finally, ADA accessible route improvements, landscape restoration and other associated improvements will be completed as part of the work.
Construction work can be noisy, dusty and inconvenient, but we hope you find the end result worth the temporary disturbances. The Village, its engineering consultant and construction contractors are working together to minimize disruptions and keep residents informed of any direct impacts, like loss of water service, driveway access or the like.
Stay informed
Sign up for weekly updates on this project via email newsletter here. The project’s e-newsletter will be the only continual source of updated information on the project’s status and neighborhood impacts. Residents will only receive written notification if they will lose temporary access to their driveway or water service. Signage may also be posted at times directing where it is not safe to park. Please note there may be periods of time where access to driveways is restricted and street parking is required.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Buffalo Grove’s first generation of infrastructure is nearing the end of its life, and replacement and rehabilitation is needed. The Village has worked strategically to develop the Infrastructure Modernization Program (IMP) to manage neighborhood infrastructure in a way that ensures quality customer service, maintains property values and minimizes disruptions to residents. The IMP looks at the Village’s infrastructure as a whole, and prioritizes improvements based on regular inspections and data points like when and how the streets and utilities were originally constructed or where we’ve experienced failures. Over $145 million in infrastructure improvements were completed in Phase I of the IMP from 2020 to 2023. Now, we are launching Phase II of the IMP, and the White Pine Utility + Street Improvement Project has been included in the 2024 program.
Underground utility improvements
First, there will be water main and service line replacement, minor storm sewer improvements and sanitary sewer spot repairs. As underground improvements begin and the new water main is constructed, the water main will undergo a series of tests to ensure it was constructed correctly and is disinfected. After successfully passing all tests, individual water services will begin to be connected to each existing customer. Short term water service disruptions will occur at each residence during this period of work. You will be provided with notice via hand-delivered letter prior to the disturbance, and anticipation of this work will also be communicated in Construction Updates emails.
Concrete work and pavement removal/replacement
After underground utility improvements are completed for each street segment, the removal and replacement of concrete curb, sidewalk and driveway apron pavement will take place at various locations throughout the project limits. The intent is to only remove and replace all these hardscape features that are disturbed from underground improvements or at locations where the infrastructure has failed. So while driveway apron maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowner, driveway aprons disturbed as a direct result of construction will be removed and replaced. Following the completion of concrete work, the existing asphalt will be removed to the existing “aggregate” base the layer that looks like gravel or crushed stone. The contractor will grade and compact the existing aggregate base and furnish additional aggregate as required prior to placing the first layer of new asphalt.
Final asphalt and site restoration
The final steps include grass restoration in disturbed areas along with the final layer of asphalt, concluding the project.
The project size or scope is always subject to change based on the project cost, availability of funds or Village Board action.
The project is scheduled to begin in January, however you may see materials and equipment before then. Some streets listed will see construction-related activity sooner than others. You will know that the project has started in your area when streets are marked, signs are posted, equipment and materials arrive on site or by notice in the Construction Updates.
Work is expected to continue in various forms through the middle of June. The more complex the process and the longer the street, the more likely you will see crews in your area over a longer period of time. Depending on the scope of improvements, each street’s overall timeframe may differ.
Restoration efforts to grassy areas will be made at the very end of the project. These areas will be restored with seed and may not see substantial growth until the following Spring. We encourage residents who wish to see quick establishment to water these areas in accordance with the Village Code. Any areas that fail to fully establish will be repaired the following Spring under warranty work by the same contractor who initially completed the work. The Village will closely monitor this restoration process to get full growth in place as quickly as possible. Please keep off the newly placed seed and refrain from mowing to promote a live, healthy turf area.
Work is expected to continue in various forms through the middle of June. The more complex the process and the longer the street, the more likely you will see crews in your area over a longer period of time. Depending on the scope of improvements, each street’s overall timeframe may differ.
Restoration efforts to grassy areas will be made at the very end of the project. These areas will be restored with seed and may not see substantial growth until the following Spring. We encourage residents who wish to see quick establishment to water these areas in accordance with the Village Code. Any areas that fail to fully establish will be repaired the following Spring under warranty work by the same contractor who initially completed the work. The Village will closely monitor this restoration process to get full growth in place as quickly as possible. Please keep off the newly placed seed and refrain from mowing to promote a live, healthy turf area.
The contractor is allowed to work from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. No Saturday work is currently planned and will only be authorized if there is an overall benefit to the residents and Village.
This is a Village project on Village owned/maintained streets and utilities. The Village has selected a contractor to work on the street in front of or near your home; these crews are not Village employees. The hired contractor may have subcontractors who will be assisting in the work, so you may not see the same trucks or personnel there each day, but all are part of a coordinated effort.
As underground improvements begin and the new water main is constructed, the water main will undergo a series of tests to ensure it was constructed correctly and is disinfected. After successfully passing all tests, individual water services will begin to be connected to each existing customer. Short term water service disruptions will occur at each residence during this period of work. You will be provided with notice via hand-delivered letter prior to the disturbance, and anticipation of this work will also be communicated in Construction Updates emails.
If your water service is currently located within your driveway, then access will be affected temporarily during the underground utility phase. The area will be excavated and filled to finish elevation with temporary stone at the end of the working day. The temporary stone will be maintained until the new concrete is placed.
If your water service is currently located within your driveway, then access will be affected temporarily during the underground utility phase. The area will be excavated and filled to finish elevation with temporary stone at the end of the working day. The temporary stone will be maintained until the new concrete is placed.
If curb, sidewalk or driveway apron is scheduled for replacement as a direct result of construction, you will not have access to your driveway for approximately a week and will be notified in writing by the contractor several days in advance. The project may temporarily require you to park on adjacent streets overnight. The Police Department will make reasonable accommodations for this and not ticket these vehicles for parking overnight as long as other laws are adhered to. Unfortunately there is no other way to perform improvements without affecting access to residential driveways. Your patience is appreciated.
School or camp buses may not have access to these streets, requiring children to walk to the end of the block to be picked up by the bus. This will be coordinated with local school districts and you will receive more information if the stop is to change location. Special deliveries, such as the delivery of furniture or large appliances, may require you to call Nico Cascella of GHA to arrange access to your home (630-456-6015).
USPS and WM (Waste Management) have been contacted regarding the project, and mail delivery and waste pickup is expected to continue on its regular schedule. WM encourages you to have your garbage, recyclables and yard waste (when applicable), out on the curb by 6:00 a.m. so that trucks can service the area before any heavy construction begins for the day. Public safety (police, fire, paramedic) response functions of the Village will not be affected.
If you have specialty items within the public right-of-way (ROW) such as ornamental plantings, brick walkways or decorative boulders and they are affected by the project, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain. Items disturbed will be neatly stacked at the property line for the resident to use elsewhere or dispose of, but not to be placed back in the ROW. Buried objects, such as lawn sprinklers or invisible fences, should be marked with flags and/or paint before construction begins. The contractor will make every effort to preserve these systems but any damage as a direct result of construction will be the homeowner’s responsibility to repair. Please minimize your lawn sprinkling during this process, since excess water on the pavement and underlying base can significantly delay the project.
Brick aprons that are disturbed by the project will be the homeowner’s responsibility to repair per Village Code. Bricks disturbed by the work will be neatly stacked at the property line and will need to be reinstalled by the homeowner or the homeowner’s contractor within ten days of the completion of improvements within the right-of-way. This timeline can be coordinated with the Village as needed. Driveway aprons not conforming to Village Code will only be replaced to allowable limits. Unpermitted apron extensions will be removed and not replaced if in asphalt or concrete, and stacked at the property line if in brick.
Due to Environmental Protection Agency requirements “temporary modifications” must be made to storm sewers during construction activities. These “temporary modifications” allow water to still go down the drain, but help keep construction debris out. Please note that following a precipitation event, rainwater will go down slower than before the project started. Your neighborhood is designed to handle elevated water levels that will keep water from getting to your home. Once the project is complete, these “temporary modifications” will be removed and street drainage will return to the pre-construction condition or even improved.
Wooden stakes with ribbons and small flags will appear around the work area before and during the project. It is important that these are left in place as they provide vital information to the contractor to ensure the project is constructed correctly. These may be in the parkway so we ask that you mow or plow around them while they remain in place.
Construction activity on any one street may stop for a period of time, seemingly in the middle of the project. This is usually due to any one of several factors that are carefully monitored by the Village. Such factors may include contractor shifting equipment between the various streets in the program, contractor availability, legal holidays, weather delays (rain, snow or extreme cold) or other occasional unforeseen circumstances, such as equipment malfunction or utility conflicts. Be assured that in any such delay, the Village is working to see that work is resumed as soon as possible.
The Village has hired a full time consultant to assist the residents during the project. Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Inc. (GHA) completed the design of the project and will have an on-site construction engineer as your first point of contact: Nico Cascella of GHA can be contacted for all questions or concerns at 630-456- 6015 or ncascella@gha-engineers.com. The Village is still here to assist in every way possible, and residents can contact Buffalo Grove’s Deputy Public Works Director and Village Engineer Kyle Johnson at 847-459-2523 or kjohnson@vbg.org as well. Both are readily available weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and may be available outside working hours as well.
If you require special assistance or access to your home during the project, or are planning any major work on your home this year and think coordination may be needed with the project, please contact Nico at 630-456- 6015 or ncascella@gha-engineers.com, weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 pm. The Village will make every effort to coordinate and accommodate residents affected by the project, however, due to the size, scope and timeframe of the project, not all requests may be able to be honored.
If you received a construction mailing, it included a letter regarding potential lead content impacts from the construction. The letter is a requirement of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the age of the Village, lead water service lines have occasionally been found during Village maintenance and construction work. Though rare in Buffalo Grove (we have no known lead service lines in the Village), the facts of the letter can still serve as informational benefit. The Village’s history of work and testing show our community and its water supply are better served than many others. You can learn more about the Lead and Copper Rule and precautions the Village takes here.