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East Dundee board discusses Fox River shoreline restoration, directs preliminary engineering in next budget
Summary
Trustees discussed a village-led plan to remove unnatural erosion controls, add naturalized plantings and boulders, and start restoration on municipal riverfront; board directed staff to budget initial engineering and develop a style guide and partnership approach for private-property stretches.
Trustees at the East Dundee Village Board meeting Sept. 15 discussed a multi-step approach to restoring the village—s Fox River shoreline and directed staff to budget for initial engineering next year. The discussion focused on removing non‑natural materials used historically to arrest erosion, replacing them with naturalized solutions, and starting work on municipal property north of Bartels Park.
Board members and residents described the problem as long-standing. "Our river's pretty much over the last hundred and 50 years, people have used everything and anything to stop erosion on the shorelines, and it falls into the river," Resident Matt said, arguing for removal of concrete and rubble. Staff member Phil and others identified engineering, permitting and floodway rules as constraints that will require village coordination with property owners and state and federal regulators.
The board emphasized a phased approach: identify municipal-owned stretches that are easiest to act on, create a style guide that favors a mix of native plants and smaller stone rather than continuous large boulders, and offer guidance or incentives for privately owned parcels to match that standard. Phil and Matt recommended starting at the Carpentersville boundary and moving south toward Bartels Park as the initial, mostly municipal segment.
Trustees flagged regulatory and logistical hurdles. Staff noted that most shorelines lie within regulated floodway areas and will require permitting; Phil said the Army Corps and other agencies would likely need to be consulted. The group suggested the village could provide permitting assistance and site guidance to private owners and consider a village grant or partnership program to reduce homeowner costs.
The board indicated next steps: include funding for preliminary engineering in the 2026 budget, develop a restoration "style guide" or phased plan for public areas first, and explore grant or incentive programs for private property owners. No binding ordinance or contract was adopted at the meeting; trustees framed the item as discussion and direction to staff.
Trustees and staff also discussed using medium and strategically placed boulders together with plantings and smaller aggregate to retain soil and encourage wildlife, rather than the continuous large boulder walls seen elsewhere. Residents and staff raised maintenance and flood resilience as priorities in any design.
The board did not set a timetable for construction; members said that, after engineering and permitting, public stretches could be phased and private-property participation would be voluntary and contingent on owner consent and required permits.
