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Village debates ‘no‑mow’ median pilot; staff reports 39‑year simple payback, board asks for IDOT and native‑grass options
Summary
Public works staff updated trustees on a pilot converting LaGrange Road medians from weekly mowing to a tall‑fescue no‑mow approach, reported a roughly 39‑year simple payback for full conversion, and the board asked staff to seek IDOT review and explore native‑grass alternatives before expanding the program.
Village public works staff presented an update on June 2 about a 2023 pilot to convert LaGrange Road medians from turfgrass to a low‑maintenance, “no‑mow” tall‑fescue approach and sought trustees’ direction on continuing, expanding or abandoning the project.
Joel (presenter; last name not specified) summarized the pilot area and costs and said a simple payback analysis for converting the entire LaGrange Road median shows about a 39‑year payback on the village’s current assumptions. “Bottom line is I just put real quick payback analysis. It'd be about 39 years, when you just run the numbers based on the cost,” Joel said.
Board members raised aesthetics, safety and cost concerns. Trustee Katsenas noted that only the pilot section was seeded and asked why surrounding medians had not been kept at the same mowing cadence; staff said weekly mowing should have continued outside the test area and said they would adjust the contractor schedule. Trustees discussed safety for crews working adjacent to high‑speed traffic and whether the reduced mowing frequency would cut risk.
Trustee Lawrence asked about IDOT review and whether other municipalities use similar plantings; Joel said staff had early conversations and that IDOT has reviewed comparable approaches elsewhere, though permitting required additional time. Lawrence also asked whether tall fescue is native; staff said the chosen tall fescue has high salt tolerance and that the village worked with Hay Associates on selections. “I would be interested in hearing the experience of other areas,” Lawrence said, and asked staff to report on native alternatives.
Trustee Healy noted the 39‑year calculation did not include inflation and said the payback would shorten once inflation or escalation is applied; Lawrence estimated a payback near 27 years at 2.5 percent inflation. Several trustees said they prefer to continue the pilot through the season while staff gathers additional information on IDOT approvals, alternative grasses and public outreach.
Next steps: Staff will continue with the planned limited mowing schedule for the pilot area, pursue IDOT guidance, report on alternative native‑grass species and provide a more detailed cost estimate and timeline for consideration during the budget cycle.
