Board grants special use permit for Ogden Falls Lake Michigan water receiving station

The Oswego Village Board voted Aug. 4 to grant a special use permit for a water receiving station at the Ogden Falls water tower site as part of the Lake Michigan water project.

Planner Rod (presenting) said the scope for the Ogden Falls receiving station includes three primary improvements: a ground-level storage tank (75 feet in diameter and 35 feet tall) to receive Lake Michigan water, a pumping station to move water into local water towers and a meter/monitoring station for DuPage County to measure usage. The presentation said exterior finishes include brick accents and metal roofs; landscaping and a decorative aluminum perimeter fence were also proposed.

Rod told the board the project went before the Planning and Zoning Commission on July 10, which recommended approval by a 7–0 vote. He said the Ogden Falls site is well set back from neighboring homes—partly because of a large ComEd easement—and staff held notice and conversations with adjacent property owners. No one spoke against the plan at the planning commission hearing.

Trustees asked about building appearance and buffering; staff responded that the structures will be largely hidden behind the water tower and Kickers Club property, and that landscaping plans will provide screening.

The motion to approve an ordinance granting the special use permit for utility use at 378 Ogden Falls Boulevard passed by roll call (President Kauffman: yes; Trustee Koenig: yes; Trustee McCarthy Lang: yes; Trustee Hughes: yes; Trustee Torres: yes).

Ending The permit clears the way for construction at the Ogden Falls site as described; additional related permits and two more similar sites were previewed in discussion and will return to the board after planning commission review.