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Highland Park staff recommend ending city‑specific flood‑plain limits
Summary
City staff and consultants told the Committee of the Whole on April 13 that Highland Park should discontinue its separate local flood‑plain limits and rely on FEMA, IDNR and Lake County standards; staff said about 600 parcels would be removed from the local map and will draft formal action and public outreach for a future council meeting.
On April 13, 2026, the Highland Park Committee of the Whole heard a flood‑plain assessment in which Civiltech consultant Joey Abronson recommended the city discontinue its Highland Park–specific flood‑plain limits and rely instead on FEMA, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Lake County Watershed Development Ordinance.
The recommendation, presented by Abronson and introduced by City Manager Newkirk and Director of Public Works Ron Bannon, is intended to reduce regulatory duplication and operational confusion caused by having both a local flood‑plain map and the FEMA baseline map. Abronson said the city map is substantially more expansive in parts of the Skokie River valley and estimated about 600 parcels fall inside Highland Park’s local flood plain but not inside FEMA’s mapped flood plain.
Why it matters: parcels that fall inside a mapped flood plain can face development restrictions and may affect permitting, building design and property marketability. County regulations the city enforces — the Lake County Watershed Development Ordinance — also require compensatory storage and a 2‑foot freeboard above base flood elevations, standards staff said would remain in force if the local map is discontinued.
“A recommendation is to discontinue the city specific flood plain limits,” Abronson said during the presentation, explaining that FEMA, IDNR and county standards would still apply. He and staff argued the change would streamline permit review and reduce the risk of inconsistent application of overlapping rules.
Council members asked whether changing climates or regional development downstream (for example, in Wisconsin) could make mapping obsolete more quickly. Abronson acknowledged models and inputs are evolving and said county and regional studies can be incorporated into future updates. The city’s Corporation Counsel told the committee the City generally has protection under the Illinois Tort Immunity Act when it relies in good faith on credible, existing data for land‑use approvals.
Several council members raised concerns about disclosure and homeowner impacts for the roughly 600 parcels that could lose the extra local designation. Councilmember Annette and others urged staff to prepare clear public communications and to consider targeted mailings so affected residents understand the difference between Highland Park’s local map and the FEMA map and how that affects insurance, permitting and property values.
City staff outlined next steps: if council supports the concept, staff will draft formal action for a future city council meeting and prepare public education materials for affected homeowners. No formal ordinance or vote was taken during the Committee of the Whole; the presentation closed with general assent to proceed to drafting and outreach.
The committee’s packet and the consultant’s analysis list technical comparisons of mapped BFEs, parcel counts and building impacts; staff said they will return with a formal ordinance and communications plan before any change takes effect.
