Politics & Government

Residents Protest 'Holocaust on Trees' as Part of Riverbank Restoration

A $6 million plan to restore the western riverbank at Horner Park has been in the making since 2001, but now that funds are available, some neighbors are against the amount of trees being cut down in the process.

Officials promised to take a closer look at a plan that would clear nearly 12 acres of trees after residents braved sweltering heat to voice their opinions.

Neighbors stayed for nearly two hours despite 90-degree temperatures at Horner Park Field House Monday night to talk about the Horner Park Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration


The plan is meant to improve the natural habitat while stabilizing the river bank and controlling runoff. It's a partnership between the Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago Park District that's paid for with federal funding and grants.

The Horner Park Advisory Council hosted Monday's meeting, which brought more than 100 residents, two alderman and representatives from the parks and Army Corps.

Restoration will stretch 2,600 feet of the western river bank from Montrose to Irving Park avenues in Horner Park.

Now, poor soil quality has led to a lack of natural vegetation, where runoff has become a major problem, said Bob Foster with the Chicago Park District.

The restoration project would remove the invasive species and start a new plant life bordering the river.

That means clearing the trees along that area of the river bank along with 56 others that park officials said are invasive or in poor condition. Flowers, native plants and trees will be planted in the space. Officials predict all the bare spots will be covered in five years. In 25 years, trees will reach their desired height.

A nature trail and canoe launch also accompany the plan, providing access to the river where a chain link fence now stands.

"I think there's a greater good that's going to come out of this project," said John O'Connell, who helped develop the plan after founding the Horner Park Advisory Council 25 years ago. "This project may not be finished for us, but it will be for our children, we owe it to our children."

But officials are on a time crunch. Federal funding requires a contract for the work by Sept. 30, said Lt. Col. Kevin Lovell with the Army Corps.

Join Patch for more neighborhood news and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

For Martha Cameron, opening up the river bank so close to the family-filled baseball fields is inviting danger to the area.

"Without a barrier, they're going to be dragging toddlers out of the river," she said.

Cameron and other residents noted the changes Horner Park has undergone the initial restoration plan was developed in 2001.

One of those changes is the addition of lights at the baseball fields. When resident Anne Nolan opposed the lights more than five years ago, she was told the river's trees would shield the light.

"Without the trees, my house will be bathed in light… I will chain myself to a tree to save it," she said. "This is not the community I bought my home in." 

A majority of the approximately 120 people that attended the meeting live on the east side of the Chicago River Bank, opposite Horner Park. Those neighbors have been working to restore their side of the bank for the last two decades.

One of the people leading that project is Pete Leki, the ecology teacher at Waters Elementary School.

"There's an awful lot of good about this plan," he said at the meeting. "But I cannot stomach the idea of wiping out every tree on the bank from Irving Park to Montrose…it's like a holocaust on trees."

The environmentalist urged parks and Army Corps officials to take a gradual approach to clearing or take a more careful look at the area.

That may happen, as Lt. Col. Kevin Lovell with the Army Corps Engineers said officials would take a walk-through the site before construction.

In this walk-through, Lovell said engineers would see if the plan could be modified to save more trees.

Residents, developers and both Alds. Deb Mell and Ameya Pawar will be invited to attend and report back to their wards. Both representatives fielded phone calls and emails to their offices before the meeting, for and against the project.

"The members in my ward approve of the project and that's who I represent," Mell said at the meeting.

The Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago Park District have teamed up to improve the habitats of several area parks, including Northerly Island, Ronan and Legion Park.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here