Quad-Cities Online, IL
06-12-07
Sylvan Slough Natural Area showing progress
By Jonathan Turner, jturner@qconline.com
ROCK ISLAND -- Visiting the Sylvan Slough Natural Area is like walking through
ancient ruins.
Parts of old brick walls, concrete beams, foundations, and even the skeleton of
an elevator shaft dot the five-acre landscape, which also has crushed brick
paths, poplar trees, prairie grass and sedum plants, a rain garden, bioswale, and
the largest parking lot in the Quad-Cities made from permeable pavement.
Although the area - along Sylvan Slough and the bike trail on the Moline-Rock
Island border - isn't yet open to the public, it's making progress, with the help of a
recent $25,000 grant from the state of Illinois.
'It's been a long time coming,' Sally Heffernan, special projects manager for the
city, said Tuesday. She's been working on the project (which has run well in
excess of $1 million, including building acquisition, demolition and construction)
since 2000.
Sylvan Slough Natural Area, which will be known as a 'passive park,' has been in
the plans since 1989, and is part of the proposed Columbia Park mixed-use
residential, commercial, recreational and office development.
It's 'part of a bigger economic development plan that I am hopeful will energize
the Rock Island community by luring new businesses and creating jobs,' state
Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, said in a press release about the long-range
Columbia Park vision.
'This project changes a former dumping ground into a beautiful park that can be
enjoyed by local residents,' he said.
'Columbia Park calls for open space along the slough,' Ms. Heffernan said.
The city is establishing a tax-increment financing district to help fund
improvements to the area, and about one million square feet of the former
Farmall plant will be torn down to make way for the development.
The natural area is part of the city's 2003 settlement of a stormwater lawsuit with
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Three buildings were torn down on
the site and a lot of debris and hazardous materials had to be removed, and
environmental assessments done before restoration could be begin, Ms.
Heffernan said.
The city received a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to
buy two pieces of property. After years of negotiating with the third property
owner, the city took that piece by eminent domain because of health and safety
violations.
State grants and local gaming revenue have financed most of the cleanup and
development work, done primarily by Langman Construction and Bush Seeding.
The area was designed by Conservation Design Forum of Elmhurst.
The latest grant will allow the city to complete the project ``and accomplish its
mission of educating the public about best practices in stormwater management,'
Ms. Heffernan said.
Touring the area Tuesday, Ms. Heffernan marveled at the rapid growth of trees
planted last fall, but lamented the inconsistent growth of prairie grasses, which
have long roots and demonstrate how stormwater can be best retained on a
property and not run off into the nearby slough.
'Vegetation is coming in well in some areas and not so well in other areas,' she
said, noting that rocks and gravel on much of the ground, and lack of soil
nutrients, have hindered grass development. The city is working with Iowa State
University to do soil analysis in the area.
River Action is working on interpretive signs, to be placed throughout the park to
explain stormwater management and the purpose of permeable pavement and
rain gardens, Ms. Heffernan said.
The city and River Action have been strong proponents of these features, to help
property owners absorb rain water and prevent runoff into waterways and
collection systems.
The porous parking lot on the south end of the property has space for 19
vehicles, and also allows stormwater to be absorbed into the ground. The city
hopes to open the area to the public by fall.
Eunice Schlichting of the Putnam Museum is preparing interpretive signs about
Sylvan Island and Arsenal Island, visible from the area - including a 19th-century
power dam and part of the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River.
There also will be an eagle-watching area.
'A lot of people ask about when it's going to open,' Ms. Heffernan said. 'I think
there's a lot of interest.'