Support Representative Tarver's Efforts to Protect the South Side Lakefront!
office@repcurtisjtarverii.com, info@curtisjtarverii.com
For the past two years, Representative Curtis J. Tarver, II has been fighting to protect the South Side community from further erosion, destruction, and risk to public safety caused by increasing lake levels.
In addition to being the sponsor for the South Side Lakefront Erosion Task Force, Representative Tarver has hosted community town halls, coordinated lakefront cleanup and awareness events, invited South Shore residents to provide testimony to legislators in Springfield, and more.
He is now fighting to secure $5 million from the state budget to protect 73rd Street and 73rd Place.
Please show your support for this much needed funding by signing this petition by Monday, January 31st!
73rd Street and 73rd Place are public streets within one of the top six priority areas requiring lakefront improvement as defined by the City of Chicago and Army Corps of Engineers.
Securing $5 million for 73rd Street/73rd Place from the State's overall shoreline budget of $130 million is a smart, resilient, cost-effective solution to ongoing lake level change.
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- Prevent flooding on 73rd Street, 73rd Place and US 41; such
flooding overwhelms sewers, disrupts traffic, and puts the public at
risk
- Prevent further sinkholes from occurring
- Stabilize electric utility poles in the area
- Eliminate risk to some of the most vulnerable high-density properties in Chicago
- Protect the safety of residents, pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, and the public at large
That unanticipated disaster and loss of lives greatly reinforces the
pressing need to proactively invest in safe, resilient public and
private infrastructure along the South Side lakefront.
Stabilizing this area of the shoreline now will preserve structural integrity of the built environment and prevent any need for forced evacuations along South Shore Bay (the embayment between 71st and 79th Streets) due to lakefront erosion.
Thank you for helping protect the South Side Lakefront!
South Side Lakefront Task Force
For more information:
73rd Street and 73rd Place Proposal
Task Force Mission Statement
Southsidelakefront@gmail.com
*Additional Background*
In recent years, rising lake levels have decimated
shorelines, public parks, and communities near and bordering Lake
Michigan. In the South Shore community, these ever-increasing and
threatening conditions have caused significant infrastructure damage,
including large sinkholes and the flooding of arterial streets that in
turn force raging waters that flood US Route 41, a major US Highway
System. These ongoing challenges create dangerous conditions and safety
hazards for residents, motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians on the
southern lakefront.
In January 2020, Representative Curtis
Tarver created the South Side Lakefront Erosion Task Force to help
address these challenges. This Task Force has identified a number of
mitigating factors, potential solutions, key stakeholders, and cataloged
studies and research, and examined preliminary budgetary needs required
to help contain ongoing damage and ensure public safety.
In February 2021, Representative Tarver was appointed to the Environment Committee and the Finance Committee.These appointments have enabled greater access to information and research and position him to have greater influence on environmental issues that directly impact his district, constituents, and help protect our safety and infrastructure.
Given existing and ever-growing environmental challenges from rising lake levels and the fact that a significant portion of Representative Tarver’s district is directly adjacent to Lake Michigan, we, especially the constituents of the 25th legislative District, strongly support Representative Tarver's efforts to secure funding to protect the shoreline at 73rd Street and 73rd Place from further damage and destruction.
Key Events in 2021
Sponsored by
To:
office@repcurtisjtarverii.com, info@curtisjtarverii.com
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Representative Tarver,
Please accept this petition as a show of support for your efforts to secure $5 million from the state shoreline budget to protect the South lakefront at 73rd Street and 73rd Place.
Thank you for all of your hard work over the past two years in helping to protect the South Side lakefront against rising lake levels and the significant shoreline and infrastructure damage they cause.
73rd Street and 73rd Place are public streets within one of the top six priority areas requiring lakefront improvement as defined by the City of Chicago and Army Corps of Engineers.
Securing $5 million for 73rd Street/73rd Place from the State's overall shoreline budget of $130 million is a smart, resilient, cost-effective solution to ongoing lake level change.
The funding and support it provides will:
• Prevent flooding on 73rd Street, 73rd Place and US 41; this flooding overwhelms sewers, disrupts traffic, and puts the public at risk
• Prevent further sinkholes from occurring
• Permanently support electric utility pole stability
• Eliminate risk to some of the most vulnerable high-density properties in Chicago
• Protect the safety of residents, pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, and the public at large
As mentioned on WTTW Chicago Tonight December 9, 2021, addressing shoreline erosion and damage has taken on added urgency considering the Surfside, Florida condominium collapse last Summer 2021.
That unanticipated disaster and loss of lives greatly reinforces the pressing need to proactively invest in safe, resilient public and private infrastructure along the South Side lakefront.
Stabilizing this area of the shoreline now will preserve structural integrity of the built environment and prevent any need for forced evacuations along South Shore Bay due to lakefront erosion.
Thank you again for your constant, compassionate attention and work to protect the South Side Lakefront!