Lenox Road in Glen Ellyn fronts the historic Lake Ellyn Park. When the time came for the Village of Glen Ellyn to improve Lenox Road, the Village wanted to ensure that the historic appearance of Lake Ellyn Park was maintained while also providing additional roadway width for parking. In the preliminary design phase, several iterations of parking layouts and alignments were explored, with the main goal of minimizing tree impacts while improving traffic flow along Lenox Road.

After a series of public meetings, Village Board discussions, and Park District input, the Village proceeded with a permeable unit paver parking lane. The permeable unit pavers have both aesthetic and stormwater benefits. During final design, one of the challenges was the vertical relief of Lenox Road. Permeable unit paver systems are typically designed and installed on flat surfaces, as the base layer is used for storage. To account for the vertical relief, “pods” of permeable unit pavers were designed along the length of Lenox Road, each with an outlet control structure. Each pod functions independently as a detention basin, storing stormwater after rain events and allowing for infiltration and controlled, slow release.

As part of the project, permeable unit paver sections of roadway were also constructed at the sag points of Elm Street and Chidester Avenue, again for stormwater and aesthetic purposes.

The finished product provides a defining aesthetic along the frontage of Lake Ellyn Park, Elm Street, and Chidester Avenue, while also delivering stormwater benefits to the Village of Glen Ellyn.