Another 'Frustrating' La Grange Trial Delay

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange had been set to go to trial this week in its litigation with a nearby quarry that it blames for local flooding.

The judge, however, delayed the trial because of a family emergency, Village President Mark Kuchler said this week. It is tentatively set for Oct. 24, depending on the availability of witnesses, Kuchler said.

"Preliminarily, we know that the village's witnesses are (available)," Kuchler said at Monday's Village Board meeting. "We expect the quarry's witnesses are and that they will be reporting ... in the next week or so that Oct. 24 does work as a trial date."

This has been at least the third delay in the trial. The village's lawyers originally aimed to get a trial in the first quarter of the year.

"It's frustrating. We understand that," Kuchler said. "We can only focus on what we control. What we can control – and I really lump in our lawyers on this – is being prepared to go to trial. We can control that. We are ready to go to trial."

After flooding in June 2021, southside residents denounced the village for waiting on litigation to solve the flooding problem. But officials said the village would be unable to pay for the 50th Street project if it took smaller measures in the meantime.

The village is trying to install a drainage pipe across the McCook quarry's property, alleging the quarry cut the former pipe in the early 1990s in violation of an easement. The south side has been suffering flooding for years.

Hanson Aggregates, which owns the quarry, has declined to comment about the litigation.