La Grange Flooding Trial Delayed Yet Again

LA GRANGE, IL – The trial for La Grange's litigation with a nearby quarry over local flooding was delayed again, but not for long.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Village President Mark Kuchler said he understood the frustration with another delay.

The trial, which had been scheduled for next Monday, was moved back eight days, to Sept. 27.

This was because of the judge's schedule, not at the request of the quarry's owner, Hanson Aggregates, Kuchler said.

He said lawyers for the two sides were going before the judge this week to exchange pretrial documents.

"It's my sincere hope that the trial goes forward on Sept. 27," Kuchler said.

In summer 2021, the village's lawyers were aiming for a trial date in the first quarter of 2022. The judge originally set the trial for July, but delayed it to September at the request of Hanson Aggregates.

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 has declined to comment about the litigation.