'Sprint' Toward La Grange Flooding Trial

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange is within two months of its planned trial over litigation with a nearby quarry blamed for local flooding.

Hanson Aggregates Quarry in McCook and La Grange are expected to see each other in Cook County Circuit Court starting July 18.

"Now, it will be up to the judge to decide," Village President Mark Kuchler said at Monday's Village Board meeting. "Our attorneys are working hard. They are truly moving into the sprint phase."

In the next couple of weeks, the village's former engineer will undergo a deposition and the village will answer a subpoena for documents, Kuchler said.

As for the subpoena, the village plans to also post the released records on its website, he said.

"Years ago, we had a plan to build a sewer down 50th that would have hooked into an outlet in the quarry," Kuchler said. "The reason that outlet exists is because the quarry demolished a sewer that ran across the property into the McCook ditch. We thought it was only fair that we would be able to utilize that sewer that would have gone into the ditch but for the quarry's actions."

The village argues the quarry violated a 1920s village easement by cutting the sewer. The result has been more flooding on the village's south side, officials say.

The quarry is believed to have cut the pipe in the early 1990s.

In April, Kuchler said the quarry appeared to be uninterested in any settlement. At Monday's meeting, he mentioned no movement toward a resolution before trial.

After flooding last June, 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.