Mount Prospect, United strike deal ending plan for truck parking
Mount Prospect and United Airlines have not only settled their differences surrounding the use of a 6-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Dempster Street and Linneman Road in unincorporated Cook County, but they are now in talks about developing the site and surrounding land.
The Mount Prospect village board voted Tuesday to postpone plans to forcibly annex the property at 1200 W. Dempster St., an effort launched last month to prevent United from leasing the site as a parking lot for trucks.
United now says it has abandoned those plans, which would have placed as many as 180 semitrailer trucks on the site.
The two sides reached an agreement regarding the six acres April 7. Under the deal, the village will delay any annexation of the site until Aug. 16, allowing the two sides more time to discuss the future of not only those six acres, but also about 50 acres of United-owned property that is now a part of Elk Grove Township.
"The good thing is (the annexation threat) got United Airlines to the table with us to discuss the future of the six acres," Village Manager Michael Cassady said. "It's really that 50-acre asset that we think we can help in terms of value creation for United Airlines - that's what we really wanted to get on the table."
Annexation of the entire property "would be a win for United Airlines and a win for our community," Cassady added.
United representative Andrew Scott told village board members the company looks forward to "a constructive dialogue in the future" about the property.
Mount Prospect resident Carol Neufeldt, who lives near the United property, said she supports the annexation and is happy the truck parking facility is off the table.
"Dempster Street (is) lined with apartments on both the north and south sides of the street, (with) many school buses picking up and delivering numerous students mornings and afternoons from kindergarten through high school," she said. "We certainly don't want to risk their safety by exposing them to more truck traffic congestion."