Mundelein sued over plans for shopping center
Mundelein-area residents opposed to a shopping center planned for their neighborhood have sued the village and a slew of municipal leaders in an effort to halt the project.
The lawsuit aims to scuttle the Mundelein Town Center plaza, set be built on Route 60 north of Route 176. A Wal-Mart Supercenter, OfficeMax, Menards and about 50 other stores and restaurants are planned for the 600,000-square-foot center.
The plan's footprint abuts the Ivanhoe neighborhood, a collection of upscale homes in unincorporated Lake County. Many Ivanhoe residents, including some who filed the lawsuit, have complained about the preliminary aesthetics of the center and the quality of some stores, particularly the Wal-Mart.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in Lake County circuit court by the Ivanhoe Club property owners association, the Ivanhoe Club, Duane and Gloria Acker, John J. Abraham and Ignazio Lucente. It names the village, Mayor Kenneth H. Kessler, members of the village board and the town's plan commissioners among the defendants.
The complaint argues objectors to the plan were not properly able to cross-examine witnesses, present evidence or offer rebuttals during plan commission discussions in May.
The lawsuit further says the development infringes on the residents' property rights and will hurt their homes' values.
"We just felt that it was ramrodded down our throats," said Richard Kessler, an attorney for the plaintiffs. He isn't related to Mundelein's mayor.
The suit asks for an injunction against the development plans, which the village board approved last month.
Charles Marino, an attorney for the village, said he's reviewing the lawsuit and declined to comment further.