Airport snafu turns political in Prospect Hts.

An argument over who's responsible for building two pilots' lounges in new hangars at Chicago Executive Airport that broke Wheeling fire code could lead to the removal of at least one of Prospect Heights' representatives on the airport board.

Prospect Heights Mayor Dolores “Dolly” Vole said Thursday she is investigating the matter, which was brought up by Alderman Richard Hamen at Monday's city council meeting.

Hamen tried unsuccessfully to convince the council to recommend Vole remove Nicholas “Nick” Helmer and Luis Mendez as Prospect Heights' representatives on the airport board. Only Alderman Gerald Anderson voted with him. Prospect Heights and Wheeling jointly own the airport.

But despite the lack of support from aldermen, Vole hasn't ruled out making changes on the airport board.

The lounges, which Hamen said the airport board approved in September, violate Wheeling's code, which would have required sprinklers and drywall to be built into the hangars. To add the sprinklers and drywall now will be an additional expense — how much, exactly, is unclear. Airport Manager Dennis Rouleau said he is getting bids to bring one lounge up to code, while the second lounge will be used for storage. Rouleau was vague about how much of the lounge construction is completed, but Keith MacIsaac, Wheeling fire chief, said he learned about the problem “in the later part of the project.”

Mendez is running against Hamen for alderman in the 1st ward, and Helmer is one of two people running against Vole for mayor. Both said Hamen's move is politically motivated.

Not much was said in open session at Monday's council meeting, except Prospect Heights Alderman Amy Dalessandro called for an investigation.

On Tuesday, Hamen issued a statement saying he is calling for the Helmer and Mendez's removal because they authorized “the construction of pilot lounges in our new T-Hangars in clear violation of Wheeling's fire code and after both the City and the Village expressed specifically that this was not to be done.”

The issue of whether sprinklers should be required for the T-hangars has been argued since at least 1995, according to Daily Herald archives. Wheeling originally wanted the hangars to be sprinklered even without the lounges, but relented when Rouleau said it would cost $70,000 per building — and Wheeling believed the hangars would be nothing more than garages for planes.

Hamen is also irritated that the airport board on Nov. 17 asked Prospect Heights and Wheeling to “take disciplinary action” against Rouleau because of “mistakes made in the construction of the T-Hangars,” according to airport board minutes. Helmer voted to ask the two towns for the action, Mendez did not.

According to Hamen this resulted in a letter of reprimand for Rouleau, whose work Hamen admires. Officials contacted said they could not discuss the letter because it was a personnel matter, and Rouleau did not want to discuss the situation.

Vole said Thursday she does not know when she will decide about whether to remove either board member, but said clearly Helmer knew about the pilots' lounges because he reported as much to the city council.

“They want the airport manager held accountable,” said Vole of the airport board. “What about the board's accountability?”

Wheeling Fire Chief Keith MacIsaac, an outspoken proponent of sprinklers, said the airport and village are working to bring the hangars up to code, and said he doubts anyone intended to be devious.

He said the buildings were supposed to be all metal and housing only private aircraft, so the Wheeling Village Board authorized building them without fire sprinklers, even though new construction in the village is supposed to have them.

It was about November when he learned that a decision had been made to install pilot lounges in the hangars.

“I've been involved in this business over 30 years,” said MacIsaac. “With almost every large or involved construction project there are always little surprises.

“They probably talked about it at some point — that (the lounges) would be a nice amenity for that hangar. Nobody thought about the ramifications or what had gone down before. I don't think it was anything covert.”

Mendez said he voted against disciplining Rouleau because the airport manager had kept the board up to date on the lounges. Mendez said he did not realize the lounges would cause a problem with the village of Wheeling.

Helmer said Rouleau told the airport board the areas marked “storage” on the plans would be lounges, but Helmer said he did not picture them being as elaborate as they turned out to be.

“To me a pilots' lounge was a card table and a couple of chairs, a place to write flight plans, not a place of comfort and leisure like a hotel room,” said Helmer.

He said the board got concerned when it saw listings for couches, sinks and cabinets and when the Wheeling fire department objected during an inspection.

“We had no idea that whatever he was planning was going to call for fire code violations at any time,” said Helmer.

“At worst it was an administrative snafu,” Helmer added. “Dennis Rouleau thought he was doing it right. He had nothing to gain by doing something devious.”

Wheeling Trustee Dean Argiris, who is also on the airport board, called it “ludicrous” and “playing the political card” to blame Helmer and Mendez. He said that the Wheeling board, in contrast, is not making an issue of the hangars.