‘I think we’re done’: Mount Prospect, animal feed producer close to reaching interim settlement

Mount Prospect is on the verge of reaching an “interim settlement” with operators of a plant producing animal feed that has sparked complaints from neighbors over odors resembling “burned cheese.”

However, both sides are tight-lipped regarding details of the settlement. It’s unknown if any agreement will result in fewer or different operating hours, or a requirement for odor-monitoring equipment.

An interim agreement would not end the legal wrangling between the village and the manufacturer, which could ultimately result in the business being forced to move or shutter if the stench persists.

Lawyers for the village and Prestige Feed Products met online Monday in Cook County Circuit Judge Clare Quish’s court. Quish said a court date has been set for Oct. 28, but lawyers could submit an agreement earlier than that date.

“I think we have an agreement,” Prestige attorney Riccardo DiMonte told the judge. “I think we’re done.”

However, there were still some minor points to hammer out, he added.

DiMonte said Prestige, located at 431 Lakeview Court, submitted the terms of an agreement over the weekend to attorneys for both Mount Prospect and the city of Des Plaines, which is intervening in the case. Residents of Des Plaines’ Longford Glen subdivision have been especially affected by the odors, they said.

Mount Prospect’s attorney, Isaiah Fishman, said if Prestige has looked over the village’s most recent comments and agrees with them, “then I think we are done.”

The sides have been battling for months over the odors produced by the feed plant. Neighbors recently protested at the plant and have asked the village to negotiate the plant’s relocation out of town.