Former Prestige neighbors raise stink over Mount Prospect warehouse proposal

The term “PTSD” was invoked as former neighbors of a Mount Prospect animal feed producer in the Kensington Business Center voiced their fears about a proposed warehouse in the same business center.

But they were only able to convince one of six trustees, as the Mount Prospect village board Tuesday approved a change in a planned unit development to allow a warehouse at the southwest corner of Kensington and Wolf roads that is expected to be more than 90,000 square feet.

The Wingspan Development Group, part of the Nicholas Family of Companies, plans to tear down an existing building and build a light industrial warehouse. One possible user is a pharmaceutical business already in Mount Prospect.

Neighbors are concerned about increased truck traffic on Wolf Road and its effect on the safety of pedestrians and vehicles both on Wolf and within the business center.

But they also have lingering memories of years battling the odors and noise from Prestige Feed Products, which closed at the end of last year.

The residents, who live both in Des Plaines and Mount Prospect, have also complained about noise and trucks at nearby OnTrac, which opened a delivery center on Wolf Road at the former Xfinity site.

Mount Prospect resident Matt Murphy acknowledged the lingering trauma is real.

“We just had six years of pig vomit casserole in our chimneys every day, and it was exhausting,” he said.

Mount Prospect resident, C.J. Zimmerman, pointed out there are students in a middle school just north of the warehouse site. He also noted its proximity to parks, churches and a Walgreens.

“We’re not even thinking about the kids that travel this corridor every day,” he said. “I do not want to live across the street from this.”

His wife, Coartney Zimmerman, said she has seen a child hit near the Kensington Business Center.

Village Community Development Director Jason Shallcross said truck traffic would use an internal access drive off Bishop Court. He also said a screen wall and a six-foot evergreen hedge would hide the appearance of truck bays, while a last-mile carrier would need conditional use approval.

“The way I look at this is, ‘Would I want to live across the street from this? Would I want to live down the street with this increase in traffic and noise?’” said Trustee Terri Gens, who cast the only no vote.

Other trustees who voted in favor of the project suggested traffic wouldn’t be as bad as predicted.

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