Wheeling settles suit with Montessori school

Wheeling has settled a dispute with a Montessori school that centered on unusable land in a runway protection zone.

The village has agreed to purchase that land -- 21,987 square feet -- at the southwest corner of Chicago Executive Airport for $263,844.

The village has also agreed to waive building permit fees.

The Alexander Graham Bell Montessori School, currently located in Mount Prospect, filed a lawsuit against the village in June to recoup the costs of the delayed permitting.

The village originally issued a permit to the school last July, but 20 percent of the 2.85-acre site was found to be in the protection zone.

A runway nearly closed at the airport to allow the school to be built, but, in the end, the Montessori redrew plans to move a parking lot out of the restricted area.

The village also agreed to lower the parking requirements for the school, at 9300 Capitol Drive, to make the plan work.