Mount Prospect mayoral candidates at odds over village’s handling of Prestige Feed Products

Issues surrounding odors spreading from Prestige Feed Products in the Kensington Business Center and penetrating neighboring properties in Mount Prospect and Des Plaines have crept into the Mount Prospect mayor’s race.

Incumbent Paul Hoefert and Trisha Chokshi have been at odds over the village’s handling of the animal feed producer, including the initial approval and the ongoing litigation.

Hoefert said the village handled Prestige the way it would handle any company coming into town.

But Hoefert, who is limited in what he can say because of ongoing litigation, said, “Right off the bat, it wasn’t what was portrayed. And that’s unfortunate.”

Chokshi wants an investigation into the approval process.

“It's very clearly written on page one of their building application,” she said. Yet, she added, Prestige was able to open without going through the formal zoning process.

Hoefert said the village worked with Prestige for years to mitigate the odors. He said Prestige installed new equipment, but it never eliminated the odor.

He said he feels for the residents and added the village is doing what it can for the community with both litigation and testing.

“We are fighting this, and we are not going to let up until either, one, that company moves, or, two, they solve the problem,” he said.

Chokshi, however, said it is not clear that Prestige is going to move. Even if it were to move, it would not happen immediately, she said. Nor would a move make the litigation moot.

“That is something that needs to be decided by Prestige and the village in terms of a settlement or a dismissal,” she said.

“What I think that this entire process has laid bare (are) the larger issues that our leadership has on how we handle new permitting and new zoning applications and development in the village at large,” she said.

Hoefert disagreed with Chokshi, saying, “We have solid building codes in place.” He added the village shared with Prestige the village’s codes around such issues as odor.

“They assured us, not a problem,” he said. “That wasn’t true.”