Deal between Wheeling, mobile home residents could come Monday

Wheeling trustees Monday will vote on whether to officially approve a settlement agreement between the village and residents of the Fox Point mobile home park that was reached last October.

The mobile home park was built along the Des Plaines River about 50 years ago as a 42-unit community. Now, authorities estimate about 20 of the mobile homes are occupied.

Following an April 2013 flood, several residents filed a lawsuit against Wheeling arguing the village used its building code to discriminate against residents who couldn't afford to fix home damages.

"There was severe flood damage to a vast majority of the units," Wheeling Village Attorney Jim Ferolo said.

Eventually, the residents dismissed the lawsuit for a settlement that gives Wheeling up to $4 million in federal grant money to relocate the residents, purchase the land and keep it as an open space. Wheeling will act as the lead agency in making sure residents get relocation money and services, and the land gets cleared and remains open.

"The reason behind the federal program is to get residents out of danger in floor-prone areas," Ferolo said.

Kelli Dudley, an attorney for the Fox Point residents, said it took a long time for the agreement to get to Wheeling board members for approval because "so many layers of government are involved." The agreement was approved at the federal, state and county levels. Now, it comes to the municipal level.

But board approval doesn't mean residents will be moving out just yet, as it will take time to find alternate housing and negotiate movement of residents, some of whom don't want to leave.

"It'll be a long time," Dudley said. "The program takes a very long time."

Each resident or family will receive help from a relocation consultant. The federal money the residents receive for relocation costs will be based on the number of people in each family, Ferolo said.

The village will receive the money from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program administered through the county and funded through a federal grant.