Accused of stench, business offers to leave Mount Prospect — but at a price

Prestige Feed Products, a Mount Prospect animal feed manufacturer that has outraged neighbors in the village and neighboring Des Plaines over noxious odors and noise, has offered to move out.

But officials of the company located at 431 Lakeview Ct. are asking for a large cash settlement that was initially met coldly by village officials.

In a court hearing Tuesday, attorneys for Prestige and Mount Prospect discussed a potential settlement.

Isaiah Fishman, new counsel hired by the village, said Prestige is seeking millions of dollars to move away. He said he believes that “is going to be a non-starter.” During the hearing, which was conducted on Zoom, he received an email from the village saying it had no interest in the terms Prestige provided, although the two parties will continue to talk.

During the hearing, Des Plaines’ attorney Caitlyn Culbertson said the city is filing a petition to intervene. Residents in the nearby Longford Glen subdivision in Des Plaines have been vocal about odors and noise.

Prestige initially filed a claim last year against Mount Prospect to prevent the village from shutting down the operation. The village filed a counterclaim seeking an injunction against Prestige over odor and noise issues.

Prestige’s attorney, Riccardo DiMonte, told Circuit Judge Clare Quish operators of the plant were discussing changing hours of operation and possibly moving out by a specific date.

DiMonte said the village recently hired new counsel who “solicited a settlement conversation from us.” Moving, he said, “would solve everyone’s problem, especially the litigation problem.”

Quish granted DiMonte’s request for a time extension on the counterclaim, to see if there is room for the parties to agree on the settlement terms. Fishman said the village is willing to consider a settlement but will still seek a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction this week.

“The citizens are demanding that we take action here,” he said, adding there has been “an explosion of complaints” from neighbors.

Prestige has been allowed to operate using equipment intended to mitigate the odors. But Fishman said a nearby Montessori school has been unable to allow children outside when the smell is present. Likewise, he said, a company that does taste testing has been unable to operate during periods when the odors are intense.

DiMonte answered Fishman’s comments about the Montessori school, saying it isn’t the “Draconian” situation that has been portrayed. He said the plant has been there for five years, and the children are playing in Prestige’s parking lot and taking nature walks along the creek.

Another hearing is set for Sept. 12.