Bensenville prevails in O’Hare fight - for now
Bensenville vs. Chicago not unlike eastern Will County vs. IDOT

Just as the quest to build an airport at Peotone refuses to die, so do efforts to halt the inevitable expansion of O’Hare International Airport.

The common denominator in both scenarios is John Geils, the Village President of Bensenville.

Geils has long been a proponent of a new airport. He is squarely behind Cong. Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s efforts to establish the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission (ALNAC). And, the developers working with Jackson can be directly connected to Geils as well.

A new airport near Peotone was Geils’ answer to limiting expansion at O’Hare. His vision has fallen short, but certainly not for a lack of trying. And his efforts to realize his dream of limiting O’Hare while planes fly from more southern cornfields got a boost last Wednesday, when an emergency request to halt demolition for O’Hare expansion was granted.

Initiated by Geils’ pal and Bensenville lawyer Joseph Karaganis, who has built a lucrative career out of litigating against Chicago on behalf of O’Hare for Bensenville, won another skirmish, most likely a temporary one, in the ongoing war between O’Hare foes and the City of Chicago.

DuPage County Circuit Judge Kenneth Popejoy ordered a stop to the demolition of hundreds of Bensenville properties, at least for now. Demolition was scheduled for Friday, July 27.

In the dispute, the City of Chicago believes it had received all the needed state and federal approval to demolish properties to make way for the airport’s expansion plans.

Bensenville believes the project violates the village’s local ordinances.

Popejoy ruled on Bensenville’s side, calling a temporary halt to the demolition until city workers could perform a comprehensive assessment of potential risks that might be caused by the razing of buildings.

Popejoy’s order apparently includes the removal of trees as well, because Bensenville police were dispatched Thursday to where city workers were cutting down trees.

Friday, Popejoy ruled that removing trees violated his previous order to halt work.

Chicago is in the process of condemning approximately 88 homes or businesses and 23 structures owned by the Village of Bensenville to make way for a new runway at O’Hare.

Shortly after the ruling last Wednesday, Geils issued a news release entitled, "Judge halts Chicago’s hell-bent effort to destroy a good part of Bensenville for O’Hare Airport expansion."

"For years, our people have lived under the shadow of destruction by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and his flunkies in the governor’s mansion, Legislature and City Hall," Geils said.

"That the people of Bensenville have persevered for so long in the face of such powerful political forces is testimony to their courage and sense of justice. That a court still sees that real people could lose their most precious possession-their home-provides us hope that someone understand the real stakes involved."

There is little difference in sentiment between Bensenville residents and those of eastern Will County.

But there is a big difference in the demolition to make way for the O’Hare Modernization Plan and that, which occurred in the Peotone area on Dec. 1, 2006.

O’Hare’s plan has been approved. It is a viable project. The same cannot be said for Peotone.

So when Geils hails a court decision to temporarily restrain Chicago from demolishing hundreds of homes and businesses in the path of O’Hare Airport expansion, it smacks of insincerity.

Geils and Karaganis had little sympathy for the plight of Peotone area residents faced with a similar situation.

Another difference is that Chicago voluntarily waited for FAA approval before condemning and demolishing property. That has not been the case at Peotone.