Glendale Heights Village President Michael Camera says he wants to call his own meeting within a few weeks concerning the Fireside Ridge subdivision, which nearby residents are opposing.
More than 50 people last week toured the site of the proposed subdivision before assembling at a local church to protest the development because they said they fear it will result in flooding.
But Randall W. Bus, the village`s consulting engineer, didn`t attend that meeting because Camera instructed him not to show up.
The only village official to attend was Trustee Geri O`Brien (1st), and she isn`t politically allied with Camera.
Trustee Ben Fajardo (6th) said he couldn`t attend but had looked at the site and wasn`t opposed to further meetings with residents on what he called
”a delicate subject matter.” There was no political overtone to the fact that other officials didn`t attend the Thursday tour, Fajardo said.
Trustee Charles L. Noe (4th), an engineer, said he couldn`t make the meeting but was satisfied with the village engineer`s assurance that the project was properly planned.
Camera said he wants to call his own meeting in a few weeks with Du Page County Board members present. He said he considered O`Brien`s tour a waste of money and time.
Residents of the Peterson-Burdette Avenues area, where Elmhurst developer Bruce Allendorfer plans to build 20 homes, say a persistent flooding problem would be worsened by more construction unless changes are made.
Village officials and Bus have said the subdivision plans indicate that flooding would be reduced by the project.
O`Brien said videotapes were made on the tour so she can show other village officials what the residents consider the cause of the flood problems and why they fear that the subdivision runoff would exacerbate the situation. Camera said this week that Fireside Ridge and neighborhood flooding are different issues. But O`Brien and residents said they are linked and if the Village Board votes Thursday to let Allendorfer proceed, it will be too late to make corrections to prevent future flooding.
