Divided Western Springs Condo Group May Be Ready To Deal

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — Last summer, a Western Springs condo subdivision appeared ready to sign an agreement with the village for a drainage project.

But then a few members of the condo association came forward to oppose the costs under the agreement. The project was derailed.

This week, the Village Board learned the 74-member Ridgewood Oaks association is again poised to move forward with a deal.

Under a proposed agreement, the association would reimburse all the village's costs incurred in engineering and legal fees as a result of the delay.

"If for some reason they pull the plug a second time, they have committed to pay all the village's expenses," said Michael Jurusik, the village's attorney.

The drainage project is expected to cost a half million, restoring a drainage basin in the subdivision. The village previously committed to paying nearly $200,000 of that cost because the project is expected to benefit the nearby Ridgewood subdivision.

After the first agreement was presented last summer, a few condo residents came forward to protest the costs. They hired a lawyer who said the work could be done for a lot less.

The project is required by the Metro Water Reclamation District, which says the condo group's current drainage system fails to meet minimum standards.

Village officials said they doubted the district would seek enforcement action against the association and the village because the entities are making good faith efforts to solve the problem.