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All sides await decision on expansion FAA to soon rule on O'Hare, but legal battles will keep debate alive.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Sue Ter Maat Daily Herald Staff Writer

Richard Soline's Bensenville house is slated to become a parking lot at O'Hare International Airport.

And he's delighted.

The city of Chicago wants to buy Soline's home, and he wants to sell it.

But a court order obtained by Bensenville and Elk Grove Village, both vehemently opposed to airport expansion, has stalled his deal for two years.

So Soline bides his time. He surmises he'll be the proud owner of a new home thanks to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is expected to render a decision in September, allowing Chicago buy suburban homes and dig up the land for its expanded O'Hare.

Assuming the ruling is for O'Hare expansion, as both sides expect, it'll initiate new wave of legal battle maneuvers.

Without further legal intervention, no longer will the suburbs be able to prevent Chicago from buying homes like Soline's after the FAA's decision.

Also, the state legislature's quick-take rule, allowing Chicago to condemn property in just three months instead of two years, could be tried.

Additionally, a state law passed two years ago permitting Chicago to take two Bensenville cemeteries would be tested.

While Chicago says it would start work immediately on a proposed northern runway, the bitterly opposed suburban leaders say they will block construction in court, throwing their entire legal arsenal at Chicago in an effort to prevent it.

Still, Chicago remains unfazed.

"I would imagine they are working on whatever legal strategy they think will work,"...

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