As a final vote on the controversial Touhy Road asphalt plant nears, two state elected officials have urged Des Plaines leaders to reconsider their support of it.

Fourth Ward Alderman Dick Sayad said, however, that he doesn't believe the officials' pleas will change the city council's stance.

The council has already expressed preliminary support for Plote Construction Inc.'s plan to relocate its asphalt mixing plant to 320 W. Touhy Ave. The site is in an industrial area and sits adjacent to the Touhy Mobile Home Park.

On Monday, the city council is expected to take a final vote on the issue.

This week, state Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, a Des Plaines Republican, and representatives of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sent letters to city leaders asking them to reverse their support of the plan.

"It's too close to a residential area," Mulligan said. "I understand the need to retain a major taxpayer, but the aldermen seem to be totally disregarding the people who live near there."

The attorney general's office raised similar concerns, said Matthew Dunn, chief of environmental enforcement for Madigan.

In addition, the attorney general's office forwarded information to Des Plaines leaders about complaints the attorney general filed against Plote for an asphalt plant in Hillside.

Fumes from the plant were believed to have caused the evacuation of a nearby school and business, Dunn said.

In a settlement, Plote agreed to pay a fine of nearly $100,000 and implement new pollution control measures. The company did not admit any wrongdoing, however.

Sayad said that while Mulligan and Madigan have every right to express their opinions on the matter, he's skeptical of their motivations.

"Did they research this or are they just reacting to what some people told them?" he said. "I didn't see any of them at the zoning board hearings."

Sayad said Plote Construction has won awards for its environmental practices and he believes the new plant will continue that tradition.

The city council supported the plan in October with a 6-2 preliminary vote; aldermen Carla Brookman and Don Smith voted against it.

The council's action came despite vocal pleas from residents of the mobile home park, located in unincorporated Cook County, who say the plant will be loud, smelly and a health hazard.

The Touhy site is zoned for industrial use, but Plote needs city council approval because the plan includes stacks that exceed city height limits.

Plote's existing Des Plaines plant, at 254 Old Higgins Road, is being displaced because of O'Hare expansion. The company has been a major taxpayer in Des Plaines for about 40 years, Sayad said.

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