Wheeling board adopts new village flag, approves tax break for Windy City Linen and multiple development permits; special census delayed by federal shutdown

The Wheeling Village Board on Monday adopted a new official village flag, approved a Cook County Class 6b personal property tax classification for Windy City Linen, and granted site‑plan, height‑variance and lot consolidation approvals for a cold‑storage expansion at 199 Shepherd Avenue. Director Smith told the board a planned Wheeling special census launch was delayed because the Census Bureau is shut down during a federal government furlough.

The flag adoption and development approvals passed by roll call votes; all items on the consent agenda also passed. The board recessed into executive session at the end of the meeting for pending or probable litigation.

The new flag: symbolism and rollout

Trustee Lang, who worked on the design, said the flag project began about two years ago and was developed with guidance from Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton and community input posted on the village website. The board voted to adopt the flag and public‑works crews were scheduled to install 12 flags around the community the morning after the meeting.

Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, who described himself as a member of the North American Vexillological Association, told the board the design follows contemporary flag‑design guidelines and mirrors recent county flag work. "They are incredibly significant," Britton said of flags, adding that the new Wheeling design "complies not with the rules but the guidelines of flag best flag design." Trustee Lang provided the board with written explanations of the elements of the design; those explanations are available on the village website, the board noted.

Special census delay

Director Smith told trustees the village had planned to begin a Wheeling special census the next day but the Census Bureau is shut down due to a federal government furlough. "My original intention tonight was to tell you that the Wheeling Special Census was launching tomorrow. But with the government shutdown, the Census Bureau has been shut down," Smith said. She said the first mailer — sent from the Census Bureau’s processing center in Jefferson, Indiana — had been scheduled to go out and will include a 12‑digit household ID; the mailings will be sent weekly for four weeks once the bureau resumes operations. Smith said she could not predict when the mailings will be sent.

Windy City Linen tax classification

The board approved a resolution consenting to a Cook County Class 6b personal property tax assessment classification for Windy City Linen for a portion of the building at 574 Wheeling Road. Village staff said the expansion will occupy roughly 17,639 square feet and that the applicant will invest over $300,000 in renovations. Staff estimated the project will generate more than $500,000 in property taxes for the village and create 10–20 new jobs within the first 12 months.

Attorney Mark Rogers explained the approval is a partial 6b for the 17,639‑square‑foot section; if the other tenant space later becomes vacant, that other section would not automatically receive the same 6b classification without a separate application. Windy City Linen representatives said full rehabilitation is expected to take about 12 months and the company hopes to move in as early as February or March depending on contractor and equipment schedules. The board approved the measure by roll call.

199 Shepherd Avenue: cold storage expansion, height variance and lot consolidation

The board approved three related items for PH Wheeling Industrial LLC and ENH Holdings LLC: a major site plan and building appearance approval for a 14,796‑square‑foot cold storage addition; a variation from the zoning code to permit a building height increase from 40 feet to 46 feet, 1/4 inch; and a final plat of consolidation to combine two lots so a building addition does not cross parcel lines.

Village staff and the plan commission recommended approval with conditions. The site‑plan conditions include using the materials on the Harris Architects rendering on file, screening rooftop units per the submitted cut sheet, obtaining any required Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) permits before village construction permits issue, and obtaining a Wheeling business license and sign permit where required. The height variation is conditioned on the site‑plan approval and on operational limitations set by a prior ordinance (approved Feb. 7, 2022). Dan Shapiro represented the applicant and confirmed MWRD permitting is in process.

Zoning cleanup: special‑use rules

The board approved an ordinance amending Title 19 (zoning) to clean up the village’s special‑use provisions. Staff said the changes clarify when a special use expires and when a new owner/operator must return to the village for reapproval. Under the amendment a special‑use ordinance shall expire if the use ceases for six continuous months, with a stated exemption for drive‑through facilities in certain reoccupancy scenarios where no substantial change in nearby development has occurred.

Consent agenda and other routine approvals

The board approved the consent agenda containing the following items (listed in the meeting packet as items 11a–11g): - Resolution approving a revised fee schedule for legal services provided by Klein Thorpe & Jenkins Ltd.; - Change order No. 1 reducing the final contract amount with Archon Construction Company by $11,040.50 for the 2025 manhole lining and rehabilitation project (from $166,417.00 to $155,376.50); - Agreement with Atlas Engineering Group Inc. for Northgate Parkway sidewalk consulting services (not to exceed $35,318); - Change order No. 2 increasing the contract with El Torfer Power Systems by $16,307 for village hall generator improvements (from $300,000 to $316,307); - Three‑year software services renewal with OpenGov Inc. for $191,301.15; - Change order No. 1 increasing the Burr Contractors Inc. contract by $165,346.08 for Phase 1 of the South Dunhurst storm sewer improvement project (from $2,289,995.95 to $2,455,342.03); - Ordinance declaring surplus personal property and authorizing disposal by recycling, trade‑in, donation or public auction.

Minutes and bills

The board approved the regular meeting minutes of Sept. 15 and the joint workshop minutes of Sept. 17, 2025, and later approved the bills for the period Sept. 11 through Oct. 1, 2025 by roll call votes recorded in the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution adopting a new official village flag (Agenda item 13a): approved by roll call (Trustees Krueger, Lang, Papantos, Raffato, Vogel and President Horker voted yes). - Resolution consenting to Cook County Class 6b personal property tax classification for Windy City Linen, 574 Wheeling Road (13b): approved by roll call (Trustees Krueger, Lang, Papantos, Raffato/Rufado, Vogel and President Horker voted yes). Investment of over $300,000; partial 6b applies to ~17,639 sq ft; expected 10–20 jobs; rehabilitation ≈12 months. - PSPMAJ240003 (major site plan and appearance), PV250005 (height variation) and PSUBFP250004 (final plat consolidation) for 199 Shepherd Avenue (13c, 13d, 13e): all approved with conditions by roll call. Cold storage addition ≈14,796 sq ft; requested maximum height 46 ft 1/4 in vs zoning limit 40 ft; MWRD permit required before village construction permits. - Ordinance amending Title 19 zoning special uses (PTA25001/13f): approved by roll call; establishes a six‑month expiration for discontinued special uses with limited exemptions for certain drive‑through reoccupancies. - Consent agenda items 11a–11g (contracts, change orders, software renewal, surplus ordinance): approved by omnibus motion. - Minutes (Sept. 15 regular; Sept. 17 joint workshop) and bills (Sept. 11–Oct. 1, 2025): approved by roll call.

What’s next and meeting close

Director Smith said the special census mailings will go out only after the Census Bureau resumes operations; the mailers originate from Jefferson, Indiana and will include household IDs and instructions for filing online. The board recessed into executive session for pending or probable litigation; no further business was conducted afterwards.

(Reporting based on the Oct. 6, 2025 Village of Wheeling Board meeting transcript. All votes and attributions reflect roll‑call statements and public remarks recorded in the official meeting transcript.)