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Citizen parks pumper on street, angers Ill. neighborhood

By Kristen Kridel and Graydon Megan
The Chicago Tribune

SCHAUMBURG TOWNSHIP, Ill. — When firefighters relied on the water in their trucks to put out a blaze in a neighbor’s garage because a hydrant was too far away, Peter Mitchell fretted about what might happen if his house caught fire.

His solution: He bought a shiny red pumper on eBay for $7,000.

He parked his new acquisition near his home in Schaumburg Township, comforted that firefighters could use the 1,500 gallons of water it held to benefit the neighborhood if another fire broke out.

Then he built a 15-foot-tall garage to hold the truck.

He also installed a gravity flow system that would allow a firetruck — his or the fire department’s — to tap into his in-ground swimming pool.

But despite Mitchell’s willingness to watch their backs, some neighbors in the Pleasant Hills subdivision are seeing something redder than his 1975 Ward LaFrance pumper-tanker. They have complained the truck and new garage are eyesores.

And in a true suburban firefight, there also has been squabbling over fences Mitchell erected on his property and allegations that grading for his pool caused flooding. Neighbors have peppered building inspectors with complaints.

Somehow, one man’s quest for fire safety has taken on the overtones of a crusade and, ultimately, divided a neighborhood.

“Personally, if my house caught on fire, I wouldn’t want this guy on my property,” said neighbor Audrey Mitchell, who is no relation, ticking off a list of at least four local fire departments that could come to their aid. “Why would I want his dirty pool water?”

The fire department didn’t see a problem in the first place. The nearest hydrant is about 1,000 feet from Peter Mitchell’s home but firefighters would use pumpers or run hose in an emergency, said Roselle Fire Chief Bob Gallas. The fire station that serves the area is almost 2.7 miles away. It could take them up to 4 1/2 minutes to reach Mitchell’s home, Gallas said.

Would he pump Mitchell’s water in an emergency?

“That’s really an option way down on the list,” Gallas said. “It’s available and if we ever needed it we could use it.”

Mitchell, who runs a Chicago electrical services business, and his wife, Maggie, moved to their suburban home in the 400 block of Parkview Drive about three years ago. When he bought his pumper-tanker — it still carries the name of the Pennsylvania volunteer fire department it once served — he often parked it in the driveway of a second home he bought nearby in the 700 block of Crest Avenue.

“When you don’t have hydrants, you need water,” said Mitchell, 59, who does not claim to be a firefighter. “The peace of mind of having the water made my day.”

His hope, he said, was that the water in the pumper and some 20,000 gallons in his pool could be used if firefighters needed an extra supply.

Most recently, the complaints have focused on the garage Mitchell is building to house his fire engine on his Crest Avenue property, with some neighbors calling it a “huge monstrosity.” He moved the truck into his new garage this week.

“The biggest thing is he does things first and then worries about consequences later,” said neighbor Dan Tuma, of the 700 block of Crest.

The garage meets regulations, said Donald Wlodarski, commissioner of the Cook County Department of Building and Zoning.

“It’s the size on the permit,” Wlodarski said, “18 feet wide by 50 feet long by 15 feet high — 900 square feet.”

Some neighbors complained Mitchell often works on his property without permits and that county building inspectors don’t respond.

“Any time anybody calls, we’re out there within 1 or 2 days,” Wlodarski said.

Wlodarski said some court actions have been taken against Mitchell, who has paid the fines.

Despite the complaints, Mitchell said he is more than willing to share his water supply with any of the approximately 18 homes a hose could reach. It would be the Fire Department’s decision anyway, he said.

The pumper needed $3,000 worth of equipment to make it functional, but now it’s ready. So is his pool.

“The neighbors don’t get it,” Mitchell said. “This should all be an asset, not an argument.”

Copyright 2008, The Chicago Tribune