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East Dundee trustees consider cutting the music early

A slew of complaints about noise coming from three East Dundee establishments is prompting officials to consider paring back the hours music can be played — inside and out.

But while village officials mull that over, one business is threatening to move elsewhere.

Between Oct. 29 and last weekend, police received 57 complaints about noise coming from Premier Banquets, Diamond Jim's Bar and Grill and Bandito Barney's Beach House and Bordello.

Of those complaints, Premier generated 47, Bandito Barney's six and Diamond Jim's four, East Dundee Police Chief Terry Mee said.

Premier, which offers space for weddings, professional fighting and dancing, already has been fined $700 for seven noise-related complaints. The business was cited for making noise “in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet or comfort of neighboring residents,” Mee said.

And although owner Jim Nagle has installed soundproofing equipment in an effort to keep the music from escaping the building on Route 25, neighbors continue to complain — two came in last weekend, Mee said.

“As much work as Premier says they've done ... they still had two complaints,” Mee said. “They've got to ratchet that down.”

Nagle did not return a phone call Friday seeking comment.

When it comes to establishments that offer outdoor music, it's supposed to stop at 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

“They've been living in the lap of luxury as far as times go,” Mee said. “Our residents have been accommodating, to say the least.”

Bandito Barney's and Diamond Jim's — both in the downtown — each hosts bands in their outdoor beer gardens, and say shrinking the hours of playing time would affect their bottom line.

The music is a huge draw at Diamond Jim's, which breaks even the rest of the week on food, and doesn't start making money until Saturday while the music's playing, said Carl Mizak, one of the owners.

After dinner, people often like to stay and listen to the bands, which typically play rock music from the 1970s and 1980s.

But cutting those hours back will reach “deep, deep into our pockets,” Mizak said.

If the bands are forced to quit earlier, there won't be as many people patronizing his business and they may go elsewhere to hear the music.

His business might follow.

“If they want to shrink that down, they're also going to shrink down their sales-tax revenue,” Mizak said. “Maybe we will go to a community where we can stay open later.”

As trustees continue to discuss the issue, they will need to take that into account.

“We obviously have a concern that some people are concerned about noise, but we don't want to impact our businesses,” Trustee Lael Miller said. “It's a tough one.”

Bandito Barney's takes being a good neighbor seriously and even barred a band from returning because its members ignored multiple requests from management to tone it down.

“They kept playing games with us ... and that was when we had a noise complaint,” bar manager Carna Combest said.

Bandito Barney's last complaint occurred last Saturday night, while Diamond Jim's was on May 26.

Residential areas surround all three establishments, but while Bandito Barney's and Diamond Jim's have generated 10 complaints between them in the last eight months, Premier has collected almost five times that amount.

The reason may be a difference in culture.

“Even though there's some people that have been there for a long time, (Bandito Barney's and Diamond Jim's) were there before the neighbors were there, whereas with Premier, it's been a car dealership and after that, it was empty for many years,” Miller said. “It is a complete culture shock for the residents in the area.”

Torco property proposal raising eyebrows near East Dundee

  If East Dundee trustees curtail hours that music can be played, Diamond Jim’s Bar and Grill may leave the village for a town that offers later hours. “If we can’t do it here, if another town allows for later music, then that’s an option, too,” said Carl Mizak, one of the owners. Christopher Hankins/chankins@dailyherald.com
  Premier Banquets in East Dundee continues to generate complaints for loud music, which has the village board considering whether to further restrict hours that music can be played at venues in town. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
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