Bartlett banquet hall receives final approval

A plan for a new banquet hall that’s drawn the ire of some of its future neighbors in Bartlett has won village approval, but only after owner Nico Scardino assured leaders he will work hard to keep noise inside and outside at a reasonable level.

His Labella Banquets will be located at 810 S. Route 59 in the Bartlett Commons Shopping Center. It will be used for family parties, rehearsal dinners, baptisms, business meetings and other events.

Unlike other banquet halls, however, it will not have a kitchen. Instead, all food will be catered by outside restaurants, and if liquor is served the caterer will be required to obtain a village liquor license.

Hours for the facility will be 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Live music will be allowed from noon to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Trustee T.L. Arends previously expressed concerns with those hours, saying noise late at night might bother residents who live nearby. A handful of residents also spoke out, noting they had been bothered by noise from other businesses in the shopping center in the past.

However, the village board put its faith in Scardino and gave him a few suggestions, including the installation of a window sign reminding patrons to be courteous of neighbors.