4 more restaurants to offer outdoor dining in downtown Arlington Heights
Outdoor dining season starts soon in Arlington Heights, including four downtown restaurants that will be allowed to put tables on public sidewalks.
The village board on Monday approved license agreements with Carlos and Carlos Ristorante, 17 W. Campbell St., Javier's Sabor Mexicano Restaurant, 8 W. Miner St., Peggy Kinnane's Restaurant, 8 N. Vail Ave. and La Tasca Tapas Restaurant, 25 W. Davis St., to allow for outdoor eating areas on the public rights of way.
Javier's, La Tasca and Peggy Kinnane's will add tables on the public sidewalks outside their restaurants to increase their outdoor seating, while Carlos and Carlos will add tables in a small portion of Harmony Park adjacent to the restaurant.
The license agreements passed unanimously, except for the agreement with Carlos and Carlos, which Trustee Mike Sidor voted against.
During previous discussions on the topic Sidor said he had concerns about legal issues with the state grant the village received to build Harmony Park for public use and if the license would violate that.
He said his vote on Monday was meant to stay consistent with those concerns.
Officials have said the small space will take up less than 2 percent of Harmony Park. Carlos and Carlos will not be allowed to use the area during large-scale village events such as the Mane Event and Taste of Arlington.
When the restaurant is closed, the tables will still be available as kind of an “open campus” for downtown patrons to sit at to eat, read or enjoy in the northeast corner of the park, the owners said.
“I think it's beneficial for us and for the village,” owner Carlos Montiel said during earlier discussions.
The outdoor dining areas will be open through Oct. 31, according to the agreements. The restaurants will use planters or fencing to delineate between the shared walkway for pedestrians and the area for patrons and restaurant servers.
The restaurants will also be allowed to serve alcohol on the public sidewalk, under the agreements
The village board approved more relaxed requirements for outdoor dining in May 2014.