Arlington Heights shop gets OK for motorcycle repair, sales
Arlington Heights officials have given a motorcycle accessories shop permission to sell used bikes and do repairs, after the owners agreed to end noisy "Bike Night" events that attracted dozens of revelers.
Officials at Toy Shop & Motolounge, which relocated to 1728 W. Algonquin Road last year from Schaumburg, also say they plan to do minor repairs on bikes only while the shop's garage doors are closed, so residents from the nearby Surrey Park condominiums won't hear too much noise.
Anthony Borowczyk, the shop's general manager, said repair work won't be done on Sundays or Mondays, and it will last only until 6 p.m. on days of operation.
The repairs will include oil changes, installation of brakes, fluid flushes and tire changes. Borowczyk said workers won't do speaker installations if volume testing becomes an issue.
He described the garage, which faces Penang Restaurant to the east, as "soundproof." A new 8-foot-tall wooden fence would separate the shop from the condos to the north.
Neighbors complained after Toy Shop & Motolounge began hosting outdoor evening events that attracted bikers. On one Thursday night in September, village officials counted 56 bikes in the parking lot, prompting them to tell shop owners to cease.
Borowczyk said those events were intended to bring in extra revenue, but he now expects repair service to account for most of the shop's business.
"Bike Nights did produce noise," he said. "It was not excessive, but as the neighbors stated, they did not like it. We've stopped and won't continue those at all."
That was enough to assuage concerns of village staff members and trustees, who voted 8-0 Monday to grant the business a special use to allow for bike sales and service. Currently, the shop sells only motorcycle accessories, gear and parts.
"I don't have an issue with any of this," said Trustee Mike Sidor. "I live in downtown Arlington Heights and I can tell you on a nice spring night when my windows are open, there's several Harleys that start up at 1 o'clock in the morning that are going to be 10 times louder than anything you're going to be doing.
"I'm taking you at your word that you're sincere to be a good neighbor."