Buffalo Grive spa expands services despite trustees debate

The Buffalo Grove village board has begrudgingly given approval for expanded services at a spa run by the park district, but not before several trustees expressed disappointment.

The measure passed unanimously, but several trustees made it known that was only due to the way the agreement was written and not because they agreed with the proposal.

Some board members on Monday said they felt the park district was infringing on the profits of local businesses by competing with them.

The park district requested the addition of waxing and eyelash-tinting services at Vitality Spa.

However, Trustee Jeff Braiman said the village runs a restaurant, which competes with others in the area.

"We do similar things. We have a golf course," he said.

Park district Director Mike Rylko said other medically run clinics offer similar services and the spa wants to be on the same level as them.

The spa already offers therapeutic massage, manicure and pedicures.

He said the clients of the spa, which is run by Northwest Community Healthcare employees and is owned by the district inside the Fitness Center, also asked for the additional services.

"It shouldn't be a double standard," he said, referring to the village's restaurant.

However, Trustee Bruce Kahn, who abstained from voting on the issue, said the spa was billed as therapeutic.

"I didn't like it when it first came before us. I don't like it any more now," he said. "It's not about therapy; it's about a revenue stream."

He said more residents have commented about this issue to him than any other in the past month and he said it's not fair that the park district competes against businesses that have a spa as their only livelihood.

"People have asked me, 'So what's next? Hair cuts?'" he said on Tuesday.

Two spa owners made their case for not allowing the expansion of services in May when the issue was first up for discussion.

Marilyn Wagner, owner of Best Salon & Spa in Buffalo Grove, said the park district hasn't affected her business yet but that waxing is a significant portion of how she makes her money.

Warren Michaels, owner of Michael Thomas Hair Salon & Day Spa in town, said he and other spa owners don't have the option to diversify like the park district does.

The issue riled Kahn so much that he resigned his Fitness Center membership earlier in the week because he didn't want to support the park district if it was challenging local businesses.

"I understand the therapeutic nature of massage, but when it starts coming into manicures and pedicures, I just didn't agree with them," he said. "I don't think they should be in direct competition with 20-plus other businesses in town."

Trustee DeAnn Glover agreed, saying she was extremely disappointed in the park district for continually asking for more services. She said, in her opinion, the request may comply with the special use, but it doesn't go with the spirit of the agreement.

"This was all supposed to be therapeutic," she said. "I thought it was stretching it for nails."

Glover said that from now on, she would be more critical of any requests coming from the district.

In the end, the trustees conceded that the issue was of zoning and not of regulating the business the park district chooses to go into.

"We need to adhere to the requirements of special use," Braiman said. "I think it does comply."