Libertyville bar agrees to sanctions
A Libertyville bar has agreed to several sanctions, including closing on Wednesdays in January, as part of a negotiated settlement with the village.
Grill on 21, 1580 S. Milwaukee Ave., also agreed to stop using a Beach Park company that supplied deejays to the nightspot.
"This very difficult situation hopefully is behind us," Mayor Jeff Harger said of the settlement reached Friday.
The promotion company featured Hip Hop, R&B, reggae and old-school music. The events drew large crowds and had been a concern to police for the last several months.
Harger, who also is the village liquor commissioner, issued an emergency order to close the bar and suspend liquor sales effective from 9 p.m. Dec. 9 until 3 a.m. Sunday. That ban remains in effect although the business can continue to serve food and nonalcoholic beverages.
Several recent incidents "involving violence and public disorder" were cited by the village as the basis for the decision.
While the bar had been on village radar, an early morning incident Dec. 7 was the last straw.
Libertyville police, overwhelmed with what was described as a threatening crowd of 300 to 400 in the parking lot, called for help from several surrounding agencies as scuffles broke out.
A Vernon Hills squad car was damaged and an officer was injured breaking up a fight. A Chicago woman was arrested off the property and charged with attempting to flee and elude police and reckless driving, but no other arrests were made.
Bar owners and their attorneys met in closed session with village officials for about an hour Friday before the results were announced publicly. Several Libertyville police officers attended the hearing but did not testify.
A second hearing to determine the disposition of the liquor license, originally scheduled for Monday, was canceled.
Harger noted Grill on 21's cooperation, saying the company was trying to be a good corporate citizen.
"What you have to do is what they're doing," said Richard Hellerman, an attorney with Arnstein & Lehr LLC representing Grill on 21.
"We're responsible restaurant owners," added Steve Fels of Grill on 21.
The agreement also calls for Grill on 21 to provide Libertyville police with the names, birth dates and police agency affiliation of its security personnel; provide adequate security indoors and out as necessary; notify police in the event of criminal activity; and, reimburse Vernon Hills for the damage to the squad car.
Grill on 21 also agreed to not pursue any claims against the village for losses incurred. The business had lost $25,000 in sales as of Friday because of the ban.