Taxes, signs, parking are issues for Arlington Hts. businesses

Businesses are happy to be in Arlington Heights, but they have four complaints - two of them taxes, the village board heard Monday.

Village staff members made 700 visits with local business owners, asking them what it would take to keep them in Arlington Heights, said John C. Melaniphy, business and development coordinator, who joined the Planning and Community Development staff about a year ago.

Property taxes was the biggest complaint, he said, followed by downtown parking and restrictions on signage.

Property taxes are among a business's largest expenses, Melaniphy said Tuesday.

Parking is an issue in downtown Arlington Heights at about dinner time, he said, since 30 restaurants are there. He said the free parking in the Vail Avenue garage and two-hour free parking on the streets seems to be helping.

Anthony Guido, a business owner on the Arlington Economic Alliance, a village-sponsored panel dedicated to a healthy business climate, said retail businesses would like to have sandwich board-style signs on the sidewalk.

He and Melaniphy agreed difficult economic times have brought the desire for more liberal sign rules. But state law does not allow sandwich boards because they block sidewalks and can be dangerous if blown by the wind, said Melaniphy.

Sales taxes are also an issue since Arlington Heights is adjacent to Lake County, where taxes are lower than in Cook County, said Guido, who owns Arlington Heights Ford.

Arlington Heights retail sales total about $1 billion annually, said Melaniphy, which puts it in the top 20 regions in the Chicago area. The vacancy rate is about 12 percent of the 4 million square feet of retail space.

The Web site discoverarlington.com and an electronic directory for village businesses are among the Alliance's accomplishments this year.

The group also sponsored efforts to help new businesses get the approvals they need to open in the village, said Guido, saying systems have been simplified in recent years.

Melaniphy said a business that does not need to change the building or get a zoning variance can be operating within a month.

The many activities that Melaniphy has organized include having hotel employees tour Arlington Heights and sample restaurant food so they will recommend places in the village when guests ask about food and entertainment.

He had worked with his father's real estate consulting firm for 20 years and with Mid-America Development Partners in Oak Brook for about three years.

"We need to make 'Shop Locally' as common as recycling," said Village President Arlene Mulder.