Buffalo Grove board delays vote on eSkape

Going into Monday night's Buffalo Grove Village Board meeting, it looked like the trustees might finally allow a dance club at the eSkape family entertainment center.

The one issue that had prevented approval - whether eSkape would have to use uniformed Buffalo Grove police officers - seemed to have been resolved when a narrow majority of trustees agreed to allow the use of private security instead.

But on Monday, the seventh meeting to discuss the issue, the board again delayed a decision after the board seemed to change its mind back, in favor of uniformed police officers.

Trustees voted to continue the public hearing yet again, but the delay will allow the village and eSkape to try to resolve their differences.

The momentum shifted when Trustee Lisa Stone, who previously was OK with private security, said she had changed her mind.

Stone said her change of heart came about after she considered the concerns about drugs, alcohol and crime raised by Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steve Balinski and the director of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, who gave testimony two weeks ago.

The proposal being debated is whether a 5,800-square-foot space formerly occupied by a laser tag area can be converted to a dance area. Dances would be held for 17-to-20-year-olds and 21-up on different nights.

eSkape is a family entertainment center with a games arcade, bowling, batting cages and more in 66,000 square feet at 350 McHenry Road.

On Monday, the board heard impassioned testimony from residents on the need for uniformed officers on the premises.

Martin Sussman, husband of Trustee Beverly Sussman, warned that the new venue would attract gangs from other suburbs and asked how anyone knows what could happen in the Town Center parking lot or the lot at Jewel across the street.

"My street smarts tell me this is dangerous," said Sussman, who grew up in New York.

Resident Jeff Burg said he was appalled that the board would even consider private security.

"Four of you (referring to trustees who supported private security) are willing to risk security and safety for the sake of one business," Burg said.

"It has the potential and actually the probability to bring problems to this community."

eSkape Managing Partner Bill Feldgreber said he has been open for nearly eight years, hosting hundreds of customers on the weekends, and has done a good job managing the club. He said he was confident he could deliver on security.

"A company is defined by its management," he said. "You have seen me perform. You have seen eSkape perform."

But Stone said her feelings are no reflection on eSkape's ownership. In fact, she said, she is receptive to the idea of a dance club. She used the comparison of having reservations about a marriage at the last minute, registering concerns about whether a private security firm would be willing to report drug incidents.

"You don't walk down the aisle if you feel you shouldn't," she said.