Durty Nellie's allowed to expand entertainment offerings
Durty Nellie's Restaurant and Pub's can no longer rely on its musical offerings alone to attract customers to the longtime Palatine establishment.
So in hopes it can become an entertainment complex rather than solely a music venue, officials Monday unanimously approved owner James Dolezal's petition for a special use that allows an expanded scope of live entertainment.
Durty Nellie's, located at 180 N. Smith St., now intends to put on occasional comedy, fashion and dance shows, radio and TV appearances, mixed-martial arts events and theater performances.
While the new special use means the owners won't have to petition the council every time they hope to host a unique event, they will have to notify the village 45 days in advance of a mixed-martial arts, or MMA, event so that the police and fire departments can review crowd matters. The number of such sporting events also is limited to four per year, a cap Dolezal said is ample.
Councilman Aaron Del Mar asked why restrictions were being placed only on MMA events, Village Manager Reid Ottesen responded, “The rest we didn't see any problem or any impact on us.”
Palatine residents Chuck and Marjorie Anderson in a letter to the village expressed support for some of the tamer proposed events but told the council they questioned whether MMA, a combat sport that combines various martial arts such as kickboxing and judo, is appropriate entertainment for the community.
They also stated their concerns about the taxpayer cost related to police, paramedics and traffic control, as well as parking issues and cab and bus availability that late at night.
But Palatine officials pointed out that Durty Nellie's pays for any required police presence, and that the two MMA events held about a year ago yielded no complaints.
Dolezal emphasized that while he's looking to add 10 to 12 of these different shows to the rotation, he's not looking to change the face of Durty Nellie's.
“The ownership at Nellie's understands that we are primarily a music venue, and we will never stray from that image,” Dolezal said.
The hours of operation will remain 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.