A flea market for Lake in the Hills?

An outdoor flea market might come to Lake in the Hills as early as late May.

The village’s planning and zoning commission this week recommended the approval of a conditional use permit to allow a flea market along the west side of Route 31, just south of Rakow Road, commission member Joe DeMay said.

The flea market would occupy five acres on a 24-acre, undeveloped site that belongs to Plote Homes of East Dundee, and would operate on Saturdays and Sundays from April to October, he said.

The area would be covered with crushed asphalt, similar to gravel, and would include 132 vendor spaces and a 169-space parking lot.

The commission voted 5-2 on the proposal, and set a two-year maximum for the permit to allow the village to re-examine the matter if needed, DeMay said. “I think it’s a good site for it. It’s not in the middle of a residential property,” he said. “I like the fact that it’s just a weekend event, and it’s not an everyday thing. I think some flea markets are pretty successful, and it could grow into something more.”

The flea market would be operated by Anthony Serillo, co-owner of Nick’s Pizza and Pub in Elgin and Crystal Lake. A possible name for the new enterprise is “Lake in the Hills Street Market,” Serillo said.

“We are trying to express something more refined and upscale,” he said. “We would specifically target antiques and higher-end crafts.”

If the village approves the proposal by the end of the month, the flea market could open by late May, Serillo said. “We want to do this as fast as possible,” he said.

Delay said that a flea market is not Plote’s “long-term” vision for the property, but a temporary option in light of the economic recession.

“But maybe it will be a great success and will be there for dozens of years,” DeMay said.