Neighbors at odds with Lake Zurich restaurant’s patio proposal
Dan Beelow envisions customers at his Lake Zurich steakhouse seated outside in the summer air, the smell of sizzling grass-fed beef blending with the soft sounds of a three-piece jazz band.
But his proposal to extend the “rustic elegance” of Beelow’s Steakhouse to a large outdoor patio is meeting stiff resistance. Neighbors are adamant about enjoying something different outside their homes this summer: peace and quiet.
“Noise is like smoke and odor — it respects no boundaries,” Marlene Smetana, a Deer Park resident who lives on nearby Inglenook Court, said at a three-hour public hearing Wednesday night.
In the end, the plan commission endorsed the outdoor addition and a special permit for live outdoor entertainment until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The matter heads to the village board for a final vote May 2.
The steakhouse, which opened in November, is in Lake Zurich between a movie theater and a Walker Bros. pancake house on Rand Road near the Deer Park border. The area is heavily commercial, but several homes are within sight — and earshot — of the restaurant.
Residents opposed to the expansion delivered a petition with 113 signatures to plan commissioners. Many expressed concern the din of music and dinner chatter would diminish their tranquillity and disrupt their children’s sleep.
Beelow, whose family has run a cattle and vegetable farm in Mundelein since the 1920s, said his goal is to create a fine-dining ambience. The patio would have seating for 120, with an outdoor bar and kitchen framed by twin fireplaces and cascading waterfalls. A retractable awning-style roof would be used during rainy weather.
While jazz or acoustic groups might play regularly, Beelow said he intends to hire full bands only three times a year for the occasional fundraiser, wedding reception or holiday party.
“This is my first restaurant,” he said. “It’s going really well. I don’t intend to offend anyone.”
Some neighbors were unconvinced.
Smetana said the lure of outdoor drinking would attract “transients and rowdies.” Another woman, citing a study on noise pollution, said live music emits decibel levels on par with a chain saw and suggested prolonged exposure may increase the likelihood of heart attacks and health problems in the neighborhood. Jeff Lange, a real estate agent who lives nearby, warned home values could depreciate by as much as one-fifth.
Many in the crowd said it would only be a matter of time before other restaurants attempt to follow suit.
Beelow’s plans also call for a small, second-floor addition and live entertainment indoors until 1 a.m. on weekends.
Bob Vorachek, the steakhouse’s general manager, said the music would be kept to a low volume.
“There’d probably be no point in time when you’d say, ‘Honey, let’s get up and dance,’” he said.
Plan commissioners voted to recommend restricting patio hours to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 p.m. the rest of the week. Commissioner Jolene Bowling said the restricted hours would strike a balance between neighbors’ concerns and wider demand for outdoor dining.
Commissioner Daniel Luby expressed confidence the steakhouse would not become disruptive, saying, “I have a hard time imagining a rock-out AC/DC cover band with a $38 steak.”