Bartlett residents raise concerns over proposed wedding venue

Bartlett residents who live close to a proposed all-inclusive wedding venue near Devon and Prospect avenues are concerned the business would create unwanted traffic and pose a threat to neighborhood safety.

Residents voiced their concerns Tuesday during the village board's committee-of-the-whole meeting, and Ashton Gardens President Brad Schreiber fielded questions from village trustees.

Ashton Gardens, a Texas-based company, is proposing to build an on-site 4,500-square-foot chapel and a separate reception building which would allow wedding attendees a quick and easy trip between the two.

"We do well in smaller communities," Schreiber said Tuesday explaining why the company likes Bartlett. "We get better interaction with the city officials, with the residents."

Several residents spoke against the plans, and seven people sent emails to Bartlett Village President Kevin Wallace, citing concerns of increased drunken driving and noise pollution if the village approves the venue.

On-site security would ensure wedding attendees leave the property in a safe manner, Schreiber said, and an eight-foot privacy fence would separate the property from the residential area. The building's walls would stifle noise from a band or DJ.

A traffic study shows that while the wedding venue would increase the amount of vehicles in the area, it wouldn't be enough to have an adverse affect.

Wallace says the village plans to ensure patrons of the business would not park on side streets in the area through the installation of signs and using security personnel to direct patrons away from the neighborhood.

He said any business will increase traffic, but that could also mean more customers for businesses in a strip mall across the street from the proposed wedding venue.

"Most of the concerns residents have are things we as a village can control," Wallace said.

Schreiber says Ashton Gardens would consider establishing an off-site parking lot for overflow. Out of about 800 weddings at Ashton Gardens' other locations in Texas and Georgia, they've probably used overflow parking once, Schreiber said.

Bartlett resident Eric Shipman asked what happens if the business fails.

"Then we have this big, vacant chapel in the middle of a residential neighborhood to be used for what," Shipman questioned. "We can't fill the Dominick's store; we can't fill other retail space."

Some trustees and residents are also concerned Ashton Gardens would compete with the village-owned Bartlett Hills Golf Course and Villa Olivia for hosting weddings.

"There's going to be some competition," Schreiber said. "There has to be."

Wallace adds that Ashton Gardens would attract a "much higher-end" client than those who typically use Bartlett Hills or Villa Olivia. The average cost for a reception at Ashton Gardens is about $115 per person, Schreiber said. Bartlett Hills lists entree options ranging in base price from $59 to $74.

Moving forward, Wallace said Bartlett will ask Ashton Gardens to prove that noise will not be an issue, ensure that safety will never be an issue and find a way to end events earlier.

An Aug. 11 public hearing is scheduled on the proposal, and it will go to the zoning board of appeals in September. The proposal is expected to come back to the board at end of September.