Neighbors object to plans for outdoor stage at Mundelein bar
After complaints from nearby residents, a request to allow outdoor musical performances at a Mundelein bar has been put on hold to allow further discussion.
Operators of The Original Sundance Saloon, 2061 W. Maple Ave., want to host bands on a patio being built on the bar's north side. The business advertises live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
But residents in the nearby Grand Dominion development, which caters to people who are 55 or older, object to the proposal, saying music at the venue has been too loud and disruptive.
Residents also are worried about a lack of specific operating hours in the bar's proposal for the outdoor area, the impact an outdoor venue would have on traffic and other issues.
"We have some very serious concerns about the expansion of this venue and its impact on our residents," Pam Navarre, president of the Grand Dominion homeowners association, told the village board during its meeting Monday night at village hall.
Emails from other Grand Dominion residents were read into the record Monday night, and one resident complained live via telephone.
Officials also received 170 emails from people against the plan, Mayor Steve Lentz said. They got one in favor of it, he said.
For the project to move forward, the saloon needs a special use permit for outdoor live entertainment from the board. Sundance representatives Angie and Bob Carlsen defended their plan to the board.
Bob Carlsen said some of the comments from critics were inaccurate or "boldfaced lies." He admitted noise from an outdoor event held in 2019 was unacceptably loud but said events held this year have been quieter because of changes to the performance space.
Carlsen said he used a sound level meter in the neighborhood during recent performances and found it comparable to regular street noise.
While acknowledging the sound level readings, Trustee Erich Schwenk was troubled that any noise from the saloon was audible in the neighborhood.
"When it's not ambient background noise, it becomes more of a nuisance," he said.
Trustees eventually opted to table a vote on the requested permit so representatives from the saloon, Grand Dominion and village hall could have more time to discuss a mutually acceptable compromise.
"There's a balance between your needs and their needs," Trustee Kerston Russell said. "We have to find that balance."
No date was set for the plan's return to the board agenda.