Arlington Heights Residents Ignored Again

It seems the Arlington Heights Village Board has come up with a new way to attract business to the village. Here is how it works:

The owner of Japan Auto Sales, Mr. Mantis, at 934 S. Arlington Heights Road also owns the adjoining lot at 110 E. Central Rd. That adjoining lot was zoned Office Transitional and has been long vacant. Office Transitional zoning is designed to be a buffer between commercial development and residential. 

Unfortunately Mr. Mantis has been unable to lease that property since the florist shop left there about 10 years ago. Then in May YMA Taekwondo & Krav Maga, a martial arts studio opened for business and serves about 70 students. The only problem is that a Taekwondo studio is not zoned for Office Transitional.

This naturally upset residents that live nearby such as Mr. Charles Wilk, of the 900 Block of South Evergreen. He questioned the board as to why the village would allow the martial arts studio to open without the proper zoning variations.

So on September 6th, four months after the Taekwondo studio opened, the board voted to approve a zoning variance from Office Transitional to Recreational/Commercial that would allow the studio to operate. According to President Hayes there was some confusion that lead Ms. Eva Skordilis, Mr. Mantis' daughter to believe that she could lease the property to the Takwondo studio. 

President Hayes said that really all this was fortunate. Because we were able to see the business operate and that it would not adversely impact the neighborhood before changing the zoning variation. He described the snafu as 'an innocent mistake'.

So once again the residents lose and business gets preferential treatment.

So I guess just open a business without the proper zoning variance. Then if no one complains the board will change the zoning variation to fit what ever business you decided to open.

Minor things such as operating illegally under improper zoning is just an "innocent mistake". Unless of course you decide to collect a petition for a term limit question to be put on the ballot. Then if you do not precisely word that proposition it is not "an innocent mistake". That proposition is removed from the ballot by the village Electoral Board, with President Hayes as chairman.