A ban on smoking in Oak Park restaurants, offices and other public places likely will be approved next month.
The Village Board on Tuesday sent the proposed indoor clean-air ordinance back to a panel of smoking-ban advocates, health officials and restaurateurs for a final tweaking. But the issue again will come before the board on May 1 when it is expected to be approved.
As currently proposed, the ban would go into effect July 1 in most public places. Restaurants with a smoking area on a separate floor from non-smoking sections will have until March 1, 2007 to become completely smoke-free.
Fines range from $50 to $500. Still up for debate is how close to the front door people will be allowed to smoke. Some are suggesting 5 feet from the door, but others would like to see a greater distance.
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Also Tuesday, the Village Board agreed to buy a downtown building from the Taxman Corp. for the second time this year.
The board agreed to negotiate the sale for $2.55 million. The parcel, at 1145 Westgate St., is in the future redevelopment of the “super block” bounded by Harlem Avenue, Lake Street, Marion Street and North Boulevard.
The final contract and sale of bonds to fund the purchase are expected to be approved in weeks, with a possible closing date as early as mid-May.
The scenario is similar to when the board approved the $5 million purchase of the Colt Building on Lake Street in February. In that case, however, a 5-year-old agreement required the village to buy back the building from the Taxman Corp. if an agreement could not be reached on redeveloping the property.
The developers wanted to tear down the Colt Building. The Village Board opted to save the building with hopes of returning it to its 1930s-era arcade style of shops.
The Taxman Corp. then offered to sell the Westgate property to the village too.