The La Grange Village Board Monday unanimously approved special event status for the La Grange Business Association to hold its annual carnival.
But it did so after criticism from some business owners for problems caused for their establishments.
“This has my vote to go forward this year,” Trustee Beth Augustine said after introducing and reading the application for Special Use, but then asked for more discussion on the issue.
“I’m concerned with harming the businesses,” she said, also asking if there was “any room in the near future to consider looking at other locations.”
Augustine did note that there were many business owners that felt “while it was not good for their businesses, it was good for La Grange,” and others who said it was an “important event for their business.”
Augustine read a letter from Kevin Mulryan, owner of the nearby Mak’s House at 46 S. La Grange Road, that called for moving the carnival away from its usual home on Harris Avenue west of La Grange Road.
The letter read that Mulryan “does not support the La Grange Carnival at its current location” and said it had too many problems with customers leaving with drinks — which is allowed in adjacent areas for the weekend — with one situation that escalated into a fistfight.
Mulryan also criticized LGBA, saying that “it does what it wants when it wants.”
During public comment, Dan Spain, owner of the Elm Restaurant, 23 W. Harris, expressed concern about the size of the event and safety.
“It’s right out in front of my business,” he said.
Spain also said that as a former Board member of LGBA, he was “disappointed” with the way LGBA presented the facts, and was worried about safety and the effects on businesses in the critical first week of summer.
LGBA Board President Stephanie Posey responded with LGBA’s perspective, bristling at the idea that the process to hold the carnival at its usual location “somehow lacked transparency” and referenced a February public meeting at Palmer Place Restaurant attended by many in the business community.
She also noted that the board of LGBA had made efforts to “mitigate the impact” of the carnival, pointing to some changes in ride locations and finding 75 additional parking spaces by working with Chase Bank and the AT&T store.
But Posey said that “it just wasn’t feasible” to move the event from its historic location.
She said that LGBA had explored several different alternative spots, giving the example of Gordon Park not being available at that time because of planned Park District programming, stressing that the Board had made a “well-reasoned decision” after input from the community.
The Carnival, a fixture in La Grange for more than three decades, will run June 2- 4 and coincide with the La Grange Pet Parade held June 3.
The event will be on Harris Avenue between La Grange Road and Ashland Avenue — closing Harris — and will be staged at Village Parking Lots 3, 4, and 8, located along Harris.
LGBA has made arrangements with Cossitt School to use the school’s playground for event parking.
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The next La Grange Board of Trustees meeting will be 7:30 p.m. April 24 at the La Grange Village Hall, 53 S. La Grange Road.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.