A bagel store and eatery in Burr Ridge saw its bid for an awning rejected Monday at the monthly board of trustees meeting and its planter must be moved from a public walkway near the door.
The restaurant, The Great American Bagel, located in the County Line Square shopping area next to the Brookhaven Market grocery store, last approached the board in 2012 seeking permission for an outdoor dining area, which it got.
However, more recently the owner of the shop added an awning and a planter, neither of which got prior planning commission or trustee approval and recently the village’s planning commission brought up concerns the awning violated village code and posed problems for pedestrian access to the public walkway.
Earlier this month, the commission voted 5-2 to approve the awning as is, but village leaders were not so generous and declined to follow suit and they requested the planter be moved from the pedestrian access area.
The commission did acknowledge the awning was bigger than currently allowed dimensions and it relies on two posts to maintain size and shape, posts trustees say interfere with the public walkway.
“It’s already a congested area,” Trustee Guy Franzese pointed out, noting the tables and chairs on the narrow sidewalk already limit pedestrian access and the posts and planter seem to make the situation worse. Franzese wondered if the trustees would approve the items if they didn’t already exist.
Janine Farrell, the village’s development director, said such an awning would usually require board approval as it does violate the village’s access and public walkways ordinance.
“I can’t support this, the way it impedes traffic there,” said Franzese.
Mayor Gary Grasso noted the petitioner — Mike Garber, the owner of the bagel shop — did not show up to the village board meeting to make the case, so he seemed disinclined do any favors for Gerber. Gerber did later show up, after the board voted, and said he misunderstood the start time for the meeting, though by then he was too late to make any difference.
Trustee Russ Smith sided with Franzese and noted the planter seemed to impede wheelchair access in addition to regular pedestrian traffic.
“It just seems like it’s not leaving enough space for the public,” he said.
One member of the planning commission, Deanna McCollian, was on hand to explain that board’s thinking, and she pointed out the planter at least seemed consistent with the look of the shopping center, as other stores displayed sidewalk planters.
But the trustees seemed to agree that the planter, the posts supporting the awning plus the tables presented a cluttered area that, when taken as a whole, left pedestrians at a disadvantage. Franzese pointed out a smaller awning could even be supported by guide wires affixed to the frame of the building and the posts could be removed.
“It doesn’t conform,” Grasso said, noting the awning stretches beyond its private area and into a public space. “Why not make it conform? … Let’s hold Mr. Garber’s feet to the fire. I would recommend denying this, sending it back for compliance and removing that planter.”
Grasso seemed particularly irritated Garber hadn’t bothered to show up.
“They come in, beg for forgiveness, and the petitioner who owns the place isn’t even in the room,” he said.
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The board agreed and voted unanimously to reject the awning approval.
Some minutes after the vote, Garber did show up, but Grasso said the vote had already been cast for the evening, though he told the owner he could submit another request and make his case before the board of trustees at that time and they might reconsider then.
“We can listen to what you have to say, but it’s not going to be reconsidered tonight,” Grasso said.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.