Oak Park Board Meeting Recap

Comcast Project Gets Final Okay:  With no additional debate, trustees by a 6-1 vote formally granted height, density and parking variances so affordable housing could be constructed in the long-vacant Comcast building.  Approval also came with 21 conditions that the Interfaith Housing Development Corp. and the must meet before getting a building permit. The were set by the plan commission, which made its formal recommendation in .

The project, long opposed by neighbors, will provide new housing options for low-income and disabled people;  Catholic Charities will supply a variety of services for residents. More than 10 meetings and hours of testimony and discussion took place from the time that Interfaith and the Housing Authority brought the project to the board in until Monday’s final vote. Trustees first weighed in on the project .

Liquor Laws Could Be Eased: Trustees are looking at several changes to the village’s liquor laws.  New rules that will come back to trustees for final revial and approval later this month would:

• Allow restaurant patrons to buy a drink anywhere in an establishment without ordering food.
• Let theater groups serve liquor during performances and provide more than one packaged-liquor license in every business district.
• Require that 60 percent of a restaurant’s proceeds would have to come from the sale of food.

  were conducted earlier this spring.

Commission to Explore Other Changes: Trustees gave the Liquor Control Review Board the go-ahead to examine other possible changes to village liquor laws. Alterations to be considered include:

• Selling alcohol at restaurants at 9 a.m. on weekends.
• Establishing a new type of liquor license for bed-and-breakfasts.
• Assessing the of a in Oak Park.
• Letting restaurants close their kitchens a couple of hours before establishments as a cost-cutting measure for businesses.
• Requiring employees working at establishments selling alcohol to get BASSET trained.  Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training encourages employees of establishments to serve responsibly and within the law.
• Allowing the serving of alcohol at art galleries and similar establishments. 

It is uncertain when recommendations would come back to trustees for review.

Fine Arts Scholarship Winners Recognized: Five residents from Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park who are looking toward careers in the fine arts each received $1,000 scholarships from the Oak Park Area Arts Council.  Recipients were presented during Monday's meeting. They included:

• Patricia Graf, Forest Park, theater, University of Chicago.
• Lucy Gill, Oak Park, dance, Columbia University.
• Olivia Romano, River Forest, art and design, Loyola University, Chicago.
• Bridget Reinhard, Oak Park, fine arts, The Cooper Union, NY.
• Emmet Wilder, Oak Park, ceramics and geology, Cornell University.           

The awards will be applied toward their freshman year tuition.

Recipients of the Russell C. Lissuzzo Scholarships for architectural students were also announced. They included:

• Bryan Johnson, River Forest, Iowa State University, $1,000.
• Maya Bird-Murphy, Oak Park, Ball State University, $500.
• Mary Kate Cassidy, River Forest, University of Illinois, Urbana, $500.