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Politics & Government

Village, Deli In a Pickle Over Zoning

Cook County Board of Commissioners to make final decision at June 1 meeting.

The zoning approval of a delicatessen should be among the least controversial political processes.

Yet the approval of a delicatessen in unincorporated Lemont has turned into a political soap opera and the Cook County Board meeting on May 3,  when it was approved, was only one chess move in this political story.

The zoning approval for an ethnic delicatessen on State Street in unincorporated Lemont came up for a vote in front of the Building and Zoning Committee. Because the area is unincorporated, it is the responsibility of Cook County to approve zoning.

According to Jim Brown, planner for the village of Lemont, the ownership group originally approached the village looking for Lemont to annex the land and approve the delicatessen. Brown said the project wouldn't meet some of the village's more stringent building safety requirements.

"He didn't want to meet our architectural standards, building standards, and he cut down two trees,” Brown said.

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The village refused to issue zoning approval.

Instead, Brown said, the delicatessen simply remained in unincorporated Lemont and approached the Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals.

Lemont rendered its objection throughout the process. Rose Yates, executive assistant for the village, says that although the delicatessen falls outside the village's legal jurisdiction it falls within its "planning jurisdiction."

Brown explained that the state requires each municipality to produce urban planning guidelines for areas that include that which immediately surround the municipality.

Over the objection of the village, the board of appeals issued its recommendation to approve the zoning for the delicatessen.

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The building and zoning committee usually cedes to the appeals board but Liz Gorman, the Cook County commissioner who represents the 17th District which includes Lemont, objected.

"I sided with the village of Lemont," she said.

Hearing the concerns of the people in Lemont, Gorman voted with her constituency. Deborah Sims, commissioner in the 4th District, sided with Gorman, ceding to her constituency. Matt Schneider, commissioner in the 6th District, also sided with Gorman.

The rest of the board was not swayed, however, and voted to approve the zoning. At the last minute, Gorman changed her vote with Sims following, leaving Schneider as the only no vote.

"All I can tell you is Tim Schneider voted no," said Jim Clerk, Schneider's chief of staff of the last-minute drama.

Gorman explained that her last-minute change was strictly procedural. By being on the winning side, Gorman has the ability to bring up the matter again she said.

Both Sapho Sukru of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the office of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle declined comment for this story.

Sukru would only say, "I'd rather you speak to Jessey [Neves spokeswoman for Preckwinkle]." Neves didn't return an email and phone call for comment.

When the issue was brought up again by Gorman at the next hearing Tuesday, she initially attempted to get the zoning denied.

John Pikarski, a zoning lawyer who represents the deli, pointed out that the deli would project to bring in about $3,500 monthly in sales tax revenue and about $45,000 yearly in property tax revenue all to Cook County. He also pointed out that deli complied with all county zoning requirements.

Pikarski summed up his feelings toward Lemont when he asked rhetorically, "whether or not the village of Lemont is going to be able to extort an annexation from my client?"

Thw charge was denied by Brown, who argued that Lemont was only looking for the delicatessen to meet the village's more stringent zoning requirements.

A contentious vote seemed inevitable but then Commissioner Pete Silvestri proposed a compromise. Silvestri suggested deferring the vote until the next board meeting June 1 and have both parties sit down and work out a compromise.

Sims concurred: "I believe we should give you the opportunity to work things out".

The compromise passed with nine yeas, three nays, three voting present and two absent. Despite the contentious meeting, the two parties indicated they would sit down and attempt to hammer out a compromise prior to the June 1 meeting.

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