As Slammers Looks to Expand, Village Officials Discuss Al Fresco Dining Regulations

The state's smoke-free law and a local leash ordinance were among topics discussed by the during a commitee of the whole meeting Monday night.

A request by , 1243 State St., to enlarge outdoor seating and expand into the empty Wine Emporium building led to the discussion of outdoor dining, smoking and village guidelines for al fresco dining.

Slammers’ plan for having an area for banquets and scheduling live music on the weekends is in preliminary stages, and questions about liquor licenses and a revised annexation agreement have to be addressed.

“Looks like [Slammers] wants to do a very nice job of it,” Mayor Brian Reaves said.

Reaves added, however, that if Slammers is approved, other restaurants are sure to ask for outdoor space.

“We’re not consistent now,” Reaves said. "At , you have to be in a cage. has 27 tables. We gave the ability for a customer to take a bottle and two glasses outside.”

, 107 Stephen St., which has four tables in front, was the first restaurant in Lemont to be approved for an outdoor space.

James Brown, planning and economic development director for Lemont, said the village should revisit the rules “and treat everyone equitably.”

Besides the logistics of setting out tables but still preserving the public right-of-way, officials noted that smoking occurs in violation of state law at nearly every one of the restaurants’ outdoor areas.

“We don’t enforce it,” Reaves said.

Smokers must be 15 feet away from food service. Liquor in Lemont can be served only where food is available.

“I don’t think restaurants should be putting out ashtrays [on outdoor tables]," trustee Debby Blatzer said.

Reaves directed village staff to draft a letter to restaurant owners and enclose a copy of the village and state laws regarding smoking.

“Outdoor cafes can’t have a smoking section,” Reaves said.

In the dog matter, Police Chief Kevin Shaughnessy told the board that complaints about dogs off leash have increased, especially since the township created a dog park.

Residents feel threatened when they see what looks like a mean dog wandering around, Shaughnessy said.

Besides the leash requirement, the village code will be amended to remove a section that says voice commands are sufficient in determining whether a dog is under control.

Reaves asked if police are supposed to write tickets on property, such as athletic fields, where many signs say no dogs yet many dogs
are present.

Reaves was advised that because the rule is the park district’s, village police can write tickets only if called by park district officials, and the ticket would be for trespassing, not violation of the dog ban.

In another police matter, village officials supported the idea of a contract with a company that will install telephones in jail cells and the holding area in the department.

When an inmate wants to make a phone call, “we have to pass the phone through or bring the person out,” Shaughnessy said.

Inmates will pay for the collect calls and a quarter of the proceeds will come back  to the .