Burr Ridge Allows Live Music At Restaurants

BURR RIDGE — Indoor live entertainment in restaurants is now permitted in Burr Ridge.

Village trustees voted on Monday to amend the village’s zoning ordinance to define live entertainment and permit it in restaurants and wine boutiques in the village's business districts.

Under previous zoning regulations, restaurants had to get special use permits for live entertainment on their properties. Eight restaurants in Burr Ridge had special use permits for live entertainment.

The village is now defining live entertainment as any musical or theatrical act performed by one or more people. These include karaoke, stand-up comedy, plays and DJ performances.

The amendments also prohibit outside live entertainment. They limit the area for live entertainment to just 10 percent or 100 square feet of an establishment's total space, whichever is less.

During a discussion, Trustee Guy Franzese raised concerns about live entertainment being an accessory use over a special use for restaurants.

He also noted restaurants that have roll-up doors such as Hampton Social. These doors allow customers to feel they’re outside while remaining indoors. His concern was about live music permeating outside these establishments.

However, Franzese told the board he would give the accessory use a try. But he asked the board to revisit the issue if there are noise complaints about the live music. Trustee Anita Mital agreed.

Trustee Al Paveza said the village has no way to eliminate noise from live music completely. He said the board should go with the ordinance as proposed.

“Let’s go with it now and see how it plays out,” Paveza said.

Mayor Gary Grasso said the live entertainment definition was well written and that live entertainment as a permitted use was better than a special use. He called the special use a “rabbit hole” that created many problems with live music in restaurants.

“I think we’ll be done with this problem and this issue and have a very enforceable live entertainment and noise ordinance,” Grasso said.

The live entertainment definition and amendments to the village’s zoning ordinance passed unanimously, with Trustee Tony Schiappa absent.