Sky Zone Files Appeal To Stay In Orland: Will It Bounce Back?

ORLAND PARK, IL — Will Sky Zone bounce back? It's trying to. The trampoline park filed an appeal to the Village of Orland Park's Board of Trustees on Monday, and will now have the chance to reverse its license removal.

The business had 10 days to file an appeal to the board, before Village Manager George Koczwara's Dec. 18 decision to revoke its license became final. Orland Park said there is no date set for a hearing yet, and the village does not have an anticipated time frame of when it might happen, as of now. To file an appeal to the board, a written notice under oath with information regarding why needed to be submitted, so a time and place for the hearing can be set.

On Sept. 12, a fight occurred inside the recreational facility, 66 Orland Square, Orland Park. Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau told Patch 842 people, plus staff members were in the facility when police arrived. Sky Zone's maximum capacity is approximately 682 people.

The trampoline park was hosting a lock-in event, which Patch previously reported various Sky Zones across the country were no longer hosting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Orland conducted private hearings to take a look at evidence and consider possibly revoking or suspending its license. The hearings took place on Sept. 30, Oct. 6 and Oct. 16, according to the village. Testimonies of 10 village-called witnesses and two witnesses called by Sky Zone were included. The village said that within the testimonies there were multiple and repetitive reports of concern regarding the safety and welfare of attendees at Sky Zone that night.

In a Dec. 18 news release, the village announced Sky Zone's business licenses was revoked by Koczwara. "An entertainment business whose sole business model is to attract children into its indoor park is particularly responsible because children at this young age are not able to protect themselves from harm," Koczwara said in the release.

Koczwara called the incident a nuisance and said the business disregarded the safety of the minors both inside and outside the facility. The village manager said the overcrowded park has a floor plan that has obstacles to egress in the event of an emergency — such as this one — that lead to children being evacuated late at night, without knowing each child got a ride home.

The village said Sky Zone's regional manager testified her opinion, saying the trampoline park and its employees "did everything correctly and followed the correct protocol to keep the patrons and the employees safe." Koczwara disagreed, calling it "an alarming and dangerous corporate perspective."

After completing a review and deliberating, Koczwara ordered Sky Zone Orland Park's business license to be revoked, in connection with the Suspension, Revocation and Appeal section of the Village Code. It is now going to be in the hands of the village board to determine what happens next.

Orland said Sky Zone can petition the village for reinstatement of its business license 90 days after the business is closed, and the license is officially revoked.

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