PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A wine bar and gambling parlor is one step closer to becoming a reality at a North Peoria shopping center.
However, not everyone’s on board with the idea, especially not residents of the nearby Lake of the Woods subdivision.
The proposed bar/gaming café would occupy the southern end of the Lake of the Woods Plaza and be located fairly close to a bus stop used by Dunlap students. Residents said it’s not appropriate to have the business there given the proximity to the bus stop and because it’s within 500 feet of homes and apartments.
But earlier this month, the Peoria County Zoning Board of Appeals gave it’s okay to the idea, voting 6-0 in favor of the business. On Monday, the county board’s land use committee voted to recommend approval to the full board when it meets on June 8.
Under the county’s rules, the committee couldn’t hear much in the way of new evidence. Rather, it was to consider what the ZBA had done at its earlier meeting and decide based upon that.
Safety was a key issue that many who spoke Monday at the land use committee had with the idea. They are worried that dozens of children who live in the area will be walking or riding bikes near an area where alcohol is being served.
They argued that a previous business in the shopping center, Bernardi’s, which was a restaurant, was different from the proposed business as it was more family oriented than a video-gaming cafe.
The committee did approve the measure with two conditions, that the business not be open past midnight and that it not be allowed to sell tobacco or vaping products.
