Kane County committee rejects rezoning for small video-gaming bar in Geneva-area strip mall

The Kane County Development Committee on Wednesday rejected a request to rezone a subportion of 4-656 (JW McConaughey Properties LLC) from B3 to B4 to permit on-site sale and consumption of alcohol and video gaming at a vacant 875-square-foot tenant space proposed as “Cafe Parlay.” The motion to approve the rezoning, moved by Commissioner Iqbal and seconded by Commissioner Leonard, failed on a 2-3-1 vote: Iqbal and Commissioner Berman voted yes; Commissioners Doherty, Garcia and Leonard voted no; Chair Richard Williams recorded an abstention.

Supporters, represented at the meeting by Christopher Aiston and the applicant Kyle Lazar, said the site would reuse an existing vacant storefront, add nine parking spaces to an existing 18 (for 27 total) and meet the county parking requirement of 22 spaces for the aggregated uses. Aiston said the tenant would seek state and county liquor licenses and that “in order in the state of Illinois to be entitled to get a video gaming license, you have to have a liquor license.” Lazar estimated the county could receive about $25,000 annually in gaming-tax revenue and noted a $2,500 annual county liquor-license fee if approved.

Opponents and several commissioners cited compatibility and parking concerns. Don Cincus, an adjacent property owner, said the martial-arts studio in the same building serves “97 minor children” and that the existing lot is already overloaded; he said the septic and single well serving the larger site “will never take more bathrooms.” Commissioner Juby (via phone) and others emphasized the zoning-board recommendation: the Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously recommended denial, citing incompatibility with other businesses in the building and parking shortfalls.

County staff and the petitioner disputed some objections. Mark Van Kirkhoff, building and zoning director, said staff recommended limiting any B4 rezone to the single unit rather than rezoning the entire parcel. The petitioner’s representative described circulation and median-related constraints on eastbound ingress and said added parking and other code-required building and plumbing changes would be addressed if the zoning changed. County staff said Geneva had submitted staff-level concerns but had not filed a formal objection that would trigger a three-quarter vote requirement from the county board.

The committee record includes public comments from nearby residents and emails from neighboring municipalities. Committee members asked county finance staff to validate the applicant’s $25,000 gaming-tax estimate; staff said gaming revenue data are publicly available via the Illinois gaming board and could be corroborated. The motion to approve (moved by Iqbal; second Leonard) failed, recorded as: Doherty — no; Garcia — no; Iqbal — yes; Leonard — no; Berman — yes; Williams — abstain.

The applicant may pursue other administrative or zoning options but, as of the committee vote, the county rezone needed to enable on-site alcohol sales and the video-gaming use at this address was not approved.