Long Grove debates special-events, filming and noise rules; trustees favor downtown focus and a light touch for private yards

Village staff presented a draft special-events and filming ordinance that would create a predictable process for events that affect public safety, traffic or village services and would add basic parameters for filming and amplified-music limits.

Chris, the presenting staff member, said the draft creates a new code chapter with application requirements, review timelines, insurance and cost recovery for police or public works support. The draft proposes that small events (250 people or fewer) that do not require road or bridge closures may be approved administratively; larger events or those that require infrastructure closures would continue to come to the board. The draft would also set film-production fees by size of crew and a bridge-closure fee when applicable.

Trustees supported clarifying the rules but split on scope. Several trustees recommended focusing initially on the downtown/commercial areas where amplified music and overlapping events have created conflicts. Others urged a lighter touch for private property events, saying private-yard graduations and HOA block parties should not be overburdened with fees or inspections unless they affect public roads or require temporary structures that normally trigger building or fire-department inspections.

Trustees also discussed a proposed decibel threshold for amplified music; staff said a measurable limit helps enforcement but that levels and hours could be adjusted for different zones or for daytime versus evening events. Several trustees asked staff to revise the draft to (1) differentiate downtown/commercial triggers from purely private residential events, (2) consider tiered or reduced fees for small residential productions, and (3) propose practical decibel levels by location.

Staff will return with a revised draft for further discussion and potential action at a future meeting.