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East Dundee board weighs inspections, engineering and new rules for downtown dining tents
Summary
After long-standing downtown dining tents raised fire-safety and code concerns, the board directed staff to require reapplication and inspections and to draft objective criteria for a possible new dining-structure category; trustees discussed 60/90/180-day extension timing and engineer certification at owners' cost.
At its July 6 meeting, the East Dundee Village Board scrutinized two long-standing downtown dining tents and considered how to bring temporary structures into consistent compliance with fire, building and zoning codes.
The village's fire inspector told trustees the primary issues are life-safety loads (live, dead, snow, wind), electrical hazards from extension cords and unknown structural connections. "That's an engineer's job," the inspector said, urging structural documentation and annual or periodic inspections if tents remain in place longer than the code's temporary-permit window.
Trustees and staff said the village currently issues temporary permits that expire after 180 days; some downtown tents have been extended repeatedly for years. Board members discussed several possible steps: require restaurants that want longer use to reapply now and provide objective, engineer-certified proof the structure meets snow and wind load requirements; condition a short extension (60 or 90 days) on obtaining an inspection and documentation; or create a new "dining tent" special-use category with clear, enforceable criteria.
Several trustees emphasized balancing small-business needs and public safety. One trustee urged a path that avoids unduly burdening seasonal outdoor dining while ensuring consistent enforcement: "If they want [an extension], they should show us structural and fire-retardant documentation at their cost," the trustee said. The board directed staff to prepare a resolution for the next meeting to grant an interim extension (conditional on inspection/documentation) and also to draft objective permit criteria for a permanent policy.
What's next: The village will ask current tent owners to reapply immediately for a short, conditional extension; staff will draft objective inspection criteria and sample ordinance language for board review.
