The La Grange board of trustees tonight will discuss possible courses of action the village might take in the event a lawsuit arises over its efforts to stop a pawn shop from opening this month in the downtown business district.
Village officials have closed the session to the public, citing an exception to the Illinois Open Meetings Act that allows discussion of "probable or imminent litigation" to be conducted in private. However, the closed session must be convened from within an open meeting of the board, and any action that may result from the closed session must also be conducted in public session.
Andy Grayson, a pawnbroker who in May was issued a business license by the village to open a resale jewelry and pawn shop in a storefront next to Village Hall formerly occupied by Hollywood Video, declined to comment on whether he was planning any legal action if the village attempted to prevent his shop from opening later this month. But Grayson did say he believed that the village's reason for holding the closed session was valid.
Grayson said village officials were enthusiastic about his plans when granting him the business license. Village officials said they had no choice but to issue the license because pawn shops currently are a permitted commercial use under the village's zoning code.
But last month the village embarked on a "review" of permitted and special uses in the central business district after several business owners and residents raised a ruckus over the planned pawn shop.
The village planning department and attorney then hastily prepared several amendments to the zoning code that would prohibit pawn shops and a handful of other uses, including retail sales of firearms, swimming pools and large quantities of ice.
A public hearing on the amendments was conducted June 29 by the village plan commission, which subsequently and unanimously recommended that the board adopt most of the amendments as presented, including the one outlawing pawn shops.
The meeting was attended by nearly 100 citizens. Not one resident or business owner who spoke favored the pawn shop. But some said Grayson should be compensated for money he already has spent preparing his shop.
The board of trustees will formally consider the plan commission's recommendation at its July 13 regular meeting.
Village officials have said it is unclear what affect any new restrictions might have on the pawn shop's planned opening.
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