UPDATE - Sept 15, 3:45 pm: At Monday night's village board meeting, Trustee Mark Kuchler asked that the proposed ordinance repealing a 2000 restriction that prohibited Walgreen's from selling alcoholic beverages at their La Grange store be removed from the omnibus agenda in order to allow discussion of ordinance before a vote.
Kuchler then asked why Walgreen's had been singled out in 2000 for a restriction while two other 24-hour retailers—7-Eleven and White Hen convenience stores—already had been granted licenses to sell beer and wine. At the time Walgreen's was considering a 24-hour operation in La Grange but later opted to close no later than 11 pm.
Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin explained that a typical Walgreen's in those days maintained a large, full service alcoholic beverage department, which included hard liquor. The prohibition resulted from concerns expressed at the time by trustees that such an operation would cause problems.
Walgreen's did not object to the prohibition because it was then in the process of phasing out the sale of alcoholic beverages at its stores nationwide, Benjamin said. Last year, the company reversed that policy and now plans to offer a limited selection of beer and wine in most of its stores.
Village Attorney Mark Burkland noted that the village's liquor ordinances in 2000 were not as tightly constructed as they are today. He said he believed that no retailer, even those open 24 hours, can sell alcohol past 11 pm.
The board subsequently approved the new ordinance repealing the prohibition by a unanimous vote.
Walgreen's wants to sell beer and wine at its La Grange store. But before the nation's largest drugstore chain can apply to the village for a liquor license, the village board of trustees must lift a restriction it imposed on Walgreen's in 2000.
The village board at its regular meeting tonight is expected to amend the ten-year-year-old development plan it approved for the west phase of La Grange Crossings, which includes the Walgreen's store at 2 N La Grange Ave, in order to allow the sale of packaged liquor.
The action is scheduled to be taken under the board's omnibus agenda, which generally is approved without discussion.
A restriction contained in the 2000 development plan states that "no sales of packaged liquor will be allowed at the 24 hour Walgreen's."
While Walgreen's initially anticipated operating the La Grange store on a 24-hour basis, it has never done so.
Walgreen's raised no objection to the restriction at the time, as the company was then in the process of phasing out the sale of alcoholic beverages at most of its stores nationwide.
However, the pharmacy giant last year decided to reverse that policy and has since "reintroduced a limited beer and wine selection in about 3,100 of its roughly 7,500 stores," the Wall Street Journal reported in June.
Walgreen's plans to sell beer and wine in about 5,000 of its stores by the end of this year, but will not offer fortified wines, hard liquor or 40-ounce beers, according to the Journal.
Under the La Grange zoning code, amendments to an approved planned development typically require a hearing before the village plan commission, Village Manager Robert Pilipiszyn said in a written report submitted to trustees.
However, after consulting with Village Attorney Mark Burkland, a decision was made to bypass the plan commission in this instance because "it was determined that matters regarding alcohol sales are public health and safety issues with legislative considerations rather than planning issues," Pilipiszyn said.
Therefore, a hearing before the plan commission is "not necessary," he said.
Pilipiszyn recommends that the village board approve the amendment. He noted that two other retailers within a block of Walgreen's—Trader Joe's grocery store and a 7-Eleven convenience store—currently are licensed to sell beer and wine.
If the restriction is lifted, Walgreen's intends to apply to the village liquor commission for a package license, he said.
Final approval from village trustees is required before any liquor license is granted.