The “no parking” signs installed in the lot behind Eldridge and Eldridge Dental Group may come down as quickly as they went up.
lot north of 1944 Ridge Road,
part of an ongoing dispute
between two downtown
businesses. (Photo by
Eric Crump/HF Chronicle)
The signs, embedded in the parking lot behind the business at 1944 Ridge Road, prompted one resident to voice concern at Tuesday night’s Village Board meeting. “They’re a safety concern,” the man said.
“I agree,” Mayor Richard Hofeld said. “We just became aware of them today.”
Fire Chief Bob Grabowski said village officials will meet with the Eldridges “to address it first thing in the morning.”
Disagreement over access to the parking lot began in February, when Ron Khalaf, owner of nearby Grape & Grain, at 18031 Ridge Road, sought the Eldridges’ permission for trucks to access his craft wine and beer establishment’s rear entrance.
The Eldridges would not permit access. Village officials attempted to help negotiate an agreement between the two business owners, but Hofeld said the village has no official role or recourse in the matter because it is a civil matter regarding the use of private property.
Some Grape & Grain customers who parked in the Eldridge’s lot in the evening last February emerged from the bar to discover their cars had been towed.
Recently, Eldridge requested permission to put a six-foot fence behind Grape & Grain, and the village appearance commission asked him to compromise by installing a shorter fence. Eldridge would not agree, so the commission did not approve his request to erect the fence.