Beach Park pawn shop proposal under review

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Updated: April 3, 2012 1:57AM

BEACH PARK — A resident has proposed to open a combination furniture store and pawn shop in the Gladstone Plaza shopping center at the southeast corner of Wadsworth Road and Lewis Avenue.

Ibrahim Safi of Beach Park approached planning and zoning officials in December who recommended approving a conditional use for the pawn shop.

The issue was tabled at last month’s Village Board meeting and officials instructed Village Attorney Rudy Magna to prepare an ordinance mirroring one in Elgin. After review of the ordinance, the board could vote on the pawn shop at its next regular meeting set for Feb. 9.

According to officials, the new village ordinance would be more stringent than the state ordinance on pawn shops.

The pawn shop would be located next to a hair salon in a vacant 4,000-square-foot store at the southern end of the strip mall. The store previously housed a rental equipment business.

Trustee Linda Sittig said after reviewing a packet of information given to trustees about pawn shops, she found “the cons outweigh the pros”.

“I just feel a pawn shop doesn’t fit as far as our rural spirit is concerned,” said, adding sales tax revenue is likely not to amount to much.

Trustee Regina Miller said she is concerned about having a pawn shop “which is why I’m not supporting that type of business”. “My primary reason is they don’t contribute much in tax dollars,” she said.

Miller noted another concern is that allowing a pawn shop could open the doors to other similar businesses, like payday loan establishments. “I’d like to see Beach Park have other businesses than those types,” she said.

A third concern and a very important factor said Miller is the fact that this pawn shop may be in too close of proximity to a grade school.

“It’s right down the road from Kenneth Murphy (Elementary),” said Miller. “And we haven’t yet established clear cut parameters for schools nearby.”

Trustee Mark Ottersen said the store site eyed by the pawn shop owner has been vacant for quite some time. “Even a pawn shop is better than a vacant store,” he said.

Resident Kevin McGaughey said he wouldn’t be against a pawn shop in town, as long as it meets village requirements and taxes are paid.

“My feelings are if he’s operating properly and reporting stolen goods to the police, I don’t see a problem with it. I don’t want to stop anyone from making their piece of the pie, and I wouldn’t want anyone stopping me from making my piece of the pie, either,” said McGaughey.

His neighbor, Kris Stanonik, agreed. “The old idea that (pawn shops) are all sleazy places is not necessarily true anymore. There are more regulations now than there used to be,” he said.