ALBANY PARK — After hosting a community forum to discuss two proposed businesses in Albany Park, Ald. Deb Mell (33rd) has decided to support a new dry cleaners while continuing to review plans for a pool hall/restaurant.
The dry cleaners would replace an existing laundromat at 4632-4640 N. Kedzie Ave. Residents were most concerned with owner Hassib Blan's request for a zoning change from the B category — small-scale retail neighborhood shopping — to the C-1 category, which is "neighborhood commercial."
Because the business is part of a strip mall owned by Blan, the zoning change would apply to the entire building.
Once the business has been licensed and opened, Mell will request a return to a B3-2 designation consistent with other properties on Kedzie, according to her chief of staff Dana Fritz.
The pool hall/restaurant proposed for 3030 W. Lawrence Ave. — the owners are requesting a liquor license and public place of amusement license — calls for additional review, Fritz wrote in an email.
"Questions regarding the sale of alcohol, hours of operation, security measures, and storefront design and other concerns all require more consideration," he wrote.
In holding the public meeting, Mell told constituents, "This is what I want to see going forward. I want your input about what you want in your neighborhood."
