Approval of a liquor license for a new restaurant in Crown Point’s downtown historic district received a cold reception at Monday’s City Council meeting.
Questions swirled if it was in fact legal to allow the owners of the building at 15 N. Court Street, the former site of the Registry bar, to allow a new tenant to use its liquor license. Councilwoman Carol Drasga, R-5th, said she was not comfortable with a building owner lending out its liquor license to a different business operator.
City Council Attorney Pat Schuster added that he wasn’t sure if such an arrangement was legal within the downtown historic district.
“I can’t reconcile this with state statute,” he said.
Representatives for Progressive Dining Group, the owner of the building on Crown Point’s town square, said the proposed restaurant would cater to an upscale clientele, including specialty pizzas in wood-fired ovens. Town officials did not know the name of the proposed restaurant, although it will be owned by the operators of the Social 219 club in Schererville.
Seeking further legal research on the matter, the town council tabled action until its special meeting at 6 p.m. on December 19.
Hidden Lakes development advances
Crown Point took another step toward making the proposed Hidden Lakes development a reality, approving annexation of the land on second reading. Approval on final reading will essentially add as many as 181 single family homes to Crown Point.
The annexation encompasses 113 acres of land in unincorporated Lake County. Once the annexation is complete, the city’s Plan Commission will begin reviewing plans for the development and make its site plan recommendation to the City Council.
The proposed development is located in the vicinity of 12600 Cedar Lake Road, west of the Feather Rock and Hermit Lake subdivisions. Ninety of the 113 acres is buildable land, owned by a White family Lake County land trust.
Home prices will range in price from $375,000 to $750,000 and likely feature two different home styles. The development is expected to be built over a four- to six-year period.
In paving the way for the development on Monday, the City Council approved a resolution on second reading extending sewer and water service to the area.
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
