Straight Story From Roberto's Ristorante?

ELMHURST, IL — The lawyer for Roberto's Ristorante and Pizzeria repeated Monday what he has said before: His client has no plans for a banquet hall.

But neighbors remain unconvinced.

On Monday, the City Council's Development, Planning and Zoning Committee discussed the restaurant's proposal for parking lots, which would be next to a residential neighborhood.

During public input, neighbor after neighbor said the Spring Road restaurant's Plan B was for a banquet hall, which would add even more traffic.

Elmhurst Aldermen Dannee Polomsky and Mark Mulliner listen to public input at Monday's meeting of the Development, Planning and Zoning Committee. Emily Bastedo was connected to the meeting by phone. (David Giuliani/Patch)

Resident Kathy Dungan said a suspected banquet hall was the intention of the application for the parking lots.

"That was the plan all along," she said. "We were not allowed to discuss this plan all along."

Resident Molly Novak noted Roberto's said it doesn't run a banquet hall, yet its website includes a banquet menu.

Attorney Mark Daniel, who represents Elmhurst Neighbors United, which opposes the parking lots, said the restaurant holds banquets. He said Plan B could pave the way for a banquet facility.

But Scott Day, Roberto's attorney, said the restaurant has no plan for a banquet hall. The plan is to expand the "antiquated" kitchen and renovate the restrooms to meet Americans With Disabilities Act requirements.

The restaurant also wants to combine two of its three dining rooms, so it can have a function with more than 50 people, Day said. As it stands, many of its larger events must be divided between two rooms.

In a memo to the city in April, Day said the restaurant had no "secret plan" to convert itself into a banquet hall.

"Rumors of a banquet hall conversion are simply untrue," Day said in the memo. "Such speculation is unfortunate and misleading to Elmhurst residents and Roberto's clientele."

During Monday's meeting, residents expressed concern about flooding. They said the parking lots would add to an already bad situation.

Committee members said they needed to hear from the city's engineer about what the impact on drainage would be with the parking lots.

Throughout the process, Roberto's has contended the parking lots would ease parking congestion in the Spring Road commercial district.

Alderman Mark Mulliner, a committee member, said the lack of parking in the Spring Road area is a problem created by the city.

"Maybe there are things that the city needs to be doing. What should we be doing more of?" he said.

As for drainage, Mulliner said, "We're affecting a huge area that does have significant flooding. I want to make sure we do the right thing."

The committee plans to continue the discussion about the parking lots at its meeting in two weeks.

In May, the Zoning and Planning Commission voted 5-2 for the parking lots, with some conditions. That followed 15 hours of public hearings over several months.

Roberto's Ristorante and Pizzeria, 483 Spring Road, won the Zoning and Planning Commission's approval for parking lots in May. (David Giuliani/Patch)