'Attractive Nuisance' In Clarendon Hills

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills rejected a drive-thru for a proposed Dunkin' Donuts last summer. But the developer still had the right to build the restaurant.

In an email to Patch on Wednesday, Mike Kaspar of Hinsdale-based developer KrohVan said, "Dunkin' is out."

He said nothing else was in the works on the property.

Clarendon Hills has identified numerous code issues at the old Tracy's Tavern site at the southwest corner of 55th Street and Western Avenue. (Google Maps)

In another way, the property at the southwest corner of 55th Street and Western Avenue has drawn the village's attention.

It is the site of the old Tracy's Tavern, which closed a few years ago.

In September, the village informed owner Dan Aleksic in a letter that it conducted a "comprehensive" exterior inspection of the property and found code violations.

"Would you be better suited to demolish all three structures versus spending a lot of money trying to bring those structures back up to code as you move forward with the development of this site?" the village's code enforcement officer, David Godek, asked.

The violations, Godek said, show years of neglect and deterioration of the buildings and parking lot.

"This has become an attractive nuisance and a general blight to the neighborhood that we need to get corrected," Godek said.

An attractive nuisance is one that draws children to a property with safety issues.

The property is made up of three parcels, containing the old bar, a garage and a house.

According to the village, the alleged violations include:

• Signs: Signage of an abandoned business must be removed.
• Front steps and walkway: The front steps are weathered and coming apart. The walkway on the east side is uneven.
• Tall grasses and weeds: Such vegetation must not exceed 8 inches.
• Parking lot: It is in bad condition.
• Roof and drainage: Roof and eve damage was observed on the buildings as a result of being weathered over the years.
• Outdoor storage: Several items were found around the garage. Such storage is not allowed.
• Trailer: A trailer was next to the garage. The storage of trailers is not allowed in a commercial zone.
• Surfaces: The buildings have peeling paint. A back door has a hole.
• Sanitation: Mold can be smelled from one of the buildings.

In an October email to Aleksic, Godek said the village would like to see all three structures, foundations and parking lots removed to create a large clear piece of land.

Godek said the village would like that work done by next spring.

"These three structures have a lot of property maintenance violations and demolishing them would alleviate the violations," Godek said.

Godek referred Patch's questions to his supervisor, Jonathan Mendel, the village's community development director. Patch left a message for comment.

Aleksic couldn't be reached for comment.

In an email to Patch, Clarendon Hills resident Romas Rupinskas, who lives near the Tracy's Tavern site, praised Aleksic.

"He has been a good neighbor to the Reserves taking care of (a) fallen tree and other issues that have come up in a timely manner," Rupinskas said.