Controversial Hinsdale Car Repair Shop Approved

HINSDALE, IL – The lawyer for a couple who want to open a car repair shop in Hinsdale said Tuesday they felt unwanted in town.

Their view may have changed later in Tuesday's Village Board meeting.

The board was considering a request by Samir and Ghada Sharabatee to open Hinsdale Discount Tires and Automotive at 5837 S. Madison St.

Neighbors have expressed concerns over the business.

At a meeting last month, Village President Tom Cauley asked for the business to take down an old gas station canopy in front of the building. The building, which the couple would rent, is part of a shopping center.

Their lawyer, Wade Joyner, said Tuesday that the canopy may not be feasible.

"We're the tenant. We feel like we're between a rock and a hard place," Joyner said. "The place was broken into last month. That's what happens to vacant buildings. My clients are starting to feel that Hinsdale doesn't want them here."

Trustee Luke Stifflear said that was not true at all.

"We're interested in maintaining the property and making sure it is representative of the village and not a nuisance to the surrounding properties," he said.

The village got two estimates for taking down the canopy – one for $8,000, the other for $11,200.

Jim Ehrlich, the shopping center's property manager, said the company lacked the money for the canopy work. He asked the village to let the business open and give time for taking down the structure.

Cauley said he just wanted to get the canopy down and that he was open to a delay.

Both sides agreed a year was reasonable. The Village Board voted unanimously for a permit for the business.

The permit includes a number of conditions, such as the requirement for new landscaping.