School of Rock Gets Hinsdale Plan Commission Approval

The Plan Commission voted 4-1 at a public hearing Wednesday night to approve a text amendment to the village's zoning code that would allow School of Rock to move into the second floor at 116-118 S. Washington St. and give the one-on-one rock music lessons it has become known for at 72 locations nationwide, including one in Naperville. 

Denise Dills, the Hinsdale resident who owns the Naperville franchise, has agreed to purchase the Washington property on the condition that the zoning amendment gets village approval.

The text amendment would allow for the establishment of a music tutoring service in the B-2 district in downtown Hinsdale with a special use permit, which School of Rock is applying for. 

Of the five commission members present Wednesday, all but Julie Crnovich voted in favor of the amendment and the granting of the special use permit. During discussion, Crnovich wondered if it would be more appropriate to locate the school in the O-2 district of downtown, which includes Grant Square, where music schools are already permitted. 

In response, lawyer Peter Coules, who spoke on behalf of Dills during the public hearing, said the Washington property's vacancy—which he said has been ongoing for more than two years—as well as its proximity to  made it the best option.

Hinsdale director of economic development Timothy Scott agreed, calling the location "a natural fit."

Crnovich also inquired about the school's soundproofing. Coules said School of Rock puts "sound-baffling" materials around the windows and on the buildings walls, floors, and doors. It's in the school's best interest to be soundproofed, he said, so that multiple students can be taught at the same time.

School of Rock CEO Chris Catalano, also a Hinsdale resident, said the building is perfect for the school because it's freestanding and is not adjoined to any neighbors. Catalano said the school tries to avoid strip malls and any other locations where walls are shared with neighbors.

According to Coules, neighboring businesses know about the school's possible arrival.

"We haven't heard a single negative comment yet," Coules said.

Last spring, Patch reported that Dills was in talks to purchase a building in Clarendon Hills for the new School of Rock location. Dills said Wednesday night that she did not feel the building owner in Clarendon Hills was serious about selling and Dills is happy to be in Hinsdale, where she originally hoped to locate the school.

"We’d be so excited," Dills said. "It’s our hometown." 

Catalano said School of Rock is meant to inspire kids "to rock on stage and in life," and he said the school takes the second part very seriously.

"We’re as much about teaching kids teamwork and teaching kids self-confidence through performance as we are about teaching them instrumentation," Catalano said.

Denise Dills' daughter, Anne Dills, will run the operations of the Hinsdale school as she currently does in Naperville. Coules said the space will be divided into seven different rooms and there will be between one and 15 students at the school at any given time.

According to Coules, School of Rock teaches students age 7 to 18, but most students tend to trend younger.