UPDATE: Non-Alcoholic Bar to Open This Week
The Other Side will be located at 93 East Berkshire Drive, Unit G, in Crystal Lake.
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Updated: 11 a.m. on April 22, 2013
The Other Side, a non-alcoholic nightclub in Crystal Lake, plans to open on April 27, according to the club's website.
The grand opening is scheduled for 8 p.m. and owners are putting the finishing touches on the area's first non-alcoholic bar.
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Updated: 11 p.m. Nov. 4, 2012
The Crystal Lake City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a use variation and a special use permit for "The Other Side," a non-alcoholic nightclub.
The club will be located in the warehouse area of tenant space at 93 E. Berkshire Dr.- Unit G, in Crystal Lake.
The council approved the measure without discussion, or any opposition from the public.
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Originial Article: 5 a.m. Nov. 4, 2012
Non-drinkers and people recovering from substance addiction may soon have a nightclub where they can meet, listen to live music and enjoy a "dry" social environment.
A proposal for "The Other Side" will be considered by the Crystal Lake City Council during its regularly scheduled meeting tonight.
Council members are expected to vote on a recommendation by the city's Planning and Zoning Commission to adopt an ordinance granting a use variation and special use permit to allow the nightclub at 93 E. Berkshire Dr. - Unit G.
The multi-use building, located near Berkshire and Main Street, presently is occupied by JT's Frames, The North Wall, Dobry Personal Trainer, Creative Services, In Sync Systems and Crystal Lake Massage Therapy.
Plans reviewed by the PZC described "The Other Side" as a "nightclub without alcoholic beverages."
Currently, a construction company uses the front tenant space for its business office during normal office hours. The site's warehouse - in the back area - is where the nightclub will operate, plans stated.
Plans call for hosting "a larger party once a month" where bands perform. No more than 150 people will be present at the parties, proposed plans state. No food will be prepared on-site; only pre-packaged food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Patrons must be 18 years old to enter the club, and the petitioner told PZ commissioners employees would check to ensure guests did not bring in alcohol.
Eventually, the petitioner would like to open a permanent facilty in the future that would be open for every day of the week, plans state.
Roger Brock
10:03 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I use to work for a developer in Palatine and we leased space for one of these alcohol free nihgt clubs. The majority of customers were 18 - 21 and many under 18 too. Even though the age limit was 18 the people checking i.d.'s were letting in younger people. The problem was they were drinking, doing drugs and fighting etc in the parking lot and then they would come into the place or they would smuggle booze into the place. The parking lot was consistently littered with a great quantity of beer bottles, booze bottles etc. After one such altercation I was talking to a policeman and he told me that for a non-alcohol serving establishment that they had more calls on this place than any other in Palatine. If I were on the council, I would vote NO.
jeff
1:45 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
It wont last anyway because there is no $ to be made.
Gwyn Eggestein
2:53 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
This is a wonderful idea. I hope it does well.