City of West Chicago, Illinois

Where History and Progress Meet

covid

COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC FULL
CONSENT FORMS AVAILABLE 
FOR THOSE WHO REGISTERED

Skip NavigationMenu
  • About West Chicago
    • America In Bloom
    • Community Profile
    • Demographics
    • Healthy West Chicago
    • History
    • Location
    • Media Center
    • Spirit
    • Welcome Brochure (pdf)
    • Close
  • Residents
    • Services
      • Animal Control
      • Bicycle Lockers
      • Brush Pickup
      • Cemeteries
      • Citywide Collection Event
      • Electric Utiity
      • Garbage & Recycling
      • Hydrant Flushing
      • Lawn Sprinkling
      • Fall Leaf Collection
      • Metra Lot Parking
      • Snow Removal
      • Spring Leaf Collection
      • Water
      • Water and Sewer Billing
      • Yard Waste Collection
    • Communication Channels
      • Annual State of the City Address
      • Blogs
      • City Maps
      • Coffee with the Mayor
      • Community Calendar
      • Forms & Applications
      • News Room
      • Social Media
      • Welcome Brochure
      • Window to West Chicago
    • Elections & Voting
      • Find Your Polling Place
      • Elections & Voting
    • Close
  • Government
    • Elected Officials
      • City Clerk
      • City Council
      • Committees
      • Mayor Ruben Pineda
      • Meeting Minutes & Agendas
      • Transparency Portal
    • Commissions
      • Civil Service Commission
      • Cultural Arts Commission
      • Environmental Commission
      • Historical Preservation Commission
      • Liquor Control/Tobacco Commission
      • Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals
    • City Departments
      • Administration
      • Administrative Services
      • Community Development
      • Police
      • Public Works
    • Municipal Code
      • Code Catalog
      • Property Maintenance Standards
      • FAQs
    • Close
  • Business
    • New Business
      • Why Locate in West Chicago
      • Opening a New Business
      • Assistance and Support
      • Entrepreneur Testimonials
      • Home-based Business Standards
    • Business Help Desk
      • Business Registration Renewal
      • Zoning
      • Permits
      • Specialty Business Licenses
      • Forms and Applications
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Incentive Programs
      • Downtown Grant Program
      • Facade Improvement
      • Sales Tax Sharing
      • Streamlined Development Process
    • Awards and Milestones
      • Marketplace Milestones
    • Close
  • Explore
    • West Chicago Prairie
      • Walking and Biking Trails
    • Family Destinations
      • ARC Center
      • Turtle Splash
      • Wiggly Field Dog Park
      • Sonny Acres
      • The Shell
      • Klein Creek Farm
      • Parks
    • Historic Downtown
      • City Museum
      • Gallery 200
      • West Chicago Public Library
    • Public Art
      • Community Art Banner Exhibits
      • Signa Rotae
      • In This Together
      • Forever Lily
      • WCTU Fountain
    • Special Events
      • Blooming Fest
      • Railroad Days
      • National Night Out
      • Move with the Mayor Virtual Challenge
      • Mexican Independence Day Festival
      • Food Festival
      • Virtual Frosty 5K, Frosty Scavenger Hunt, Frosty House Decorating Contest
    • Close
  • Community Organizations
    • Hospitals
      • Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
      • Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital
    • Religious Organizations
      • Arya Samaj of Chicagoland
      • Church of Christ
      • Community Fellowship
      • Faith Community
      • First United Methodist
      • Glen Arbor Community
      • Nueva Esperanza
      • New Life Bilingual
      • Real Life Church
      • Renewal Church
      • Resurrection Angelican
      • St. Andrew / San Andrés Lutheran
      • St. Mary Catholic
      • St. Michael’s United Church of Christ
      • Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
      • Water’s Edge Bible
      • Willow DuPage
    • Schools
      • Benedictine University
      • Benjamin School District 25
      • College of DuPage
      • Educare West DuPage
      • Elementary School District 33
      • St. Charles School District 303
      • West Chicago High School
      • Wheaton Academy
    • Community Service Groups
      • Access DuPage
      • American Legion Post 300
      • Boy Scout Troop 33
      • DuPage Homeownership Center
      • GardenWorks Project
      • Giving DuPage
      • Neighborhood Food Pantry
      • People Made Visible
      • Prairie Stewardship Group
      • Rotary Club
      • West Chicago Garden Club
      • Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce
    • Government Organizations
      • Dept. of Homeland Security
      • DuPage County
      • Fire Protection District
      • Wayne Township
      • West Chicago Park District
      • West Chicago Public Library
      • Winfield Township
    • Close
  • QUICK LINKS
    • E-Pay
    • Job Opportunities
    • Police News
    • How Do I…?
    • Window to West Chicago
    • Elections & Voting
    • Snow Regulations
    • FOIA Requests
    • Property Maintenance / Code Enforcement Brochure
    • Social Services Resource Guide
    • Welcome Brochure
    • Close

City Responds to Potential Sale of the Cascade Drive-in Property

March 7, 2019 By City of West Chicago

Recent news reports on the future of the Cascade Drive-in, located in West Chicago, have prompted expressions of community sentiment and support for saving the iconic venue, the owner of which has leased the property at 1100 E. North Avenue since 1961. Over the last several years, the property owner has indicated a desire to sell the land, and chose not to renew the Drive-in’s lease when it expired on December 31, 2018.

While many have suggested the City of West Chicago become involved in some way to prevent the loss of the Cascade in our community, this is essentially a private matter between a property owner and a tenant. The City does not have an ownership interest in this property and thus has no legal authority to intervene. If the owner of the land doesn’t wish to renew the lease and/or wishes to sell the land for some other legally permissible use, the City must allow this to occur, regardless of how much City officials would like to see the outdoor theater remain and continue to operate.

The land is currently zoned Estate-Residential and the Comprehensive Plan currently designates it as Commercial.  What this means is that any developer wanting to do more than an acre lot residential subdivision would need to petition the City for another zoning designation. This, in turn, allows the City Council to control the future land use and ensure that a development is complimentary of our community’s character and respects the residential areas and Wheaton Academy to the south.  Some have suggested that the City rezone the land to allow the outdoor theater to remain; zoning is not at issue here and changing the zoning has no bearing on the owner’s desire to sell the land.

The City annexed the Drive-in site, the vacant construction yard to the east and Scooby’s in 2003.  The purpose of this annexation was to control future land use, as these properties were zoned industrial in the County and more intense land uses would be objectionable to the residential areas to the south along Prince Crossing Road.  This decision proved most beneficial when the City indicated to a potential developer that it had no interest in a trucking operation that would have stored over 900 trucks per day, a use that could have been allowed if the land remained unincorporated.

Several people have suggested that the City of West Chicago or another third party declare the Cascade a landmark, which could be legally done if certain criteria are met.  However, even if the City declared it a landmark, it would not require the owner of the land to continue leasing the property for such use.

City officials recognize and appreciate the positive impact the Cascade Drive-in has provided West Chicago residents and visitors. That said, its role is limited to evaluating any future land use requests of the owner and/or interested developer of the land  if the owner chooses not to continue leasing the property for an outdoor theater, and continuing to assist the operator of the Cascade to find an acceptable, financially feasible alternate location in the community.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Business, News Tagged With: Cascade Drive-in

e-Pay logo and link_________________________

West Chicago City Hall
475 Main Street
West Chicago, IL 60185

Phone: 630-293-2200
FAX: 630-293-3028

City Hall Limited Reopening
Beginning Tues. 8/11/20
Tues., Weds., Thurs.: 8:00 am – Noon
The public is required to wear a
mask and practice social distancing
when inside the building.

Full details

REQUEST

  • Business Forms
  • Resident Forms
  • Elections & Voting Info
  • FOIA
  • LexisNexis eCrash
  • Permits and Applications
  • Utility Services
  • Overnight Parking
  • Citizen Online Reporting
  • Vacation Watch

VIEW

  • GIS Maps
  • Job Opportunities
  • Metra Lot Parking
  • Municipal Code
  • Newsletters
  • Transparency Portal
  • Quest Bid System
  • West Chicago on YouTube

STAY UP-TO-DATE

  • Join Our Emailing List
  • Police News
  • Public Works Projects
  • Latest News Releases
  • Blogs
  • Community Calendar (Desktop)
  • Community Calendar (Mobile)
  • Media Center
  • INTERNAL EMAIL

Copyright 2020 © - City of West Chicago, Illinois - All rights reserved - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy - Legal Disclaimer

Site by Technivista