Village Board Removes Obstacles for New Culver's

ButterBurgers, cheese curds and frozen custard could soon be arriving as village officials paved the way for a new Culver’s Restaurant in Evergreen Park Monday night.  

A unanimously approved ordinance will allow the removal of the adjacent alleys, the demolition of a garage on the property and the changing of residential parking to commercial parking for the property located at 9505 S. Kedzie Avenue. 

Construction for the new Culver’s will begin as soon as the final building plans are approved, which will happen shortly, according to David Sosin, an attorney for the owners of the property. 

Sosin says that the chain restaurant could open its doors as soon as spring 2013. 

Founded in 1984, the Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin-based Culver's has expanded greatly in recent years and today boasts more than 450 franchised restaurants in 19 states. 

Culver’s officials say that their signature ButterBurger is made from fresh (never frozen) Midwestern beef and that their friendly service is based on small-town values. 

Culver’s franchise owners are required to be hands-on restaurateurs. They also are required to spend at least one percent of their annual gross sales on local advertising and promotion. 

Some Culver’s owners go well beyond that and play a highly active role in the community, as detailed on Wauwatosa Patch earlier this month. 

Later Liquor 

In other business news, the board approved extending the liquor licenses of three local businesses for several dates through February 2013. Alcohol will be served until 3 a.m. on those dates instead of 2 a.m. 

Mayor James Sexton said there were conditions attached to the approval, “If there is one problem, they’re all gone. They must police themselves.”

The mayor added that if neighbors complain, the privilege of one extra hour would also be taken away. These were the same stipulations set down last year when the extra hour was granted on select dates. 

While the request was authorized, it was done so by a 5-1 vote, with Trustee Carol Kyle as the lone dissenter. After the meeting she said the 2 a.m. rule was put into effect was because of the problems the village had experienced with later closing times.

“We straightened out all of that, and I want to keep it that way,” Kyle said.  

The request for the additional hour came from Bleeker’s, Barraco’s Pizza and Harte’s Saloon. 

Notable Notes

Clarifying his position on a matter discussed at the Nov. 5 Village Board meeting, Sexton said he is opposed to plans by CSX Transportation to increase, over a five-year period, the number of freight trains that pass through the village each day from four to as many as 23.

He urged residents to contact their state legislators to fight the plan.

“Tell them Evergreen Park doesn’t need more trains,” the mayor added. 

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