GOV, zoning application for Westchester strip club [BV, W]
On Wednesday evening the Village of Broadview will hold hearings into a proposal to open a 24/7 adult entertainment venue (aka strip club) south of the Eisenhower and east of Gardener Road. h/t to Westchester Trustee Rick Fox and Westchester Progressive Party for helping to publicize this story.
Under the earlier entry on this story I drew attention to the fact that the owner, Chicago Joe's Tea Room LLC, is represented by James J. Roche & Associates. Roche is the boss of Emanuel "Chris" Welch, the president of the school board of Proviso Township High Schools.
Someone claiming to be James J. Roche denied that his firm represented strip clubs. Technically, I suppose he has a point. The corporation hasn't become an adult entertainment venue yet, it's just an Illinois corporation.
However, the application to the Village of Broadview seems to show James J. Roche as the attorney. The only contact information provided on the application for the owner is Roche's contact information. And Roche is listed as the agent on the Secretary of State's website for the corporation.
A Proviso Probe source informed me that Burt Odelson is the attorney for the Village of Broadview. Odelson is a partner at Odelson & Sterk. Odelson & Sterk and James J. Roche & Associates find ways to enrich each other. So this looks like a situation where the attorneys are smoothing things out behind the scenes. Everybody can make money.
It seems likely that Broadview Village President Henry Vicenik is nervous about losing control of the board in this election. The Broadview TEA Party is running an opposition slate. While granting permission for a strip club will probably lose Vicenik's candidates some votes it will probably score them some major campaign contributions.
Below are the forms filed with the Village of Broadview so you can evaluate Roche's denials.
BTW, Roche denied that he will be at Wednesday's hearings. But his firm has other lawyers: Welch, Leeann Marie Crow, and Kelly Kathleen Kachmarik. Technically, Roche's law firm could represent the corporation without Roche being present.
Under the earlier entry on this story I drew attention to the fact that the owner, Chicago Joe's Tea Room LLC, is represented by James J. Roche & Associates. Roche is the boss of Emanuel "Chris" Welch, the president of the school board of Proviso Township High Schools.
Someone claiming to be James J. Roche denied that his firm represented strip clubs. Technically, I suppose he has a point. The corporation hasn't become an adult entertainment venue yet, it's just an Illinois corporation.
However, the application to the Village of Broadview seems to show James J. Roche as the attorney. The only contact information provided on the application for the owner is Roche's contact information. And Roche is listed as the agent on the Secretary of State's website for the corporation.
A Proviso Probe source informed me that Burt Odelson is the attorney for the Village of Broadview. Odelson is a partner at Odelson & Sterk. Odelson & Sterk and James J. Roche & Associates find ways to enrich each other. So this looks like a situation where the attorneys are smoothing things out behind the scenes. Everybody can make money.
It seems likely that Broadview Village President Henry Vicenik is nervous about losing control of the board in this election. The Broadview TEA Party is running an opposition slate. While granting permission for a strip club will probably lose Vicenik's candidates some votes it will probably score them some major campaign contributions.
Below are the forms filed with the Village of Broadview so you can evaluate Roche's denials.
BTW, Roche denied that he will be at Wednesday's hearings. But his firm has other lawyers: Welch, Leeann Marie Crow, and Kelly Kathleen Kachmarik. Technically, Roche's law firm could represent the corporation without Roche being present.
Labels: Broadview, Broadview TEA Party, Burt Odelson, Chicago Joe's Tea Room, Emanuel Chris Welch, James Roche, Rick Fox, Westchester Progressive Party, zoning
posted by Carl Nyberg at
9:21 PM
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6 comments
