West Cook News

Several Berwyn citizens attended the public City Council meeting to share their concerns about a particular business in the city.

During the Sept. 13 Berwyn City Council meeting, resident Stephen Taylor was the first to comment on the Blo Room Hookah Lounge establishment. He expressed his concerns over the business and questioned how such a company could ever have been invited into the city. He asked what was being done and what additional steps could be taken to mitigate the problem and encourage the lounge to be a better community neighbor.

Another resident, Audrey Kane, came to the meeting to share some recordings from her home security system. They featured the gunshots that she and her family were woken up by one weekend—shots coming form the Hookah Lounge. She noted that she had spoken with police and they confirmed there were 14 shots fired, and they knew that the business was a problem they often had to deal with.

Fellow Berwyn resident Carrie Scarlotta expressed very similar views on the establishment. She talked about multiple issues that had arisen from the business, with summer nights being disturbed and the two different shootings that had occurred this year. She expressed displeasure with how all of it was being handled in her neighborhood. 

After he had heard the testimony, Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero said that he would wait for more evidence before making any decisions. 

"I will hear the evidence and I will make a decision at that point," the mayor said. "I don't make decisions until I hear the evidence. I know there's a lot out there, but I have to hear what the whole situation is. I know the police are still investigating and they're providing me with information and I will get all that once the investigation is complete."