Prairie Creek theater squeaks by

Hoffman Estates trustees Monday night narrowly approved plans for the Prairie Creek Amphitheater.

Experts from Jam Productions succeeded in swaying board members, who were concerned about the noise, traffic and parking issues that would result from the 8,900-seat outdoor music venue proposed for the village's Prairie Stone Business Park, neighboring the Sears Centre on about a 10-acre lot.

Trustees Anna Newell and Gary Pilafas voted against the final site plan, as the board debated late into the night.

Construction on the theater could begin this summer, and it could be finished by the summer of 2009. Originally, it was slated to open around Memorial Day.

Jam would own and operate the $34 million theater. Many feel the venue would fill the void left by the Poplar Creek Music Theater, which was demolished in 1995. Jam President Jerry Michelson said his company had tweaked its plan to satisfy residential noise concerns.

"If you look at those charts, we are in compliance at all the residences with state law," Michelson said. "We have designed to take consideration of all their concerns."

Resident Lisa Longo helped collect 386 signatures in a petition against the theater. About half of them are from outside the village, in unincorporated Cook County. She didn't care if the sound was within state parameters.

"We are going to hear it with the rules or not," she said.

Trustees Cary Collins, Ray Kincaid and Pilafas scrutinized the proposal, questioning Jam's acoustical studies.

"The only way we're going figure this out is when this thing is built and if residents hear it or not," Collins said.

Things got heated when resident Susana Padilla told board members they didn't care about the residents' opinions. Collins warned her she was speaking too loudly, and that he was opposed to the theater but that her outburst may have swayed him.

"Sure, blame me," Padilla said.

Michelson quickly sprung to his feet after Pilafas proposed that the village's arts commission, which Pilafas' wife chairs, have the right of first refusal for its six-date summer concert series on the village green. Pilafas suggested that Jam and the commission avoid booking concerts on the same date to avoid sound and traffic issues.

The arts commission's concerts typically fall on Thursdays, which would take away a summer night from Prairie Creek. Pilafas' motion was not supported.

"It just seems ridiculous to me," Mayor William McLeod said. McLeod sought out Jam to build in Hoffman Estates.

Village sound consultant Tom Thunder attempted to answer residential noise concerns. He said a rock concert that extended past 10 p.m. would likely produce sounds that broke state sound levels. At the same time, he pointed out ambient noise from nearby Interstate 90 already breaks the state level. The state noise limits grow stricter after 10 p.m., dropping about 10 decibels from 71 decibels.

"We're not going to book heavy metal or heavy rap," Michelson said, saying those kind of acts would break state sound standards.

A tearful Heather Koch addressed the board, telling how her frightened daughter would wake up and run to her bedroom at night after hearing thunder.

"My children aren't getting sleep," she said. "You're voting on the quality of our life and our children."

Thunder also detailed a monitoring program, where sound levels would be measured from different points to study the amount of concert noise. Based on those numbers, Jam could make adjustments to ensure the sound complied with state limits. Kincaid supported a more complete monitoring program.

"If they've broken the law, I want to know if we can stop that," he said.

Thunder warned studies would be cost-prohibitive, saying it would cost $5,000 per concert to analyze sound. He suggested the village select the three loudest concerts for monitoring to get the best idea of sound generated.

Though plan commission Chairman Gary Stanton said the parking plan was sufficient, Collins called it "an unmitigated disaster," citing parking overflow problems with the Sears Centre.

"I'd like to see this built; I'm not sure this is the right place for this," Collins said.

The $60 million Sears Centre opened in 2006, thanks in part to a $50 million loan from the village. If Ryan Cos., which owns the arena, defaulted on the loan, the building would be owned by the village. Prairie Creek would join the Sears Centre, Cabela's and a $100 million proposed water park and hotel as part of the village's entertainment district.

Officials from all three have signed documents supporting Prairie Creek, Michelson said. Even Michael Eizenga, representing The Arboretum of South Barrington shopping center, set to open across the street later this year, said it supported Prairie Creek.

Resident Paula Melone said the village needs to focus on making the Sears Centre a success. Village Manager James Norris acknowledged the arena "hasn't performed up to expectations." A few in the crowd felt Prairie Creek would be redundant for the village when it already has the Sears Centre.

Prairie Creek has less than half the capacity of shuttered Poplar Creek and lacks lawn seats. It's about three-fourths enclosed. Norris said there wasn't another parcel within Prairie Stone ideal for the music theater. The business park was originally zoned for 200-foot-tall buildings, Norris said.