Sky Zone sues over license revocation
Orland Park pulled business permit over incident
Sky Zone Trampoline Park has filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court seeking to reverse Orland Park’s decision to revoke its business license following a Sept. 12 incident that drew a heavy police response.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park has filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court seeking to reverse Orland Park’s decision to revoke its business license following a Sept. 12 incident that drew a heavy police response.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, and Judge Eve Reilly approved an agreement between Sky Zone and the village allowing the business to remain open, with restrictions, pending an outcome in court.
The Orland Park Village Board voted unanimously Monday to uphold a Dec. 17 decision to revoke the license.
An appeal hearing had been held before the board on Feb. 22.
Sky Zone, 66 Orland Square Drive, just east of Orland Square mall, had been allowed to remain open pending its appeal to the Village Board.
Orland Park’s mayor and trustees are named as defendants in the lawsuit along with George Koczwara, the village manager who was hearing officer and made the initial ruling to pull Sky Zone’s license.
“The penalty is too severe in light of the violation and the lawful history of this establishment,” the lawsuit states.
Dozens of Orland Park police officers and police from neighboring communities responded Sept. 12 to Sky Zone after an employee made a 911 call about a fight in progress.
How many people were inside Sky Zone was not precisely determined, with Sky Zone officials estimating the number at perhaps 330 while police testifying at the initial license revocation hearing put the number at between 500 to 700 people. The business said that, per fire codes, it had an occupancy limit of 682 people.
Three youths were cited under village ordinance for disorderly conduct, according to police Chief Joe Mitchell. Nobody was injured, he said.
In the lawsuit, Sky Zone contends no evidence was presented that a fight had taken place, and there was no evidence presented that any of the minors were Sky Zone patrons.
Under the court agreement entered, Sky Zone will close at 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday and continue using private security on weekends.
The business would no longer host Glow Nights, in which rooms are darkened and blacklights and lasers used, according to the agreement. There was a Glow Night event being held Sept. 12 when police were called.
The village did not have any comment directly related to the lawsuit, but reported “our ongoing priority is to maintain public safety in Orland Park.”