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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Thursday, March 13, 2008 10:07 PM CDT
Hearing on drive-in postponed

By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com

CHARLESTON — The city zoning board’s hearing on a proposal to bring a drive-in movie theater to this town has been postponed by two weeks.

The zoning board had been scheduled Thursday evening to consider a petition for a conditional use permit that would enable a drive-in to open at the former Eagles Lodge property, 375 N. 14th St.

A combination of planned and unexpected absences resulted in only three board members being able to attend the meeting. Not enough board members were present to hold a hearing on the conditional use permit, so the hearing was rescheduled to 7 p.m. March 27 in City Hall, 520 Jackson Ave.

City Attorney Brian Bower apologized to petitioner Mark McSparin of Charleston, for the record, and noted McSparin was present and prepared to present evidence Thursday evening. The conditional use permit had been scheduled to go before the Charleston City Council for final consideration on Tuesday.

McSparin, who owns the Sensible Cinemas theater company, said he will not be able to attend the March 27 hearing and asked what he should do to prepare a representative to speak in his place.

City Planner Jeff Finley suggested the representative bring a sketch that shows the placement of the movie screen, parking, and entries and exits for the proposed drive-in theater.

Bower said the city staff and zoning board members also will likely have questions about how the drive-in will minimize its light and noise with regard to the neighboring properties.

McSparin has said he hopes to open a single-screen, first-run theater by June at the approximately 5-acre property on North 14th Street. He plans to use the former lodge building as a concession area. In a year or two, he plans to open a second screen there.

His Sensible Cinemas company owns indoor theaters in Dixon, Ottawa and Sterling, as well as Mac’s Drive-In theater in Salem. He also owns Effingham’s Heart Theatre, which is closed and up for sale.

The community’s last drive-in theater, the Charleston Drive-In, closed in 1983. The sign of the long-gone Skyway Drive-In can still be seen along Illinois Route 316 in Mattoon.

Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.

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Qwerty wrote on Mar 14, 2008 3:18 PM:

" This community wants more but the people that we elect appoint people to do a job that they can't show up to do.

Which members were absent? "