WINNETKA – The Village Council on August 18 introduced a special use permit for a new exercise studio in its East Elm business district. The studio, Yogi Barre, previously received unanimous approval by the Village Plan Commission in July.
Yogi Barre seeks to open in the space previously occupied by D’s Haute Dogs at 551 Lincoln Avenue. The studio will offer fusion classes that combine yoga, ballet and pilates. The storefront will have a retail component for fitness apparel and accessories. The village’s Director of Community Development Michael D’Onofrio noted that the East Elm business district has always had parking issues for special use business such as this one. However in this case, the owners commissioned a parking study, which concluded that there would be minimal impact on parking since the classes will be limited in size.
D’Onofrio also pointed out that the village’s efforts to streamline the zoning ordinance appear effective, noting that it will likely only take seven weeks for Yogi Barre to be approved.
“We are looking at cutting five weeks off the process,” he said.
To encourage new businesses, the village eliminated approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals and also streamlined the public notification process.