Riverdale moving forward with cigar lounge under zoning amendment

The Riverdale village board approved a special-use permit for a new cigar lounge at its Sept. 22 meeting.

The lounge, ONE44, will operate at 11 W. 144th St. under an amended zoning ordinance. Co-owners Nakia Cloud and Chris Milliner proposed the lounge in July where trustees voted to resubmit a rezoning request that was initially denied by the zoning board of appeals. At the time, the property was not zoned for commercial use.

“This has been a very difficult subject for us, and we’ve been divided on it,” interim mayor Cassandra Riley-Pinkney said.

Riley-Pinkney recognized that some might be against the cigar lounge but said leadership the owner through “extreme measures to make sure that his cigar smoke will not enter our air unfiltered.” She encouraged residents to visit the business. 

“It’s something really, really nice to have here in Riverdale,” Riley-Pinkett said.

The approval comes with conditions. The lounge is prohibited from having an outdoor smoking area, selling and allowing consumption of alcohol and cannabis, having outdoor music and entertainment, and hosting events associated with use. 

Owners must equip a ventilation and air filtration system, limit deliveries and refuse collection to 7:00 A.M. though 7:00 P.M. The lounge will close by 10:00 P.M. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 P.M. Friday and Saturday. 

Village officials said these conditions are applicable to any cigar lounge in its zoning district and will be listed in the ordinance text.

Amnesty for cash-strapped residents

The board approved ordinances for amnesty programs that allows residents to settle outstanding bills for water, vehicle violations, and other municipal code violations for a reduced amount.

“We got a lot of inquiries, and we have a lot of residents who are struggling, and they mentioned the [amnesty] program. So we thought it would be a really good time to bring it back and give some of you all an opportunity to catch up on things if possible,” Riley-Pinkney said.

Utility bill assistance

Village clerk Karen Holcomb noted the flyers available in the board chambers with information on utility bill assistance for eligible households. 

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) applications opened on Oct. 1 for priority households, including adults 60 and over, folks with disabilities, those with children aged five and under, and households “that are disconnected or in imminent disconnection status.” 

Applications for other income-eligible households open Nov. 1.

Stray dog incident 

During public comment, resident Catherine Cavanero raised concerns over stray dogs running loose in her neighborhood and police negligence.

Cavanero gave a tearful account of a recent incident involving a stray dog. She was walking her own dogs when a stray approached them, and she had to release control of her pets. She said all three dogs were hit, presumably by a car. While her dogs were okay, the stray was fatally injured. The dog didn’t die at the scene, Cavanero said, but police arrived without acquiring medical care for the injured stray.

“They just left [the dog] in the parkway of the street … and the dog is crying and crying and crying,” Cavanero said.

Cavanero posted on NextDoor and Ring to let her neighbors know what happened while she waited for the police. “I sat there crying at six o’clock in the morning crying my heart out and screaming, and [the police] just left him there,” she said.

Free mental health resources for residents

Angela Russell, program director of Envision Unlimited, is seeking a partnership with the village to bring free mental health resources to Riverdale. 

Envision Unlimited is a cultural and faith-based empowerment program that provides free mental health and wellness workshops to residents 18 and over.

“The same way we talk about our physical health and what ails us, we have to talk more about our general mental well-being,” Russell said. She said the program can also help connect residents to get more support if needed. 

“We would love to bring these things to Riverdale because our goal is to make sure that we capture the neighborhoods and south suburbs that are undersourced for mental health services and resources.”