LAKE IN THE HILLS, Ill. — The owner of a suburban bakery said village officials are discriminating against her business.
Saturday, Corinna Sac, owner of Uprising Bakery and Café in Lake in the Hills, posted a video on Facebook and said the business received a letter from the village and ordered it to stop hosting live events.
“I feel like this is discrimination and a conspiracy to interfere with my business,’ Sac said in the video.
The letter came days after the bakery was vandalized and forced to cancel what the bakery called a family-friendly drag show.
Sac said she’s been hosting events since the day she opened, and never had any problems until she wanted to host an LGBTQ affirming event.
The village said the bakery is not zoned to host events and other business and property owners are concerned about parking, safety and loss of customers.
On Sunday, the village issued a statement that said, in part, “The Village of Lake in the Hills has been made aware of a social media video shared today by Corrina Sac, owner of Uprising Bakery, claiming there has been a conspiracy to interfere with her business. This issue is about a business conducting activities it was never permitted to conduct. While the potential revenue from these entertainment events may be attractive to the business owner, the Village is seeking compliance with its zoning regulations.”
The village acknowledged last week’s meeting with Sac.
“Ms. Sac stated she now sees the potential revenue from these entertainment events as being essential to her business. She was clear that her intent was to continue offering entertainment on a more frequent and extended basis. Her acknowledgement of this change to her business model, has required the Village to consider the zoning concerns, as the operation of an entertainment business is not a permitted use at that location,” the statement said. “This zoning designation prohibits entertainment in large part due to the close proximity to residential neighborhoods and shared tenant parking.”
The statement said village officials attempted to contact Sac through her attorney, “to confirm her intent to voluntarily comply with the zoning, which would allow her business to continue, but without reliance on an entertainment component. Unfortunately, after receiving no response, the Village issued a letter requesting compliance.”
On Sunday the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois issued a statement that said they have contacted village officials on behalf of Sac and her business.
“We seek the Village’s assurances, however, that she will be permitted to hold those events at later dates and to proceed with similar events without interference from the Village. Any ‘enforcement actions’ against Ms. Sac or UpRising based on alleged ‘entertainment events’ would be unconstitutional, and the ACLU of Illinois is prepared to respond appropriately on their behalf,” the letter read in part. “We seek the Village’s assurances, however, that she will be permitted to hold those events at later dates and to proceed with similar events without interference from the Village. Any “enforcement actions” against Ms. Sac or UpRising based on alleged ‘entertainment events’ would be unconstitutional, and the ACLU of Illinois is prepared to respond appropriately on their behalf.”