Fountain Blue Owner Asks Des Plaines Residents to Support Banquet Hall Tent

Fountain Blue owner Tom Diamond has written an open letter to Des Plaines residents asking them to support a new application for an outdoor, banquet hall tent that has invoked the ire of nearby residents.

The city council rejected a plan this summer that would have kept the tent in operation. Fountain Blue, 2300 Mannheim Road, used the 6,000 square foot tent for about two years. Nearby residents complained the tent never was properly approved and generated too much noise – Fountain Blue was cited five times for noise violations during the tent's use.

The tent was supposed to come down this week, but Diamond is planning to file a new application, according to a spokesman. Although the tent still is not being used, the new application means the structure will not come down – for the time being.

Diamond's letter to residents:

To My Fellow Des Plaines Community Members:

Over the past year I’m sure you’ve read about my efforts to keep the tent at Fountain Blue up despite political

pressure. This tent is a major part of our business as it is a unique draw for weddings and events, allowing us

to generate a huge amount of business for the area economy and brings substantial revenues to the city.

But the ugliness of the process caused me to became cynical, and I began to focus more on winning a political

fight than on accomplishing what is best for our shared community.

That was wrong and I am sorry.

We at Fountain Blue care deeply about Des Plaines:

-The events we host attract thousands of people from throughout the region, benefiting our city’s economy.

-We employ 37 people directly and many more indirectly through the events hosted at our facilities.

-Every year we pay nearly $200,000 in taxes, licensing and fees. We are proud to do our part so that our local,

state, and federal governments can continue to provide important services for the residents in our community.

-We frequently donate to area charitable causes, offer discounts and auction items to assist not-for-profits in

their events, and have the opportunity to work with individuals with developmental disabilities from Maine

West High School.

-We provide Des Plaines the opportunity to show off our community to a number of prestigious businesses

and elected leaders who host events at our facility.

We pledge to do a better job of working hand-in-hand with you to bring this economic benefit to Des

Plaines while also respecting the needs of our neighbors in the community.

We have taken steps to ensure area residents are not disturbed by additional noise or traffic from events held in

our tent, and will continue to seek out ways to ensure our neighbors are not disturbed.

So we ask you, the members of the community, for your permission to use this tent as a draw to continue

to bring visitors and economic activity to Des Plaines.

We believe that together we can continue to move Des Plaines forward.

Sincerely,

Tom Diamond