Story posted Thursday, June 25, 2009
Banquet Hall Approved
A new banquet facility is coming to Palatine after village councilmen approved the plan at last week's (June 16) council meeting.
Brandi's Banquets will soon operate in the Laredo Plaza shopping center, 1168-1170 E. Dundee Rd., just east of Rand Road.
The business was close to winning approval the week before, but concerns over how the facility would be used arose.
"When there isn't an event for a wedding or funeral for example, the other events need to be in conjunction with a local church or not-for-profit organization," said Village Manager Reid Ottesen. "They can have live entertainment, but it must be secondary to the main reason why they are having the event."
According to Ottesen, owner Diana Rojas reduced her original closing times down to 1 a.m. during the week and 2 a.m. on weekends. Also, Rojas will provide security for the parking lot as well as inside the establishment.
She said she will provide for an off-site valet service since there are only 224 parking spaces available and 311 are needed for this type of business, according to village code.
The approved tenant space is approximately 7,500 sq. ft. It includes an office, restrooms, bar, full kitchen, banquet room, and dance floor. The maximum seating capacity is 300 people with approximately 10 employees.
Ottesen informed the council that residents of the nearby Windhaven condo complex removed their opposition of the banquet hall after they were pleased with modifications Rojas made to her plans.
"There will be a six-month review of the operation regarding traffic and parking and also determine if this is a different venue than originally proposed like a Durty Nellies instead of a banquet hall. If so, we can come back to possibly remove the special use," said Ottesen.
---Richard Mayer
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