Story posted Thursday, October 22, 2009
Plan To Build Bank On Empty Brown's Site
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
Even though numerous nearby business owners voiced concerns about a potential lack of parking, Palatine councilmen approved construction of a new Chase Bank building on the former site of Brown's Chicken at Smith Street and Northwest Hwy.
Construction of the 4,230 sq. ft. bank is expected to begin in the spring and take approximately five months to complete.
For this use, 14 parking spaces are required. The building will remove 55 existing spaces on the vacant site, but Chase will provide 40 total parking spaces when construction is complete. A total of 259 parking paces are required for the plaza with the new bank building. The lot will have 259 spaces, according to village officials, which meets village code.
However, local business owners, including Laurie Mitchell, owner of Edelweiss Delicatessen, believe the new bank will wipe out parking spaces for her customers and customers of nearby storefronts.
"Where will our customers park to come in?" asked Mitchell. "Our older customers won't park by Eurofresh."
Mitchell asked if Chase would be willing to downsize the bank building so two rows of parking spaces near her store and Vittorio de Roma's banquet hall can stay.
Vittorio owner Linda Andres said when she received approval for her establishment years ago, it was for 150 spaces. Now she has concerns she will not be able to accommodate all of her patrons.
"Those businesses are destination locations, meaning people don't just drive by and say let's go in there," said Councilman Jack Wagner. "If anything, a bank will be an advantage because the people going to the bank will see those businesses and possibly go in there."
According to Village Manager Reid Ottesen, employees at the nearby establishments may use the bank's 14 parking spaces to open up additional parking for their customers.
"The required parking spaces meet village code," said Wagner. "The code was the same when the banquet hall opened and there are enough spaces based on square footage of the property."
"It's arrogant of Chase they have to do it this way and there is no wavering of their plan," Mitchell emphasized.
Chase Vice President Terry Roswick stated as part of the approval, he will ensure that bank employees park east of the building in the grocery store's parking lot.
Ottesen also said parking spaces could be re-striped resulting in a possible 15 extra spaces. There will also be a traffic study conducted six months after Chase opens to determine parking conditions.
Another component is for Chase to have a freestanding sign 17.5 ft. high at the corner of Smith and Northwest Hwy. and for signage on all four sides of the building.
"We must have a free standing sign because numbers have shown that the market decreases when there is not adequate signage," said Roswick. "If we didn't get that, the project would be up for review."
According to Ottesen, that portion of the property in the Eurofresh Plaza has been for sale for years after the murders occurred at Brown's Chicken.
"This (Chase) is the first thing that has come to us in six years," said Ottesen.
A dry cleaner operated inside the former restaurant after the murders but closed a short time later in 1994.
That portion of the property has been used to sell Christmas trees in recent years.
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