Korean church leaders: Did race play factor in Palatine's rejection?

Members of predominantly Korean-American church whose application to convert a vacant commercial building into a church was denied by the Palatine village council Monday night said they thought they may have been denied for racial or religious reasons.

The plan by Bethel Presbyterian Church of Chicago would have made a new church out of the building at 399 N. Quentin Road that was most recently a Golf Nation golf instruction facility.

The council rejected it for several reasons, including parking and traffic concerns and that the church would not generate taxes.

“I think we were all in the same opinion of not losing manufacturing,” Mayor Jim Schwantz said after the meeting. “If that piece comes off the tax rolls, then someone else has to pick up the burden of that, whether it is other manufacturing, other commercial or residential.”

Joon Han, a church elder, said several members of the church were intending to move or had already moved to Palatine partly because of the plan to start a church there, which would offset the loss in tax revenue. Han noted that the village's zoning board had already considered the tax issue and recommended the plan unanimously.

“We don't think the tax issue is a real issue,” Han said. “We are saying maybe it is a race issue, a religious issue.”

Schwantz denied that race or religion played a role in the council's decision.

“Absolutely not,” he said.

David Bean, the owner of eAccess Solutions, an Internet retailing business located directly north of the proposed church at 407 N. Quentin Road, spoke against the proposal at Monday's meeting and said, as a Palatine resident, he wants there to be more businesses generating taxes.

“It's an area that I wish there were more businesses surrounding me,” Bean said. “I know how much I pay for property taxes on that property and my home, and property taxes are doing nothing but going up.”

In 2004, a church called The Chapel was established at 431 N. Quentin Road, which is directly north of Bean's business. Had the Bethel Presbyterian Church's plan been accepted, Bean would have been between two churches.

“It's not that I don't think a church is going to be a good neighbor ­— they are definitely good neighbors,” Bean said. “It's just not a fit.”

Robert Pinzur, an attorney for Bethel Presbyterian, said he was surprised that the council would deny the request. After the 6-1 vote against the plan, Pinzur requested the council continue its discussion to next month so the church and the village could work more on the tax issues.

The council declined to continue the discussion.

“I don't see any reason to kick this down the road again,” said Councilman Scott Lamerand, the only councilman who voted in favor of the plan. “If you want to come back with a different proposal, I think that's great. I was in favor of it myself, but I don't see any reason to carry on.”