Palatine narrowly approves auto business it once rejected

Palatine businessman Ira Kosova finally feels relieved.

Two months ago, the Palatine village council rejected his plan to open an auto business at 646 E. Northwest Highway, citing a litany of concerns including that it would be loud and disturb nearby residents.

Since then, Kosova has changed his business plan to address those issues.

The village council rewarded his efforts Monday by voting 4-3 to allow him to open the business.

"I'm relieved, I'm happy, and very grateful that the village (reconsidered)," Kosova said Wednesday.

Making the stakes higher was that Kosova already had spent $275,000 to purchase the building before getting the council's permission to open.

Even District 6 council member Brad Helms, who twice voted against Kosova's plan, said he was impressed by the lengths he went to address the village's concerns.

"(Kosova) went above and beyond all of my recommendations and the staff's recommendations," Helms said. "His new plan eliminates test drives, adds insulated doors which they will keep closed, they have to keep the cars indoors at night, pretty much everything we asked for."

Helms, who represents the district the shop is in, said that despite all the changes, he never envisioned an auto business in that section of Palatine.

Though he won over a majority of the council, Kosova didn't have all his neighbors on board with his plan.

"I moved to this neighborhood in 1996, I knew there was hotels around the corner, I knew there was train tracks," resident Lewis Smith said. "I didn't ever expect to be sitting on my front porch looking at a car lot."

Kosova said his business, Action Auto Service, will sell used cars ranging in price from $4,000 to $6,000, as well as perform upscale customization work and even produce cars for movies. He said his sales mostly will take place online, so we doesn't have a need to hang up streamers to attract business.

He hopes to open his business in two or three weeks.

"I knew that I would have to do above and beyond to prove that I'm very serious about what I wanted to do," Kosova said. "It's a lot of money, but I'm willing to do that."

As a condition of the approval Monday, the village council added a six-month review period for the business.