Palatine rejects car wash's electric sign proposal

The Palatine village council rejected a plan by the Route 62 Wash and Lube at 1570 W. Algonquin Road to change their hand-operated message board to an electronic one Monday night.

The plan was opposed by many residents at the nearby Maison Du Comte gated subdivision, who said the stretch of Algonquin Road was dangerous enough with all of the car and bicycle traffic without a distracting electronic board.

"It's all about taking distractions away from drivers," Wayne Romanchuk said. "What this thing is intended to do is become a distraction, getting somebody who is driving to look at something else."

Route 62 Wash and Lube co-owner Andy Spentzos argued that the sign would not be distracting because the message on it would only change once every 15 seconds, which is what the village code requires.

In July, the village's zoning board of appeals sided with the business owners, but Monday night the village staff recommended the council reject the plan.

Ben Vyverburg, Palatine's director of planning and economic development, said the village allows electronic message boards in certain commercial areas, but not where the car wash is located.

Councilman Greg Solberg said he was not in favor of expanding the area where electric message board signs are permitted.

"The electric message board signs are frankly getting out of hand," said Solberg, who added that he has seen electric signs in Palatine where the business owner has decided to violate the village's rules. He said he has seen signs that have messages that are quickly scrolling or flashing.

The council's decision to reject the proposal was unanimous.