Day care will replace abandoned gas station in Palatine

Palatine village council members agree that a day care operation is preferable to an abandoned gasoline station in the Rand Road corridor.

Council members Monday night approved a special-use permit for construction of Children's Land Learning Center on nearly 1½ acres at 1295 S. Rand. It'll replace the shuttered Clark gas station on Rand between Dundee Road and Route 53.

Plans call for Children's Land to build a 14,000 square-foot building with at least 10 classrooms and multipurpose space. It'll be geared for infants to kindergarten-aged children.

Children's Land expects to have 30 employees handling teaching, administrative and facilities duties for what will be the company's sixth operation on a northern Illinois roster that includes Wheeling, Glenview and Lincolnshire. It'll be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

While council members supported the plan for Children's Land to replace the abandoned gas station, some expressed concern about day care center visitors trying to turn left to southbound Rand when exiting.

"We're pleased as punch this is proposed here," Councilman Doug Myslinski told architect Chris Russo, who represented Children's Land at Monday's meeting. "It's beautiful. I think it's going to be great. But I don't think you've done a traffic study or anything like that as part of this. We're just worried about you."

Village Manager Reid Ottesen said drivers who might have to wait longer than they'd prefer while attempting to turn left onto Rand from Children Land's drive "will be testing their own patience" but won't hold up other traffic. He said drivers could turn right to Park Place Shopping Center and receive the benefit of a traffic signal at the entrance there to loop back south on Rand.

Palatine Director of Building and Zoning Ben Vyverberg said the village council in 2006 approved a car wash, restaurant and gas station development to replace the vacation gas station. However, the plan didn't go anywhere, and the approval expired in 2009.