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Palatine denies American Legion's request for outdoor patio

The manager of an American Legion on Monday said she was "stunned" by the Palatine village council's unanimous vote against allowing the group to build an outdoor seating area.

Rosette Marturana, manager of the Palatine American Legion Post 690 at 122 W. Palatine Road, said the group has been working on plans to allow an outdoor patio and service area for patrons and expected approval from the council members. She explained that the legion tweaked its initial plan and complied with the council members' previous requests to keep the patio off the sidewalk.

However, during the meeting, council member Tim Millar and Mayor Jim Schwantz both expressed concerns about the proposed patio's proximity to Palatine Road. The proposal was for a 15-foot by 12-foot patio with two tables and eight chairs, surrounded by a 4-foot-tall picket fence in front of the building but off the sidewalk along Palatine Road.

During a back and forth in front of meeting attendees, Millar first suggested that the legion move the patio plan to the back of the building on the ground level, but Marturana explained that the building has no back door. Millar then asked Marturana if the legion would consider building a second-floor deck in the back of the building and adding a door, but Marturana said the second floor is for private parties and is not close to the main bar on the first floor.

Schwantz added that the proposal didn't seem practical.

"We want to support the legion, but this doesn't make a lot of sense," he said. "I'm now sure how sitting on Palatine Road would be a good time."

Council members Kolin Kozlowski, Greg Holberg and Scott Lamerand joined Millar and Schwantz in the unanimous vote. Council members Brad Helm and Doug Mylinski were not at the meeting.

"I'm really stunned," Marturana said as she exited village hall. "We've jumped through all their hoops. They dragged it out so we missed the whole summer, and now they say no?"

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