Officials table Palatine plan for height concerns

New condos and businesses could soon be coming to Palatine, across the street from Harper College.

The Palatine Village Council discussed a plan Monday night for a four-story mixed-use building at 1776 S. Roselle Road, near the old Embers restaurant site.

On the 2.3 acres there, a building with 51 condos and 20,000 square feet of commercial space is being proposed by Lee and Eugenia Archos of Harvard.

The idea was given preliminary approval Dec. 18 by the Palatine plan commission, with a 6-3 vote.

Village councilmen, however, say they have concerns about the height of the building, wondering if four stories is too high compared to nearby buildings.

Instead of voting on the proposal, it was continued until a Feb. 11 meeting so that village staff can further study the proposed building height and make sure neighboring property owners are aware of what's being planned.

"If you took a story out of it, that would ruin the balance of the structure," said Bo Strom, a developer for the project.

Plans for the building also call for it to have "green roof" with trees. That's for two reasons, developers say. One is to save energy and another is to make the building aesthetically pleasing, they say.

This would become the second project in Palatine with such a roof. The other will be downtown at the new Palatine Place development.

"The green roof is obviously a plus in today's day and age," said Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins.