Development puts art school's future in jeopardy

Positive Strokes Art School and Gallery in Palatine bills itself as a comfortable space where learning and self-expression come naturally.

However, that space - a quaint-looking house on Quentin Road - will be torn down to make way for a senior assisted living facility and business owner Marlene Wood fears she'll have to close her 11-year-old business altogether as a result.

"I put so much time, money and effort into this home," Wood said. "This is my life. I thought I'd be here for a long time."

Wood acknowledges the $20,000 she spent fixing up the house after leasing it was a risk because the property, formerly Mia's Nursery, has been on the market for several years. Last summer, the village of Palatine expanded the site's zoning to appeal to a wider range of businesses to encourage redevelopment.

Wood is upset because she's only four months into a two-year lease. She said she felt she was purposely kept in the dark and wouldn't have spent so much money rehabbing the property had she known about the zoning change.

Property owner Wayne Johnson said he feels Wood's panic is premature. Only preliminary designs have been approved and he doubts construction on the assisted-living facility will start this year, though representatives for developer CRL Senior Living Communities have said they hope to break ground within six months.

Johnson also had his attorney send Wood a letter offering to pay "reasonable relocation costs" and provide real estate relocation services. He's irritated that several Positive Strokes students and teachers appeared at a recent village council meeting to speak against the development.

"The place has been for sale for five years, so this is nothing (Wood) didn't know about," Johnson said. "I'm under no obligation to help her financially but I'm doing it because I'm nice. I can sleep at night."

Johnson said he could break Wood's lease "a hundred different ways if I wanted," adding he won't invite her to renew her lease should the assisted living facility deal fall apart.

Wood hasn't spoken to either the landlord or developer about possible compensation. She also hasn't returned a phone call from Johnson's son, saying she's nervous possible fallout.

"I've been teaching in some capacity for 30 years and I don't like this state of limbo I'm in," Wood said. "I thought my lease had no loopholes but it seems people can do whatever they want."

At the village council meeting, a few Positive Strokes students implored members to consider the effect the development will have on the school, and reminded certain officials they ran for office promising to do more for small businesses. Councilman Scott Lamerand reiterated he'd like to see the business stay in Palatine, but said the village has no say in private contracts.