Parking dispute slows church takeover of Palatine bowling alley

A parking battle is brewing between a Palatine congregation looking for a permanent home and an established business that believes spaces are already at a premium.

Cornerstone Evangelical Community Church, which has held its services at Christ Lutheran Church on Rohlwing Road for several months, has a tentative deal to buy the former Brunswick Zone bowling alley at 519 S. Consumers Ave.

But neighboring Soccer City argues the 250-member church and its two Sunday services would be a hardship on its business, the majority of which is on the weekend.

Palatine officials hesitant to approve the project decided to delay a vote until Jan. 10, with the intention of talking to neighbors and conducting a traffic study in the meantime.

“I want to make certain ... that we have a good feeling how it'll impact the neighborhood,” Councilman Jack Wagner said.

Councilman Scott Lamerand agreed: “My big concern is parking.”

The council would have to approve a special use allowing a church, in addition to a parking variation because the property has 17 fewer spaces than the 204 required by the village for a religious assembly.

Cornerstone Church attorney James Lennon said while the church wants to expand and eventually fill the proposed 350-seat sanctuary, it would still be a less intense use of the property than the bowling alley, which closed in September 2009.

The Rev. Henry Kim said his members typically use 110 to 120 spaces. The church agreed to provide traffic controllers if Village Manager Reid Ottesen deems it necessary, since Consumers Avenue can get backed up by cars waiting to turn left onto Northwest Highway.

“I think this is absolutely the perfect use for this parcel,” Lennon said. “We walked around the neighborhood and people are very supportive.”

With three indoor fields, Soccer City is one of the largest Chicago-area soccer purveyors. General Manager Michael Richards said he already gets occasional complaints about parking, from patrons who are sometimes forced to park at the adjacent Orbit Roller Rink.

Palatine's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 6-0 to recommend approving the church, but village staff stayed neutral and recommended action at the discretion of the council due to the parking and traffic concerns.