Cornerstone Church withdraws plans to relocate to Palatine, for now

The people behind a plan to open a church in Palatine didn't give officials a chance to turn them down.

With the council Monday night poised to nix the proposal, Cornerstone Evangelical Community Church instead strategically withdrew their petition moments before the vote.

Doing so means the church can work on a number of concerns officials had voiced about congestion and re-approach the council in the near future. Had the proposal been voted down, Cornerstone would have had to wait a year before resubmitting the plans barring significant changes.

The main point of contention is the limited parking around the building at 519 S. Consumers Ave., the site of the former Brunswick Zone bowling alley.

The church, which currently meets at Christ Lutheran Church on Rohlwing Road, wants to hold services at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sundays. But that's when neighboring Soccer City and Hat Trick Hockey are at their busiest, and parking is already at a premium.

“I just don't think it's an appropriate use for that property, bottom line,” Councilman Jack Wagner said. “It's not just occupancy. It's not just parking. It's not just traffic control. It's a number of things including the rights of the property of the neighbors next door.”

If Cornerstone doesn't work out, it's unclear what type of occupant would be suitable.

The real estate firm charged with marketing the property — it's been vacant since Brunswick left in September 2009 — has said retailers aren't interested because of the building's lack of visibility from Northwest Highway. Of the six offers to purchase it, five have come from nonprofits and churches.

But Palatine requires religious organizations to have a higher number of parking spaces than other uses. Representatives of Cornerstone argued the threshold is too high and presented a traffic study showing its services drew a total of 112 vehicles, well below the village's 204-space minimum based on the building's maximum occupancy.