Palatine council blocks banquet proposal citing operational concerns

Palatine village council members this week denied a petition for a small banquet facility in the Park Place shopping center.

Carmelo Martinez, who operates a salon in the mall on the 1100 block of East Dundee Road, proposed opening a small banquet hall in vacant space next door.

He said several salon customers and friends have expressed a need for a small venue for special occasions.

The 1,200-square-foot space would have accommodated 40-45 people and offered eight tables. Guests would bring in their own food and beverages, with alcohol prohibited.

Martinez said the facility would provide a more affordable option for customers who cannot meet the high cost of a more expensive space.

But village council members at Monday’s meeting voted unanimously to deny the petition.

Village staff said existing banquet facilities are commonly associated with an existing restaurant that not only provides food, but also monitors banquet activities. The proposed banquet facility would place the burden on guests to provide the food and do the monitoring.

The property’s landlord, Cory Bruce, said the facility will not be open to the public.

“It's a private party only,” he said. “It's only renting for birthday parties, graduation parties.”

But District 2 council member Scott Lamerand worried about safety and security on site.

“The struggle we’re having is really with the operation of the site itself,” he said. “How do we maintain control over it when the public does come into it. At some point, someone's going to have food on site, or they're going to have beverages on site. How do we keep our arms around that?”