Palatine residents object to plan for truck storage near their backyards

A Palatine trucking firm's plan to park as many as 50 tractor-trailers on a former auto dealership lot at Rand and Hicks roads has met with opposition from its residential neighbors to the north.

But those residents face an uphill battle before the Palatine village council March 2, after already losing the first round Feb. 10 when the planning and zoning commission recommended the proposal.

Kurt Kassulat, president of Northwest Trucks Inc. at 2120 N. Rand Road, across the street from the property, intends to use a 3.64-acre site at 2105, 2111 and 2115 N. Rand Road.

He is seeking a special use permit to operate on a former auto dealership site.

Kassulat told the commission his business needs the property to store inventory of new trucks waiting for customers.

Kassulat said operations would be limited generally to between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and not used for nighttime operations.

Deerpath Lake condominium complex residents on East Fawn Lane cited concerns about property values, emissions, floodlights, noise and traffic.

“This is literally my backyard,” resident Allan Reizman said.

Residents also raised security concerns after Kassulat acknowledged a number of thefts at his existing dealership years ago.

Kassulat said specific trucks were targeted by thieves.

“Our facility has never been broken into,” he added.

Addressing environmental concerns, Kassulat said Northwest does not idle trucks.

He said an existing hedge line along the northern edge of the paved area blocks visibility of the parking area from residents. He also offered to add more hedging.

Approval would be conditioned on final landscaping/screening and parking layout plans submitted to the village.

Commissioners said they saw no substantial change in use, as trucks would be parked where cars had previously been parked.

Commission Chairperson Jan Wood acknowledged the peaceful character of the residential subdivision, adding her son once lived there.

But she told residents, “If you're looking out across the street, you'll see trucks, too.”