Palatine, Rotary Club partner to build new community sign

A case of opportune timing will produce both a new community sign in Palatine and possible savings to taxpayers.

The village plans to construct an electronic sign at the northeast corner of Palatine and Plum Grove roads in the wake of the recent completion of a road expansion project there.

Meanwhile, the Rotary Club of Palatine has been gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2014.

As a result, the local service organization said it would partner with Palatine and commit up to $50,000 toward the project. The new Rotary Plaza, as it will be known, will feature the club’s emblem, landscaping and pedestrian improvements.

The plaza also will include a bench, flagpole, trees, flowers and pedestrian gate. On both sides of the sign will be globes, posts and bases similar to existing village structures.

Officials expect work to be completed by the end of the year.

Liz Noe, president of Rotary Club of Palatine, said the organization’s contribution will come from money raised at its popular Oktoberfest from last year, this year and in 2014.

Palatine’s 2012 budget included $65,000 for the sign; about $5,000 has been spent in preliminary design work.

The village, which currently is seeking bids for the project, will be responsible for future maintenance of the plaza.