Schaumburg aims to demolish eyesore without need for county permission

To transform an abandoned hot dog stand on Algonquin Road from an eyesore to an attractive northeastern gateway to Schaumburg, village officials this year bought the site, annexed and rezoned it, then applied for a Cook County demolition permit.

And waited.

Hoping to end that wait, trustees Tuesday will consider a measure making the village the only authority needed for demolition permits within its borders.

The basis of the proposed ordinance is Schaumburg's existing home-rule powers and its authority to issue demolition permits.

While Schaumburg's code doesn't include the same provisions for asbestos removal as the county code, officials said such procedures already are governed by the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Furthermore, the village's legal counsel has advised that there is no state regulation for an asbestos inspection before a demolition.

During the summer, Clear Channel removed the newly noncompliant billboard above the one-third-acre site at 1580 E. Algonquin Road.

But permission for the building demolition is still pending from Cook County despite the fact the recently unincorporated land is now owned by and within the village of Schaumburg.

The village purchased the land for $700,000 after a negotiation that followed a prolonged effort to track down its owner. Because annexations of 5 acres or less are automatically zoned for residential use, trustees also rezoned the land for business use afterward.

Details of the site's future use still await discussion, but it will default to green space once the demolition of the building and the decommissioning of an underground well are done, Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said.

Mayor Tom Dailly has said he prefers a Schaumburg gateway sign at the corner. The remainder of the site and its potential for a complementary commercial use have yet to be considered.

Schaumburg's northeast corner near the intersection of Algonquin and Meacham roads has seen significant redevelopment over the past two decades. It's home to the Schaumburg Convention Center, Zurich North America, the mixed-use Veridian development and a forthcoming entertainment district.