Palatine council OKs preliminary plan for light industrial building; 300 residents oppose project
Despite resident opposition, the Palatine village council has given a green light to a preliminary plan for the construction of a “light industrial” building along Algonquin Road.
Chicago-based Logistics Property Co. would construct a 368,000-square-foot building with truck loading docks and parking on 28.55 acres of green space south of Algonquin Road and west of Quentin Road.
Future tenants are expected to use the building for warehouse, office and distribution purposes.
Across the street from the site are condominiums and homes in Schaumburg. Residents from the area earlier this month delivered a petition against the plan to the council with more than 300 signatures of people who live in five surrounding communities.
Several residents spoke at the council meeting citing how the building adversely will affect their quality of life by adding traffic, light and noise pollution.
Joyce McCardle, who lives across the street, asked council members to postpone making a decision to address residents' concerns. She urged an independent traffic study is needed.
Another resident said people are concerned about so many trucks going in and out of the property.
A study commissioned by Logistics showed the new building would increase local traffic by less than 2%.
Resident Todd Hendricks spoke in favor of the plan saying it would bring jobs and tax dollars to the village.
Village staff members evaluated Logistics' plan, making more than 20 recommendations, including about the building's elevation, lighting, roof, and landscaping. The council adopted all the recommendations.
Residents also had voiced opposition at a November public hearing before the plan commission, which recommended approval but “strongly suggested” Logistics shrink the building's size to allow more space for landscaping to shield the view from nearby homes.
The developers said they evaluated reducing the building's size and determined it was not feasible, but made several changes, including:
• Moving the eastern exit 65 feet to the east so vehicle headlights would be directed away from the residential building at 522 E. Algonquin Road.
• Adding taller evergreen trees within 200 feet of Algonquin Road and more evergreens along the front of the property.
• Adding 12-foot screening walls to reduce the impact of noise and further shield the property from view.
Councilman Greg Solberg, who chairs the community and economic development committee, emphasized the approval was preliminary.
Officials expect a final plan will be presented in four to five months, providing more opportunities for public comment, he said.
The land is part of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum, whose roughly 300 acres was annexed by Palatine in September of 2020. The new building would be just east of the cemetery.