Palatine council OKs duplexes as neighbors raise privacy concerns

Despite concerns from neighbors that it may be a bit too close to their backyards for comfort, Palatine village council members have given preliminary approval to a duplex development on Quentin Road.

The project will consist of nine homes - four in duplexes and one single-family residence - on the north end of a vacant 1.97-acre site at 874-912 N. Quentin Road.

The homes will range from 1,600 to 2,600 square feet, with one- and two-story options.

Palatine officials previously approved plans for a memory care and Alzheimer's residential facility on the land, but the project never progressed past the planning stages.

Some residents of Franklin Avenue, just west of the development site, have objected to the plans, saying the proposed 40-foot setback separating the new buildings from their homes would result in a loss of privacy.

However, a representative of the developer said the setback could be extended to 45 feet, and Village Manager Reid Ottesen told council members the 40-foot rear-yard setback is allowable in areas zoned for residential use.

"So in this case, the developer has already agreed to provide a greater setback to the properties to the west (on Franklin) than what somebody coming in and building single-family homes would be," Ottesen said.