Palatine Gives Preliminary Approval to Michigan Avenue Development

The Palatine village council Monday approved a preliminary planned development of 14 single family homes on 4.66 acres of property at 262 W. Michigan Avenue and a vacant property adjacent to the east.

The approval came after several residents living in nearby voiced concerns about the development potentially aggravating long-standing flooding issues in the area.

“The cul-de-sac just down from me, the water is completely up to the houses,” said Joyce Bieretz who lives on Cheryl Lane. “It’s stuff like this that makes my hair stand up.”

Bieretz referred to a resident plan commission meeting prior to the current proposal from developer, Arthur T. McIntosh and Co., when the company proposed 15 lots.

That proposal was rejected by the plan commission in March.

“People were upset [with the 15 lots], now the builder comes back with one less unit, had we not protested it may have gone through then,” Bieretz asked.

“The village required that the developer look at decreasing the number of lots – there is still a lot of work to be done with engineering and water direction for drainage,” said Reid Ottesen, village manager.

Other residents expressed frustration over problems they already deal with, and the possibility that the new development will worsen them.

“Right now, water travels north and there is a pond that goes east and west of my yard-there are mosquitos and it is swampy-the elevations that are proposed are going to making my situation worse,” said Betty Buccieri, another Cheryl Lane resident.

Greg Rose is in charge of the project and tried to reassure residents.

“We will be retaining and detaining more water than is required; based on preliminary design and calculations, there is sufficient design for run-off and storm water storage that far exceeds the volumes required by code,” Rose said.

The village engineer agreed.

“It would actually be a better situation than it is presently as far as discharge into the creek system,” said Mike Danecki, village engineer.

Ottesen said the proposal would require more intense examination by staff and its engineers before final approval is received.

The proposed development would include a new street that would connect to Michigan Avenue.

The developer also proposes to fill in a flood plain in the area and create a new water detention area on the southeast corner of the development site.

There, storm water would be collected in addition to a new storm sewer being installed that would drain into the proposed new detention basin.

Storm water also would be piped under Michigan Avenue and directed into the creek south of the Michigan Avenue culvert, downstream.

Lot sizes of the proposed development would range from 10,473 to 16,797 square feet.

Now that preliminary approval was gained, the developer will be working with the village and residents moving forward.