Politics & Government

Palatine Village Hall Remodel Won't Include Fire Station

Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz split a tie vote on a motion to incorporate a fire station into the village hall remodel, voting down the recommendation. The village will now look for an alternative location.

Plans for the $12.8 million renovation of the Palatine Village Hall progressed this week as council members voted 6 to 1 Monday to accept the design concept and green light the negotiation of related contracts for development services.

A controversial second component of the village hall remodel, a recommendation to include Fire Station 85, which is currently located on Colfax Street, was met with opposition from council members and residents alike.

Concerns raised about adding the fire station to the village hall included traffic congestion and pedestrian traffic from the park district, elementary school and Cutting Hall. The residential area is too busy to incorporate the maneuvering of large fire vehicles, said some residents.

Not logical

"No one puts a fire station on a side street. It's not logical," said a resident Another resident said he thought the whole plan was a bad idea, and suggested a new village hall and fire station be built downtown to aid in much-needed revitalization.

Brad Helms, the sole council member to vote against approving preliminary redesign plans for village hall, also disapproved of the recommendation to add the fire station.

"I don't see too many communities building fire stations on residential streets. We're talking a two-lane residential street that will be difficult to navigate. I'm telling you right now it's not a good idea," said Helms.

Council members Jim Clegg and Kollin Kozlowski disagreed, saying they didn't think it would be a safety issue given the experience fire and rescue crews have with handling traffic congestion. Points were also made that first responders would be closer to Sanborn School and the park district.

Helms asked Fire Chief Scott Anderson what his choice would be—stay where they're at, move to village hall, or a third option, whatever that might be.

If there was a third option, said Anderson, "I would certainly choose it."

When questioned further, Anderson said he'd prefer a new station be built near the Colfax location but that he also did not believe a move to village hall would negatively impact response times.

Mayor splits tie vote

When it came time for a vote on whether to proceed with plans to incorporate the fire station into village hall remodel plans, the council was split.

Jim Clegg, Brad Helms and Tim Millar voted against the inclusion of the fire station, while Kollin Kozlowski, Scott Lamerand and Greg Solberg voted in favor of it. The tie was broken by Mayor Jim Schwantz, who voted no.

Some fire department offices will still be included in the village hall remodel, and there would be space for living quarters and equipment bays if the council determines village hall is the best place for the station.

In the meantime, the council directed village staff to conduct a comprehensive search for a new fire station site.

Click here to watch the video of Monday's meeting.

Tell Us: Where do you think the fire station should locate? Should a new village hall be built downtown? Share your thoughts in the comments.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here