New Starbucks Plan Withdrawn—For Now

Plans for a new Starbucks near the intersection of Northwest Highway and Smith Street have been withdrawn—at least for now.

"We were notified last week that the petitioner was not ready to move forward at this point," said Ben Vyverberg, director of planning and zoning for Palatine, adding that the petitioner might reapply at a future date.

, after the village council . The plan garnered criticism from residents concerned about traffic and also from supporters of nearby , 189 W. Northwest Highway.

A project that has been rejected by the council can't be resubmitted for a year, unless the plan has been changed. Earlier this month the property's owner, Nick Bharwani, reapplied for a special use permit with new plans for the Starbucks. Vyverberg said the new plans called for a smaller building and a change in the way traffic is routed.

The stripmall would be located between , 205 W. Northwest Highway, and , 275 W. Northwest Highway.

The project would make use of the right-in, right-out entrance further east near Harris Bank. This would provide access for eastbound traffic on Northwest Highway. Traffic heading west on Northwest Highway could turn in at McDonald's and then doubleback to Starbucks, Vyverberg said.

Starbucks could locate in the stripmall without a drive-thru, but Starbucks Director of Global Development Dean Klein said that "the absence of a drive-thru makes this project less desirable. It would definitely detract from the appeal of this location."

The Northwest Highway Starbucks would be the fourth in Palatine. There already is a located in the Metra Station near Smith and Wood streets. There also is a at 1590 N. Rand Rd. as well as a Starbucks at 679 E. Dundee Rd. inside .