Village Approves Parking Restriction and Privacy Fence; Council Holds Closed Session

The Village of Palatine Council approved a new parking restriction near Sycamore Park and granted a minor amendment to allow a privacy fence at the Windhaven Condominiums Tuesday night.

“No Parking Anytime” signs will be put up on N. Clark Drive between Jane Addams Drive and E. Carpenter Drive, near Sycamore Park in Palatine.

The Village approved the parking restriction after officers with the Palatine Police Department noticed the dangers the current parking regulations created for pedestrians and cyclists in the area. 

Part of the Palatine Park District, has soccer and football fields, tennis courts and baseball and softball fields. During events and games at the park cars often park on both sides of N. Clark Drive, obstructing visibility for bicyclist and pedestrians on the bike path.

With a recommendation form the Traffic Engineering Committee, the Village voted to prohibit parking on both sides of the .11-mile stretch of N. Clark Drive near the bike path.

Due to ongoing maintenance and vandalism issues, the Village granted a minor amendment to allow a privacy fence at . The 8-foot privacy fence will replace an 80-foot section of a chain link fence at the Windhaven subdivision on Dundee Road West of Route 53.

According to residents, people have broken out and pushed through the chain link fence to gain access into the subdivision. Even though the fence that is currently in place has been fixed multiple times, vandalism continues to be a problem at Windhaven.

To limit the number of people cutting through that area, and cut down the amount vandalism to homes and properties in the subdivision, the Village Council approved Windhaven Planned Development’s request to allow the 8-foot tall privacy fence at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Village Council quickly moved through and approved the rest of the items on Tuesday’s agenda and council members returned to a special, closed session.

At the request of the Village Manager and Attorney council members met in a closed session before the regular meeting but voted to return after the meeting.

“There is a reason we go into a closed session,” said Village Manager, Reid Ottesen. “What real estate property, what litigation, or what personnel issue is being discussed, I am not going to go into that,” said Ottesen.

The agenda for the special meeting cited two of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) as the reasoning for the closed session.

5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (6)

“The setting of a price for sale or lease of a property owned by the public body.”

5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (11)

“Litigation, when an action against, affecting of on behalf of the particular public boy has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probably of imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the minute of the closed meeting.”

In some instances, Ottesen said it’s beneficial for council members to have the opportunity to discuss some matters in private. “The Council has the right to go into closed session,” Ottesen said closed sessions are for discussions not decisions. “If there is any formal decision made, the public is involved,” Ottesen continued, “I can assure you, no formal decisions were made in that closed session.”   

The next Village Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 10.