Palatine housing proposals get mixed reviews

Proposals for two developments that would bring 16 new homes to Palatine have received mixed reviews from an advisory village review board.

KF Walter Homes Inc. of Palatine wants to construct four single-family homes in the 800 block of Hillside Street near Quentin and Palatine roads. KF Walter's other plan would place 12 townhouses in the 1500 block of Hicks Road, just south of Dundee Road.

While Palatine plan commission members gave a thumbs-up last week to the single-family houses planned on Hillside, the panel rejected the multifamily proposal for Hicks Road. The Palatine village council, which gets the final say on issues, could consider the projects next month.

Gregory Rose Jr., owner and president of KF Walter, said the four single-family homes on Hillside would be build on two residential lots totaling roughly 1 acre. He addressed resident concerns about water runoff in the area, saying an existing sewer would be extended.

Rose said he expects there would be "quite a high amount" of expenses associated with infrastructure upgrades, so he plans to move quickly on the development to recoup KF Walter's investment.

"I intend on having the homes sold and pulling the permits this year," he told the plan commission.

As part of the plan commission's endorsement of the four houses, officials suggested that KF Walter's stormwater engineering should be revised.

KF Walter's proposal for the 12 townhouses would cover about 2 acres on Hicks at Garden Avenue, across the street from Northwest Shopping Center. Rose said there would be four homes in each of three ranch-style buildings on property where permitted uses already include office or retail development.

Rose said the townhouses would be targeted for residents 55 and older and complement single-family properties in the area. He said the multifamily homes would be a transition from the shopping plaza east of Hicks to the single-family neighborhood.

"It also meets a growing market for Palatine's maturing population who are looking for single-level, maintenance-free living as an alternative to their existing house," Rose said.

North Elm Street resident Walter Bilyk was among the residents who opposed the townhouse project when he spoke during last week's public hearing before the plan commission. The commission voted 5-4 against the plan.

"I am against the proposal because it is totally out of character with our subdivision," Bilyk said. "We are a large single-family home, quiet subdivision."